chorizo hash with poblanos and charred jalapeño hollandaise

Chorizo hash is the ultimate breakfast. It’s loaded with spicy crumbles of chorizo, sweet onions, poblano peppers, and crispy cubes of Yukon Gold potatoes. Top with a crispy fried egg, avocado, and charred jalapeño hollandaise, and you've got yourself the brunch of dreams.

Potato hash started as a simple way to use up leftovers, like cooked potatoes, steak and lingering vegetables. Chop it all up, toss it in a frying pan, and voila-- a hearty weekend breakfast is born. While there will always be a place for this sort of impromptu and resourceful cooking, there are a lot of ways to improve the standard breakfast hash and make it perfectly cooked, crispy, and flavorful.

what makes this chorizo breakfast hash so great?

• The process: Raw chorizo, onions and poblanos, and potatoes all cook at different times. To make the best potato hash, I cook them separately and toss them all together at the end. This prevents overcooking the chorizo, burning the onions, and steaming the potatoes. Wins all around!
• Non-stick pan: Always use a non-stick pan with potatoes. It’s the easiest way to guarantee crisp edges that don’t stick to the pan. And make sure to use the biggest skillet you have. The larger surface area will give the potatoes room to crisp and brown without crowding and steaming.
• Potato choice: I go into more detail below, but I prefer the structure and creamy texture that peeled Yukon Gold potatoes provide. If you want to go for extra crispy, opt for the starchier Russet potatoes. And if you want more texture, leave the peel.
• Low and slow cooking: Be patient and don’t rush the potatoes. Keep the heat low and slow and give them plenty of time to cook through and develop a golden brown crust. If the heat is too high, you’re more likely to have issues with sticking and burning without fully cooking the potatoes. It also gives you time to season the potatoes well-- taste and add more salt, if needed, as the potatoes cook so they don’t wind up too salty or too bland. 
• Simplicity: I love the rich, spicy flavor of Mexican chorizo and this hash lets those flavors shine. You could add a dash of cumin, coriander, some garlic, or even smoked paprika, if you’d like, to bump up the flavors. But I like to keep this chorizo hash simple so I can douse it with lemony,  charred jalapeño hollandaise for the perfect contrast of flavors.

what is chorizo, anyways?

Chorizo is ground pork sausage that is seasoned primarily with chili peppers and paprika. There are a ton of different styles, spice ranges, and even meat blends within the chorizo category. In general, though, there are two main styles: fresh and raw (Mexican chorizo) or cured and dried (Spanish).

Spanish chorizo uses smoked paprika as the base of it’s seasoning, while Mexican chorizo is dominated by ground chilis and other herbs and spices (cumin, coriander, cloves, oregano, etc). Mexican chorizo is typically found in the meat department, near raw sausages, while Spanish chorizo is usually stored with the charcuterie.

In this chorizo hash recipe, we use fresh chorizo and break it up into crispy crumbles as it cooks. If all you can find is cured chorizo, don’t worry. Slice it into half-moons or small cubes and saute in olive oil to crisp up the edges. Continue on with the recipe, and enjoy an extra smoky chorizo potato hash!

what potatoes should I use for breakfast hash?

Any potatoes will work just fine in breakfast hash. The choice comes down to personal preference. I prefer to use waxy potatoes (like Yukon Gold) because I love their creamy smooth texture and the way they hold their shape, even after a lot of frying, stirring and flipping. Starchy potatoes (like Russets) will get extra crispy, though they might break down a bit.

If you’d like to use Russet potatoes, 2 pounds equals about 3 medium Russet potatoes (versus 5 medium Yukon Golds).

how do you make chorizo hash from scratch?

1. Cook and brown the chorizo, breaking it up as it cooks
2. Saute onions and poblano peppers
3. Cook potatoes until brown and crispy
4. Stir in chorizo, onions and poblanos and cook to meld flavors
5. Serve with a fried egg, sliced avocado, and roasted jalapeño hollandaise
6. For extra kick, top with crunchy quick pickled jalapeños!

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how to reheat chorizo hash

The best way to reheat this chorizo breakfast hash is in a skillet on the stove. This helps re-crisp the potatoes while everything gets heated through. Add a small amount of olive oil to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until hot and crispy.

can I make the chorizo potato hash ahead of time?

You can make this chorizo hash up to 2 days in advance.

You can either make the full recipe and re-heat it in a skillet as described above, or you can prep individual parts ahead to save time in the morning.

here are some ways you could prep the chorizo hash the day before:

• Chop the onion, peppers, potatoes.
  • Note, you could refrigerate the cut potatoes in a bowl of water with a splash of acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to minimize oxidative browning, then drain them and pat dry before frying. But in this case, I never really worry about the potatoes browning since our end goal is a crispy, golden brown hash.
• Roast, peel and chop the jalapeño for the hollandaise
• Cook the chorizo and sauté the onions and peppers, then combine and refrigerate. The morning of, fry the potatoes then stir in chorizo pepper mixture and cook until heated through.

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