Egg and Chorizo Breakfast Burritos with Crispy Potatoes

Name: Egg and Chorizo Breakfast Burritos with Crispy Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 12 oz (340 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes; 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola); ¾ tsp (3½ g) kosher salt, divided: ½ tsp for the potatoes, ¼ tsp for the eggs; 8 oz (225 g) fresh Mexican chorizo, casing removed if present; 8 whole (400 g) large eggs, cracked into a bowl; 2 tbsp (30 ml) whole milk; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste; 4 oz (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup); 2 whole (30 g) scallions, thinly sliced; 4 whole (240 g) large flour tortillas, 10-inch (25 cm); ½ cup (120 ml) thick salsa (red or green), drained of excess liquid, plus extra for serving

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Fluffy scrambled eggs, spicy fresh chorizo, golden diced potatoes, and melty cheddar are rolled into warm flour tortillas and seared until lightly crisp. They're hearty, easy to customize, and freeze well for busy mornings.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35 min
Wait: 1 min
Total: 51 min
Makes: 4 large burritos

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Ingredients

4 servings

12 oz (340 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola)
¾ tsp (3.5 g) kosher salt, divided: ½ tsp for the potatoes, ¼ tsp for the eggs
8 oz (225 g) fresh Mexican chorizo, casing removed if present
8 whole (400 g) large eggs, cracked into a bowl
2 tbsp (30 ml) whole milk
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
4 oz (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 whole (30 g) scallions, thinly sliced
4 whole (240 g) large flour tortillas, 10-inch (25 cm)
½ cup (120 ml) thick salsa (red or green), drained of excess liquid, plus extra for serving

Equipment (9)

12-inch (30 cm) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet with a lid
Large mixing bowl
Whisk or fork
Heatproof spatula
Instant-read thermometer
Box grater (if shredding cheese)
Small sieve
Kitchen towel and plate for keeping tortillas warm
Rimmed baking sheet or wire rack (for cooling make-ahead burritos or filling)

Steps

Before you start

Buy raw, fresh Mexican chorizo (soft, sold in a casing or loose), not dry-cured Spanish chorizo. Remove the casing if there is one.
Dice the potatoes small (½ inch / 1.25 cm) so they cook through in about 14 minutes.
Have everything prepped before you turn on the stove, and keep an instant-read thermometer handy. You will use it for the chorizo and the eggs.
Use 10-inch (25 cm) or larger flour tortillas. Smaller ones are hard to fold without tearing.
If you plan to refrigerate or freeze the burritos, read the Make-ahead and Storage notes first. Cooling quickly matters.

