Chorizo Breakfast Tacos

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

To make Chorizo Breakfast Tacos, build the filling first, warm the tortillas, and finish with the toppings that give the whole thing bite, heat, and contrast. This version keeps the textures distinct so the tacos still taste alive when you eat them.

Jump to Recipe

Breakfast tacos do not need a motivational speech. They need hot tortillas, properly cooked eggs, and something with enough flavor to make being awake seem reasonable. Fresh Mexican chorizo handles that last assignment easily: cook it until browned with a few crisp edges, then use just a thin coating of the rendered fat in the skillet for the eggs.

The temperature drops before the eggs go in. Medium-low heat and gentle stirring give you soft curds instead of the dry yellow rubble that shows up at hotel breakfast buffets under a heat lamp with no legal representation. Fold the chorizo back in only when the eggs are barely set, then get the mixture into warm corn or flour tortillas while everything is still soft and hot.

Cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese melts into the scramble, while diced white onion, cilantro, salsa, and lime add crunch, freshness, heat, and acid. Eight tacos come together in about 20 minutes, which means there is really no useful window for talking yourself out of making them. By the time you have debated cereal, the chorizo could already be sizzling.

Prep20 minutes

Cook25 minutes

Total45 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

8 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
8 small corn or flour tortillas, warmed
1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese
1/2 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salsa and lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

1Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until fully cooked and slightly crisp at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving any rendered fat in the pan.
2Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together in a bowl.
3Wipe out excess fat from the skillet, leaving a thin coating, and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the butter, then pour in the eggs. Cook, stirring gently with a spatula, until soft curds form and the eggs are just set but still moist, 3 to 4 minutes.
4Fold the cooked chorizo back into the eggs and remove from heat.
5Divide the chorizo scramble among the warmed tortillas. Top with cheese, onion, and cilantro.
6Serve immediately with salsa and lime wedges on the side.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

790Calories

42 gProtein

40 gCarbohydrates

51 gTotal Fat

21 gSaturated Fat

3 gFiber

4 gTotal Sugars

1660 mgSodium

535 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Let the chorizo release its fat before wiping the pan -- that rendered fat carries a lot of flavor into the eggs if you leave a thin layer.
Undercook the eggs slightly. They'll continue to set with residual heat, and soft curds fold in better with the chorizo.
Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or directly over a gas flame for a few seconds per side -- cold tortillas crack when folded.

Substitutions

Mexican chorizo → ground breakfast sausage with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne Fresh Mexican chorizo is raw and spiced; cured Spanish chorizo needs different handling, so don't swap it in directly.

corn tortillas → flour tortillas Use whichever you prefer; flour tortillas are more pliable for folding.

cheddar → crumbled queso fresco Queso fresco won't melt but adds a nice salty, crumbly finish.