This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This chorizo, eggs, and potato breakfast skillet is literally the breakfast of champions. Crispy potatoes in the cast iron skillet with flavorful chorizo and eggs surrounded by melted cheese. The ultimate cast iron breakfast skillet.
What is a chorizo breakfast skillet?
A chorizo breakfast skillet is a hearty, savory dish consisting of eggs, potato, and the star ingredient – chorizo.
This pork sausage ranges between spicy and sweet depending on its variety. One thing is for sure, chorizo is always bursting with flavor!
A breakfast skillet can range in ingredients, with common add-ins including shredded cheese, bell peppers, onions, and avocado slices for serving.
The best part of a chorizo breakfast skillet is that you can really make it your own, swapping out ingredients and seasonings based on your preferences.
Is chorizo and chouriço the same thing?
Being Portuguese, I have consumed A LOT of chorizo in my life.
Is chorizo and chouriço the same thing? Yes, but there are different types. Chorizo is a Mexican style of the same sausage, but it comes uncooked.
For the Mexican style, you’ll have to fully cook it, and it is typically removed from the casing to use crumbled.Â
The Portuguese/Spanish version comes already cured, smoked, and ready to eat, although we always still cook it for enhanced flavor (that’s the one we’re using today!).
The variety I used in this recipe is named Chourico, but many use the names interchangeably, and ‘Chorizo’ is more identified with.
Email this Recipe!
Email this recipe to yourself to save for later.
By submitting this form, you agree to receive emails from Girl with the Iron Cast.
Why this chorizo breakfast skillet works
- This chorizo skillet is super flavorful with crispy potatoes, baked eggs, and cheddar cheese topped with fresh green onions… you’ll have this on repeat every weekend!
- Chorizo sausage gives this dish a light spice.
- This dish is full of protein-rich ingredients that will keep you full all morning long.
- You can easily customize this dish with any of your favorite vegetables, cheese blends, and fresh herbs.
- My chorizo skillet is perfect for feeding the whole family, with 4 servings per pan.
Ingredients needed
Here’s everything you’ll need for this chorizo skillet…
- Portuguese/Spanish chorizo
- Russet potatoes
- Distilled white vinegar
- Olive oil
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Green onions
- Cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
How to make a chorizo, eggs, and potato breakfast skillet
Ready to get cooking? This simple, flavorful recipe is easy to make and truly craveable.
Step 1: Prep the potatoes
- Your first step is to prep the potatoes. I used 2 large russet potatoes and kept the skin on. I love the texture you get with the skin left on, making them extra crispy. Give your potatoes a good scrub before use. Since they grow in the ground, I think we can all agree they are always pretty dirty.
- Then, cut the potato horizontally into 3 to 4 sections, depending on how thick they are, and proceed to dice from there.
- Once you have them all diced, we need to pre-cook them. To ensure a soft inside and crispy outside, I par-boil the diced potatoes with 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar and one tsp of kosher salt. The vinegar helps retain a molecule called ‘pectin’ that is found in vegetables, which keeps the potatoes from falling apart when softening.Â
- Boil potatoes for about 5 minutes until you can gently pierce with a fork.
- Remove your pot from the heat and strain in a colander.
Step 2: Cook the chorizo
- Cut one link of chorizo longways into four pieces.
- Dice your sliced chorizo.
- Cook the diced chorizo for about 8 minutes until it begins to turn golden brown.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo (leaving the juices and tiny bits behind) and set aside.
COOKING Tip:
Use one skillet when cooking, taking care to cook the chorizo first. Not only is this food safe, but it also allows the chorizo to release all of its delicious juices, which will give our potatoes so much flavor.
How do I make a vegetarian breakfast skillet?
To make this breakfast skillet vegetarian, simply remove the chorizo and swap for a vegetable blend of mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions.
I recommend adding extra seasoning, like smoked paprika, for more flavor.Â
Step 3: Crisp potatoes and combine
- Next to cook are the potatoes. Add a bit of olive oil along with the diced, par-boiled potatoes to the skillet.Â
- Season with 1 ¼ tsp salt, 1 ¼ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional).
- Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes until the outsides become crispy. Keep moving the potatoes around so you can crisp up all the sides.
- In the final minutes, add a tablespoon of unsalted butter to the pan and toss well to coat each crispy potato.
- Once the potatoes are done, add in the cooked chorizo and mix to combine.
