The Ultimate Breakfast Tacos Recipe

I cannot tell you how excited I am to share these chorizo breakfast tacos with you. Okay, so first, I have to give credit to the inspiration for this recipe - Home State.

Home State is this small little taco shop in LA that makes AH-mazing breakfast tacos with all different types of fillings - meat, beans, eggs, potatoes, peppers, onions. They are incredible. Their flavors are more of a Tex-Mex approach, but I went more of a classic Mexican route.

And I will take any excuse to have a taco for breakfast - or Mexican food in general. These chorizo and egg tacos are so good, they could actually be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Packed to the brim with smokey beef chorizo, soft cheesy scrambled eggs, a few fresh avocados, and green onion slices, and a dollop of salsa, it's a Mexican meal calling your name!

Mexican vs. Spanish Chorizo

First things first, the right chorizo will make all the difference in your breakfast taco experience. Chorizo is seasoned ground pork used primarily in Mexican and Spanish cuisine, but there is a distinction between the two.

Mexican chorizo is made with fresh, raw, uncooked ground meat seasoned with vinegar and chile peppers. You can find it in the fresh meat section of grocery stores.

Spanish chorizo is smoked (already cooked) pork seasoned with garlic and pimento (Spanish smoked paprika) and packed in log form. It's usually available in the deli section. There are two versions - fully-cooked (similar to pepperoni) and semi-cured (softer, but still fully cooked).

I found a Mexican ground beef chorizo which I've been dying to try, so I went with that! Beef, pork, or even turkey (a leaner option) would all work.

Ingredients

The bulk of the ingredients are chorizo and eggs, but you will need:

• fresh Mexican chorizo
• eggs
• half-and-half or milk
• butter or olive oil
• cheddar cheese
• flour or corn tortillas
• avocado slices or guacamole
• salsa or hot sauce

How to Make the Breakfast Tacos: The Steps

A few easy steps and you are on your way to taco heaven! Simply:

• Cook the chorizo. In a small skillet until cooked through, crispy and golden brown. Keep warm and set aside. (This is when you can remove the chorizo from the skillet with a slotted spoon, keep the fat and saute some veggies - see Different Types of Breakfast Tacos below!).
• Whisk the eggs. Together with half-and-half (or milk) and a pinch of salt and pepper until light and foamy.
• Coat the skillet with butter or oil. On medium-low heat until melted and the pan is coated. Add in the eggs. My secret tip to ultra-delicious soft scrambled eggs is my GreenPan Non-Stick skillet. Seriously one of the best pans I’ve ever used for eggs! They glide like a dream and this special edition pink pan by Goop is beyond gorgeous.

• Soft scramble the eggs. Once added to the skillet, turn them over gently with a silicone spatula. When egg curds start to form, lower the heat and cook the eggs, turning them gently until they are just cooked.
• Melt the cheese. Remove the eggs from heat and add the cheddar cheese on top. Place a baking sheet over the pan to allow steam to melt the cheese.
• Heat the tortillas. Over a fire, gas stove or in a dry skillet, until warmed through or lightly charred.
• Assemble the tacos. Layer chorizo, soft scrambled cheesy eggs, avocado slices (or guacamole), sliced green onions, and salsa (or hot sauce). Enjoy!

Different Types of Breakfast Tacos

There are so many ways you can make a breakfast taco with the same greasy-but-good results. Definitely try:

• Potatoes: Dice two potatoes (Yukon gold are my favorite since I don't have to peel them) into 1/2 inch pieces and saute in the grease from the chorizo meat until crispy and tender, about 12-15 minutes.
• Peppers and Onions: Slice one bell pepper and one yellow onion and saute them in the chorizo grease until soft, about 5-7 minutes.
• Sunny-Side-Up Eggs: I love the cheesy goodness of soft scrambled eggs, but feel free to make sunny-side-up eggs instead. That beautiful golden yolk flows all over the taco after one bite - yum!
• Vegan: It takes a few substitutions, but vegan tacos are a great option! Substitute the chorizo for soyrizo and pack it up with potatoes, peppers, onions, beans, etc. to replace the eggs and cheese.

Recipe Tips

• For best results, seek out fresh Mexican chorizo (beef or pork). Contrary to popular belief, Mexican and Spanish chorizo cannot be used interchangeably.
• Eggs whisked with half-and-half or milk makes them fluffier. You can definitely omit it, but I like to add a touch of dairy to amp up their texture.
• Remove the skillet from the heat before you melt the cheese. This prevents the cheese from getting stringy. Tenting the eggs with a sheet pan further facilitates melting.
• For a gluten-free taco, make sure to use corn tortillas rather than flour.
• Add more toppings! I kept it simple with avocado, green onions, and salsa, but you could add sour cream or Mexican crema, pickled red onions, corn salsa, fresh cilantro, or lime juice. Prepping veggies for today’s tacos was so therapeutic with my new Messermiester Chef’s knife. It glides like a dream and makes food prep twice as fast.

We hope you enjoy these delicious breakfast tacos!