Chorizo Breakfast Burrito with Crispy Potatoes and Scrambled Eggs

Chorizo Breakfast Burrito

This chorizo breakfast burrito brings together bite sized crispy potatoes, fluffy scrambled eggs, melty Mexican cheese, and spicy chorizo sausage, all rolled inside a soft flour tortilla and finished with fresh herbs.

It is a spicy breakfast burrito that eats like a full meal and still comes together in about 40 minutes from start to finish.

If you already enjoy Mexican inspired breakfast ideas, this one belongs on the same list as breakfast nachos and an easy breakfast quesadilla.

In our house these burritos started as a way to use up leftover roasted potatoes, and they quickly turned into the thing everyone asks for on a slow Saturday morning.

I usually make the full batch of six, serve two while they are still hot, and tuck the rest away for the week ahead. They reheat beautifully, which is exactly why they never last long.

Here is the quick overview before we walk through the method.

The Chorizo in these Breakfast Burritos

Chorizo is a spicy pork sausage that is typically cooked in a hot skillet and used in dishes such as tacos and burritos. In this recipe it does two jobs at once. It seasons the entire filling, and it adds a serious amount of protein to your morning plate.

Before you shop, it helps to know that Mexican chorizo and Spanish chorizo are not the same thing. Spanish chorizo is cured and hard, the kind you slice and eat like salami.

Mexican chorizo is soft and loose, much closer to ground pork in texture, and that is the type this recipe calls for. A well stocked grocery store usually keeps it in the meat section, right alongside the other fresh sausages.

Mexican chorizo is sometimes sold in sausage casings, which is not a problem at all. The casing comes off easily, and once it is removed you can crumble the meat straight into the hot pan. If your package is already loose, you can skip that step entirely.

The first time I grabbed a package without reading the label closely, I ended up with a cured Spanish sausage that simply refused to crumble. Now I check the texture description on the package before I buy, and the whole process goes much more smoothly.

If you like keeping chorizo on hand, it earns its place in more than burritos. It works beautifully in Mexican chorizo tacos, in chorizo cornbread stuffing, and in a gluten free Mexican lasagna. Each one uses the same soft, spicy sausage and the same easy cooking method, so once you are comfortable with chorizo you have several dinners within reach.

How to Make Chorizo Breakfast Burritos

The method moves through five simple stages: roast the potatoes, brown the chorizo, scramble the eggs, roll the burritos, and bake them briefly so the cheese melts. Every stage is shown with images, and the full printable recipe sits in the recipe card below.

Start by gathering everything you need.

Step 1. Roast the Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread the diced potatoes in a single layer on a large baking sheet and drizzle them with the olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt, the smoked paprika, the garlic powder, and black pepper to taste. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and golden brown.

A single layer matters more than it sounds. When the cubes are piled on top of one another they steam instead of browning, and you lose the crispy edges that make this burrito so good. I use two sheet pans whenever I double the batch, and the potatoes come out evenly golden every time.

Step 2. Cook the Chorizo

While the potatoes roast, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chorizo and break it up as it cooks, until it is cooked all the way through and no pink remains. Transfer the chorizo to a plate lined with paper towels and drain all but 1 Tablespoon of the fat from the skillet.

That reserved tablespoon of fat is not a mistake. It is what gives the eggs their rich, savory flavor and helps keep them from sticking to the pan.

Step 3. Scramble the Eggs

Turn the stove down to medium low heat and pour the whisked eggs into the skillet with the reserved chorizo fat. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and a little more black pepper.

Let the eggs cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the bottom starts to set, then pull up the edges with a spatula and let the uncooked egg run underneath.

Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the eggs and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese melts and the eggs are just barely cooked and very soft. Then remove the skillet from the heat.

Do not overcook the eggs. They keep cooking when the filled burritos go back into the oven, so pulling them while they still look a little soft is exactly what gives you a creamy filling.

Low and slow is the whole secret here. I used to rush this step over high heat and ended up with dry, rubbery eggs. A gentle pan and a little patience changed the entire burrito for me.

Step 4. Assemble the Burritos

Warm the tortillas one at a time in the microwave for 20 seconds. Sprinkle the Monterey Jack cheese over the bottom of the tortilla, then add the cooked potatoes on top. Spoon the egg mixture over the potatoes, add the cooked chorizo, and finish with fresh chopped parsley and/or cilantro.

Fold the tortilla over the filling, then fold the sides and the ends over the filling and roll forward to close the burrito. Roll it firmly so nothing slips out, but gently enough that the tortilla does not tear.