1
Prep the fillings
- Cut the potatoes into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes.
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add the milk, ¼ tsp of the salt, and a few grinds of pepper, and whisk until the mixture is uniformly pale yellow with no visible streaks of white.
- Shred the cheddar, slice the scallions, and drain the salsa in a small sieve for a minute.
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Ready when: Eggs are fully blended; potatoes are evenly sized.
Tip: Draining the salsa keeps the burritos from turning soggy.
2
Brown the potatoes
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute.
- Add the potatoes in a single layer with ½ tsp of the salt and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook 6 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- Uncover and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, stirring every minute.
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Ready when: Potatoes are golden brown on several sides and a cube squashes easily when pressed with a fork.
Tip: Resist stirring at first. Undisturbed contact with the pan is what builds the crisp crust.
3
Set potatoes aside
- Transfer the potatoes to a bowl or plate.
- Leave the skillet on the stove; do not wipe it out.
4
Cook the chorizo
- Return the skillet to medium heat.
- Add the chorizo and break it into small crumbles with a spatula.
- Cook, stirring often, 6 to 8 minutes, until the pork is no longer pink, the fat has turned bright red-orange, and the crumbles are lightly browned at the edges.
- Check that the chorizo reaches 160°F (71°C).
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Ready when: No pink remains and the chorizo reads 160°F (71°C).
Tip: If there is more than about 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan, spoon off the excess so the burritos aren't greasy.
5
Scramble the eggs
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Return the potatoes to the skillet and stir to coat in the chorizo fat.
- Pour the eggs over the mixture.
- Let them sit for 20 seconds, then gently push and fold with a spatula every few seconds for 3 to 5 minutes, until no runny or translucent liquid egg remains.
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the eggs.
- It must read at least 160°F (71°C).
- If it doesn't, keep cooking and folding for 30 seconds at a time and check again.
- Then remove the pan from the heat.
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Ready when: Eggs are fully set into moist curds with no visible liquid egg, and the thermometer reads at least 160°F (71°C).
Tip: Check the temperature in several spots, since the eggs near the center of the pan cook slowest. Moist curds are fine, but runny egg is not.
6
Add cheese and scallions
- Off the heat, sprinkle the cheddar and scallions over the filling and fold 3 or 4 times.
- Let it stand 1 minute so the cheese softens.
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Ready when: Cheese is soft and beginning to melt into the eggs.
Tip: Only rest the filling after the eggs have reached 160°F (71°C).
7
Warm the tortillas
- Heat a clean, dry skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Warm each tortilla for 15 to 20 seconds per side, until soft and pliable with a few light brown spots.
- Stack the warm tortillas on a plate and cover with a kitchen towel.
- Alternatively, wrap the stack in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
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Ready when: Tortillas bend without cracking.
Tip: Cold tortillas crack when rolled, so don't skip warming them.
8
Fill and roll
- Lay a warm tortilla flat.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of drained salsa across the lower third, then top with about 1 cup (one quarter) of the filling, shaped into a log about 4 inches (10 cm) long and 2 inches wide, leaving 2 inches of tortilla on each side.
- Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in both sides, then roll away from you into a tight cylinder.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
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Ready when: Each burrito is tightly rolled with the seam on the bottom.
Tip: Don't overfill. About 1 cup of filling per burrito is the most a 10-inch tortilla can hold.
9
Sear and serve
- Heat the skillet used for the tortillas over medium heat.
- Place the burritos seam-side down and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until the seam is sealed and golden.
- Turn and cook the other side 1 minute.
- Serve hot with extra salsa.
- If you are saving any burritos, skip the sear, cool them as described in Make-ahead, and sear after reheating.
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Ready when: Tortillas are lightly golden and crisp in spots and the burritos are hot throughout.
Tip: Searing seam-side down first glues the seam shut so the burritos hold together.

Good to know

Tips

Leave the chorizo fat in the pan, since it flavors the eggs and potatoes. Just remove any excess beyond about 3 tablespoons.
Cook the eggs over medium-low heat so they stay tender, but always cook them until no liquid egg remains and the thermometer reads 160°F (71°C), especially for children, older adults, or anyone pregnant.
For freezing, cool the burritos on a rack until completely cold (within 2 hours of cooking) before wrapping, so trapped steam doesn't make the tortillas soggy or let bacteria grow.
Add sliced avocado, pickled jalapeños, or black beans to each burrito for variety, but keep the total filling to about 1 cup per tortilla.

Make ahead

"Make the filling (steps 1 to 5, without the cheese rest) and cool it fast: spread it in a layer no deeper than 1½ inches (4 cm) on a rimmed baking sheet or in shallow containers, so that it reaches refrigerator temperature within 2 hours of cooking. Refrigerate promptly in covered containers for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave until steaming hot and 165°F (74°C), then assemble. To freeze burritos, roll them without searing, set them on a rack or baking sheet with space between them, and cool until completely cold to the touch. Refrigerate or freeze them within 2 hours of cooking, and wrap only once they are cold."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours total from the time of cooking, including cooling time. Refrigerator: once completely cold, wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap and keep up to 3 days. Freezer: wrap each cold burrito in parchment, then foil (or place in a freezer bag) and freeze up to 2 months. To reheat, remove ALL foil, plastic, and parchment first; never microwave foil. Wrap the burrito in a damp paper towel and microwave, from frozen 2 to 3 minutes turning once, or from the refrigerator 1 to 1½ minutes, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Crisp in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 minute per side if desired."

Substitutions

fresh Mexican chorizo → Plant-based chorizo or breakfast sausage. Plant-based chorizo releases less fat, so you may want to add 1 tsp of oil to the pan before scrambling the eggs. Breakfast sausage will be milder, so add ½ tsp smoked paprika.
sharp cheddar cheese → Monterey Jack or pepper jack. Pepper jack adds heat, while Monterey Jack melts the creamiest.
Yukon Gold potatoes → Frozen shredded hash browns. Cook straight from frozen in the oil for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and golden, then continue with the recipe.
large flour tortillas, 10-inch (25 cm) → Whole wheat or gluten-free large tortillas. Warm them well, because gluten-free tortillas crack more easily.