Texas Breakfast Tacos (Crispy Potato, Chorizo and Egg)
Parboiled potatoes crisped in rendered chorizo fat with serrano and scallion, topped with a fried egg and roasted tomato salsa in warm flour tortillas.
José R. Ralat writes that breakfast tacos have roots in northern Mexico's tacos de guisados, that breakfast tacos as Texans know them were first served in the mid-20th century in the Rio Grande Valley, mostly with egg fillings such as chorizo and egg or potato and egg, and that flour tortillas are the norm. He adds a plea: "please don't call them Austin-style".
That plea has history. In February 2016 an Eater Austin article headlined "How Austin Became the Home of the Crucial Breakfast Taco" set off what the Texas Tribune called the Great Breakfast Taco War of 2016: a Change.org petition to exile the writer from Texas drew more than 1,700 signatures, and on March 10, 2016, the mayors of Austin and San Antonio met at a "taco summit", signed the "I-35 Accords" and declared March 10 Breakfast Taco Day (Jamie Lovegrove). Taco journalist Mando Rayo told Texas Standard he had pointed the writer to South Texas, where flour tortillas met Mexican cooking.
🇺🇸 This one is American
Parboiled potatoes crisped in rendered chorizo fat with serrano and scallion, topped with a fried egg and roasted tomato salsa in warm flour tortillas.
🇲🇽 The original
In Mexico, a taco is a warm, soft corn tortilla with a little meat, salsa, onion and cilantro, eaten standing up at a stand. Cheddar and a crunchy shell aren't part of it. See the Tacos al Pastor (Mexico City Spit-Roasted Pork, Made in a Loaf Pan) recipe.
Why it works the kitchen science
Vinegar in the cooking water
A little acid keeps the potato cubes' surfaces from breaking down, so they crisp instead of turning to mush in the pan.
Chorizo fat does the frying
Rendering the chorizo first leaves a red, spiced fat that seasons and colors the potatoes.
Step by step
- Step 1
Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch and add the 2 tbsp salt and the vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer about 8 minutes, until just tender. Drain and let dry 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Meanwhile heat 4 tsp of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Cook the chorizo, breaking it up, about 5 minutes, until cooked through (160°F). Lift it into a bowl, leaving the red fat behind.
- Step 3
Reheat the fat over high heat until shimmering. Add the potatoes and cook, tossing now and then, about 15 minutes, until crisp and golden all over. Add the scallion whites and serranos for 1 minute, stir in the chorizo, season with salt and pepper and keep warm on a plate.
- Step 4
Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 2 tsp oil and heat over medium-high. Fry the eggs in two batches, seasoned with salt and pepper, about 1 1/2 minutes for set whites and runny yolks, as Kenji does, or 2 to 3 minutes more, flipping once, until yolks are firm, as USDA FSIS advises.
- Step 5
Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet about 30 seconds per side and wrap them in a towel.
- Step 6
Divide the potato and chorizo among the tortillas, top each with an egg and a spoon of salsa, and serve with scallion greens, cilantro, crema and lime.
Texas Breakfast Tacos (Crispy Potato, Chorizo and Egg)
Serves 4 (2 tacos each) · 8 tacos · 45 min total
Potatoes and chorizo
- 2 large russet potatoes (about 1 1/4 lb), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp kosher salt, for the cooking water
- 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 6 oz raw Mexican chorizo, casing removed
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens kept separate
- 2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced
- Salt and black pepper
Eggs and tacos
- 8 eggs
- 8 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
- 2 cups roasted tomato salsa
- Chopped cilantro, sour cream or Mexican crema, and lime wedges, to serve
Method
- Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch and add the 2 tbsp salt and the vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer about 8 minutes, until just tender. Drain and let dry 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat 4 tsp of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Cook the chorizo, breaking it up, about 5 minutes, until cooked through (160°F). Lift it into a bowl, leaving the red fat behind.
- Reheat the fat over high heat until shimmering. Add the potatoes and cook, tossing now and then, about 15 minutes, until crisp and golden all over. Add the scallion whites and serranos for 1 minute, stir in the chorizo, season with salt and pepper and keep warm on a plate.
- Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 2 tsp oil and heat over medium-high. Fry the eggs in two batches, seasoned with salt and pepper, about 1 1/2 minutes for set whites and runny yolks, as Kenji does, or 2 to 3 minutes more, flipping once, until yolks are firm, as USDA FSIS advises.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet about 30 seconds per side and wrap them in a towel.
