This chorizo 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.
The super flavorful chorizo, crispy potatoes, baked eggs, cheddar cheese, and topped with fresh green onions… you’ll have this on repeat every weekend!
Potatoes
First to prep the potatoes. I used russet potatoes and kept the skin on. I love the texture you get with the skin left on, making them extra crispy. Make sure you scrub your potatoes clean prior to use. Since they grow in the ground, I think we can all agree they are always pretty dirty. I then cut the potato horizontally into 3 to 4 sections depending on how thick they are, then proceed to dice from there (seen above).
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 a touch of distilled white vinegar. The vinegar helps a molecule ‘pectin’ that is found in vegetables, it keeps the potatoes from falling apart when softening. We are going to boil for about 5 minutes until you can gently pierce with a fork. Remove and strain.
Chorizo
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. The Mexican style you’ll have to fully cook and is typically removed from the casing to use crumbled. The Portuguese/Spanish version comes already cured, smoked, and ready to eat although we always still cook it for enhanced flavor. This one you will see named Chourico, but many use the names interchangeably and ‘Chorizo’ is more identified with.
I cut the chorizo longways into four pieces, then proceed to dice from there.
Cooking the dish
We are going to cook the chorizo first in the skillet, so it can release all of it’s delicious juices, which will give our potatoes so much flavor. I cooked them for about 8 minutes until they began to turn golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo (leave the juices and tiny bits behind) and set aside.
Next are the potatoes, I add a bit of olive oil and add the diced, par-boiled potatoes in. I seasoned with salt, pepper, and some crushed red pepper flakes (optional). You are going to cook the potatoes for 15 minutes until the outsides become crispy. You don’t want to overcrowd the skillet or else they all won’t be able to crisp up (I used a 12 inch cast iron). Keep moving the potatoes around so you can crisp up all the sides.
Once the potatoes are done, we are going to add in the chorizo, mix, and then create four wells for the eggs.
Carefully break the eggs into the wells and add into the oven. You’re going to allow them to bake for about 10 minutes until the whites have set.
Added cheddar cheese to the skillet to melt while the eggs bake.
Remove from the oven and top with fresh green onions.
Upon completion in the oven, you should have beautifully baked eggs that are white and intact on the outside, with a runny center.
Using a spatula, divide into four sections and serve!
This breakfast skillet is a great start to your day that is both hearty and super flavorful. I hope you enjoy!
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Chorizo Potato Breakfast Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 link Portuguese/Spanish Chorizo (see note), 8 ounces, diced
- 2 large russet potatoes 1 ½ pounds, scrubbed clean, diced into ½ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 3 green onions greens only, sliced
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Kosher salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
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.
- 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.
- In the same skillet, raise the heat to medium-high, add 3 tbsp olive oil and add the drained diced potatoes. Add ¼ 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.
Moz
I wish people posting this dish would relate it back to it’s Spanish origins of Plata Mantanza!
Stephanie
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.
Jo Thrasher • Jo Eats
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!