Chorizo and Eggs

My mother's excellent recipe for Mexican chorizo (spicy sausage) with scrambled eggs. Chorizo and eggs is a flavorful and complete breakfast, especially when served with tortillas.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated January 27, 2023
Elise Bauer
Chorizo and Eggs on a plate with tortillas

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Growing up, we had some of the standard American foods for breakfast—cream o' wheat, oatmeal, waffles, fried eggs, pancakes (no sugar coated cereals in this household!)—and a couple things I never saw in any of my friends' homes—huevos, and my favorite chorizo with eggs.

My mother is hispanic by ancestry and looks, and even though she doesn't speak a drop of Spanish she still cooks what she was taught by her mother, grandmother and relatives, growing up in Tucson, Arizona.

Thus we alone on our block had chorizo, or Mexican sausage scrambled up with eggs. I didn't even know that chorizo was the name of the sausage and not the dish until I was in my twenties.

What Is Chorizo?

A spicy pork sausage. While the Spanish version is usually spiced with paprika and garlic, Mexican chorizo is spiced with chile peppers.

I've seen chorizo served in Mexican restaurants most often as a side sausage, like bacon. We cook ours up with the eggs and add some raisins as well, the sweetness of which provides some balance to the spicy chile in the chorizo.

Chorizo and Eggs with tortillas

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

If You Can't Find Mexican Chorizo

Chorizo may not be available where you are. We have a simple recipe for chorizo that can be made in the home.

Grind one pound of pork, not too fine. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon red chile powder; mash 1 large clove of garlic very thoroughly with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, add to the meat and mix well.

Chorizo and Eggs

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 2 to 3 servings

Ingredients

  • Extra virgin olive oil or bacon fat

  • 1/3 cup chopped onion (green, red, or yellow onion), optional

  • 1/4 pound of Mexican chorizo sausage, removed from sausage casing

  • 3 tablespoons raisins, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained

  • 5 to 6 eggs

  • Salt

  • Tortillas, optional

  • Cilantro, optional

Method

  1. Cook the onions:

    Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil or bacon fat in the pan. Add the chopped onions (optional) and cook until softened.

  2. Add the chorizo and raisins:

    Once softened, move the onions to the side of the pan and add clumps of chorizo into the pan. Use a wooden spatula to break up the pieces of sausage. Add the raisins.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer

    Stir until the sausage is cooked through, though not necessarily browned. If you are not using lean chorizo, drain the excess fat from the pan before proceeding.

    Simple Tip!

    If you are not using lean chorizo, you may want to cook the chorizo first, draining the excess fat, then remove to a plate while you cook the onions in the remaining fat. We usually cook with lean chorizo, so excess fat isn't an issue.

  3. Add the eggs:

    Crack the eggs, one at a time, into the pan. Break the yolks and stir the eggs into the sausage. Add a light sprinkling of salt.

    Stir constantly until the eggs begin to set, but are still moist. Remove from heat.

    Elise Bauer

    Serve immediately with a side of warmed corn tortillas and cilantro as a garnish.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
384 Calories
29g Fat
9g Carbs
22g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 384
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 405mg 135%
Sodium 804mg 35%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 22g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 64mg 5%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 361mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.