- Divide the potato and chorizo among the tortillas, top each with an egg and a spoon of salsa, and serve with scallion greens, cilantro, crema and lime.
Adapted from Serious Eats, "Breakfast Tacos With Crispy Potatoes, Chorizo, and Fried Egg" by J. Kenji López-Alt (2013), doubled from 3 servings (4 tacos) to 4 servings (8 tacos). Kenji leaves the yolks runny; the FSIS egg guidance is added (see Food safety baseline). History from Ralat, the Texas Tribune and Texas Standard (links in Story). Serious Eats. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
Tips
- Use raw Mexican chorizo, not dry-cured Spanish chorizo (Kenji's note).
- For a crowd, scramble the eggs to 160°F and fold them into the potatoes instead of frying them one by one.
- Flour tortillas are the Texas default (Ralat), but corn works.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Austin is the home of the breakfast taco. Disputed: Eater Austin argued it in 2016; Ralat says they were first served in the Rio Grande Valley; Mando Rayo points to South Texas, including San Antonio; Austin Mayor Steve Adler's own proclamation (per search summaries) conceded only the name.
- The 2016 taco war was real. Documented (Texas Tribune: the I-35 Accords, March 10, 2016).
- Flour, not corn. Documented as the norm (Ralat), not a rule.
- The phrase "breakfast taco" was first printed in 1975 about San Antonio. Folklore for now: a claim attributed to OC Weekly in search summaries; we did not see the 1975 newspaper.
- Runny yolks. Disputed: Kenji serves them runny; USDA FSIS says cook eggs until yolk and white are firm.
Every other taco
Tacos al Pastor (Mexico City Spit-Roasted Pork, Made in a Loaf Pan)
Thin sheets of chile-and-achiote-marinated pork layered with bacon, slow-roasted into a sliceable loaf like a trompo, shaved, crisped and served with roasted pineapple, onion and cilantro.
Carnitas (Michoacán-Style Pork Tacos)
Thick slabs of pork shoulder braised in their own juices, then roasted hot until the fat renders and the edges turn golden and crisp, pulled into chunks for corn tortillas.
Quesabirria Tacos (Birria de Res with Consomé)
Beef chuck braised in a guajillo chile broth, shredded, tucked into fat-dipped corn tortillas with melted cheese, griddled crisp and dunked in a cup of the red consomé.
Tacos de Canasta (Basket Tacos)
Corn tortillas flashed through garlic-and-onion-scented oil, filled with a warm tomato, chile and fresh cheese mixture, then stacked in a towel-lined basket to steam soft.
Baja Fish Tacos (Ensenada-Style Battered Fish)
Fingers of white fish soaked briefly in salt and vinegar, dipped in a light pancake-mix batter, fried crisp and tucked into corn tortillas with creamy slaw, a fried serrano salsa and a mayo-ketchup sauce.
Sonora-Style Carne Asada Tacos
Half-inch beef steaks seasoned with nothing but salt, seared over a hot fire, chopped and piled into warm flour tortillas with refried beans, salsa and guacamole.
Hard-Shell Ground Beef Tacos (Home-Fried Shells)
The Taco Tuesday classic done properly: corn tortillas fried into U-shaped shells at home and filled with a saucy spiced ground beef, cheddar, lettuce and tomato.
San Antonio Puffy Tacos
Raw masa pressed thin and dropped into hot oil, where it puffs into a light, crisp-chewy shell that is creased into a taco and filled with a beef and potato picadillo.
Korean BBQ Short Rib Tacos (Kalbi Tacos)
Thin-cut short ribs marinated overnight in a soy, pear, orange and sesame purée, charred on a hot grill and tucked into corn tortillas with a crunchy cabbage slaw and a chile-sesame salsa.
30-Minute Weeknight Chicken Tinga Tacos
Boneless chicken thighs simmered right in a smoky chipotle and fire-roasted tomato sauce, shredded and tossed back in, with avocado, Cotija and scallions on top. Dinner in about 30 minutes.
Crunchy Seasoned Beef Tacos, Inspired by Taco Bell
Finely crumbled, saucy seasoned ground beef in a crunchy corn shell with shredded iceberg and a little cheddar, the drive-thru build at home. Inspired by, not official.
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