CRISPING Tip:
Use a large cast iron pan (I chose a 12-inch cast iron) to avoid overcrowding. When you overcrowd a skillet, your potatoes will crisp unevenly, as some pieces are touching the hot skillet while others rest against other potatoes.
Your skillet should be large enough that your diced potatoes can lay in one even layer.Â
Step 4: Bake with eggs and cheese
- In your potato-chorizo mixture, create four wells to place your eggs.
- Carefully break the eggs into the wells.
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese in an even layer over the dish.
- Bake the skillet in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes until the whites have set.
- Remove from the oven. When properly baked, you should have beautifully baked eggs that are white and intact on the outside, with a runny center.
- Top with fresh green onions, divide into four sections using a spatula, and serve!
How to serve a chorizo, eggs, and potato breakfast skillet
This chorizo skillet is a filling, protein-rich meal. While it’s perfectly fine on its own, you can choose to up the nutritional value with a side of fresh fruit or even a small breakfast smoothie.
For toppings, green onions are a must. Other yummy additions include sliced avocado, pico de gallo, oven-roasted salsa, homemade guacamole, or your favorite hot sauce.Â
How to store a chorizo, eggs, and potato breakfast skillet
To store this skillet dish, wait for it to completely cool, then transfer it to an airtight container. Refrigerate your dish for 3-4 days, though I doubt it’ll last that long!
To reheat, just pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes or bake it in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.
Like this chorizo dish? Try these recipes!
- Chicken and Chorizo Paella
- Seafood and Chorizo Paella
- Clams and Chorizo
- Herb-Grilled Shrimp and Chorizo
- Queso Fundido Recipe with Mexican Chorizo
Made this recipe and loved it? Leave a star rating below!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @girlwiththeironcast or hashtag #girlwiththeironcast so I can see your creations!
Chorizo Potato Breakfast Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 link Portuguese/Spanish Chorizo ((see note), 8 ounces, diced)
- 2 large russet potatoes (1 1/2 pounds, scrubbed clean, diced into 1/2 inch pieces)
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 3 green onions (greens only, sliced)
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt (divided)
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Email this Recipe!
Email this recipe to yourself to save for later.
By submitting this form, you agree to receive emails from Girl with the Iron Cast.
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- In a medium pot, fill with about 2 qts water, add 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp of kosher salt, and bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes and cook until barely tender about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain in colander, and set aside.Â
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
- In a 12 inch cast iron skillet, over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil and diced chorizo. Cook for 8 minutes until chorizo has reduced and browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo and set aside, but leave behind the oils and tiny bits.Â
- In the same skillet, raise the heat to medium-high, add 3 tbsp olive oil and add the drained diced potatoes. Add 1/4 tsp kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, tossing/stirring occasionally until potatoes have crisped on all sides. When 5 minutes remain, add the 1 tbsp of unsalted butter and allow to melt and toss the potatoes.
- Return the chorizo to the skillet, mix with the potatoes, and form four small wells. Carefully crack four eggs into each of the four wells, season eggs with salt/pepper and sprinkle cheddar cheese over the potatoes. Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Whites should be set and the yolks runny. Remove from oven, top with fresh green onions, and serve!
Notes
- Use Portuguese/Spanish chorizo (also spelled chouriço) which is already pre-cooked. Mexican chorizo is raw/uncooked and has not been tested in this recipe. You would have to fully cook the Mexican chorizo separately if using in this recipe.
- Use a 12-inch skillet, you do not want to overcrowd potatoes or else they will not crisp correctly.
Loved this. Found this recipe by chance. Saw some chorizo sausages on discount this morning at the grocery store and did a quick search for breakfast recipes. I love my cast iron cookware so I was excited to see this site and went with the recipe. We had red potatoes at home so I used those instead. I took the chorizo out of the casing so it was more of a ground than diced but I preferred it this way. The flavors turned out amazing on this meal and I will be making this again!
Hi Gary, I am so happy you found this recipe and enjoyed it! Ground chorizo sounds so good for this recipe, I’ll have to try that next time I make it!
I hope you find other recipes on the website to enjoy as well, cheers!
Thank you for sharing. I love trying new recipes and this one is definitely a keeper.
I wish people posting this dish would relate it back to it’s Spanish origins of Plata Mantanza!
Hi Moz, thank you for the information on where it came from. My grandmother from Portugal used to make me this dish all the time growing up.
This is the breakfast of my dreams. It’s hard for me to find non-Mexican chorizo, but the times I’ve had Spanish or anything already cooked, I much prefer it!