Step 5. Bake, Top, and Serve

Wrap each burrito in aluminum foil and bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve hot with sour cream and hot sauce if you like. If you are short on time, skip the oven and microwave each burrito for 1 to 2 minutes with the foil off.

The short bake is really about melting the jack cheese and warming everything through at the same time, so the first bite tastes as good as it smells coming out of the oven.

Recipe Variations

Once you have the basic method down, this recipe bends in several directions without losing what makes it good.

For a vegetarian version, dice a bell pepper and roast it alongside the potatoes on the same sheet pan. If you want extra greens, stir 1 to 2 cups of chopped fresh baby spinach into the scrambled eggs about halfway through cooking, so the leaves wilt without turning the eggs watery.

For a dairy free version, leave the cheese out entirely or use a dairy free shredded cheese that you already enjoy. The chorizo, potatoes, and eggs carry plenty of flavor on their own, so you will not miss much.

If Mexican chorizo is too spicy for your table, substitute a milder breakfast sausage. You keep the same cooking method and the same soft, savory filling, just with a gentler heat level that everyone can handle.

The burrito is filling enough to stand alone, but a light side rounds out the plate nicely. Fresh avocado slices, pico de gallo, or a spoonful of Chipotle corn salsa all work well.

We rotate through these variations depending on who is at the table. My youngest prefers the milder sausage version, while I usually add the spinach because it sneaks a little green into a breakfast that is otherwise pure comfort food.

Storage and Make Ahead Tips

These burritos are one of the most useful make ahead breakfasts I keep in rotation, because a single batch covers several mornings without any extra work.

To store them in the refrigerator, let the burritos cool to room temperature first. Then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.

To freeze them, wrap each burrito tightly in aluminum foil and store the wrapped burritos in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Reheating from frozen is simple. Bake them directly in the foil at 425°F for 20 minutes to thaw and heat through, or unwrap the foil and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, until they are thawed and hot all the way through.

I like to build a small stack on Sunday afternoon so weekday mornings are handled. Pulling one out of the freezer while the coffee brews feels like a small win every single time, and the filling still tastes freshly made.

Nutrition information, from the source recipe, is per burrito.

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Chorizo Breakfast Burrito

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Chorizo Breakfast Burrito This chorizo breakfast burrito brings together bite sized crispy potatoes, fluffy scrambled eggs, melty Mexican cheese, and spicy chorizo sausage, all rolled inside a soft flour tortilla and finished with fresh herbs. It is a spicy breakfast burrito that eats like a full meal and still comes together in about 40 minutes from start to finish.

• Total Time: 40 min
• Yield: 6 burritos 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 lb petite red or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Black pepper, to taste
1 lb Mexican chorizo
12 large eggs, whisked
1/2 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup monterey jack cheese, or pepper jack cheese
6 large burrito-sized flour tortillas, gluten-free or grain-free (Siete) if needed
Fresh chopped parsley and/or cilantro, for serving

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Instructions

1-Preheat the oven to 425°F: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the diced potatoes in a single layer on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper to taste. Roast in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown.
2-While they’re roasting, heat a large skillet: While they’re roasting, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and break up the chorizo until it’s cooked all the way through and no pink remains. Transfer the chorizo to a paper towel lined plate and drain all but 1 Tablespoon of the fat. Turn the stove down to medium-low heat and pour in the whisked eggs and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and another little bit of black pepper. Allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom starts to set then pull up the edges of the eggs and let the eggs run underneath. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts and the eggs are just barely cooked and very soft. Remove from the heat.
3-To assemble the burritos, warm tortillas individually: To assemble the burritos, warm tortillas individually for 20 seconds in the microwave. Sprinkle the jack cheese on the bottom of the tortilla and then add the cooked potatoes on top. Top them with the egg mixture and then the cooked chorizo. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and/or cilantro. Fold the tortilla over the ingredients. Fold sides and ends of tortillas over filling and roll forward.
4-Wrap the burritos in foil and place: Wrap the burritos in foil and place in the oven at 425°F for 10 minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve with sour cream and hot sauce if desired.
5-To make ahead, wrap in foil and: To make ahead, wrap in foil and store them in a freezer bag. Bake them directly from frozen in the oven at 425°F for 20 minutes to thaw and heat through or unwrap the foil and heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until thawed and heated through.

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• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Method: mixed

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 burrito
• Calories: 800
• Sugar: 1g
• Sodium: 1916mg
• Fat: 52.6g
• Carbohydrates: 37g
• Fiber: 1.2g
• Protein: 42.9g
• Cholesterol: 464.2mg