Salsa Poached Eggs with Chorizo (Paleo, Whole 30, Gluten Free)

Salsa poached eggs with chorizo is a protein-packed breakfast that will help you power through busy days.

I created this recipe for my client, Red Pack. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen. 

For the past few months, my Saturday morning routine has looked like this: Get up at an ungodly early hour (especially for the weekend). Pour a cup of coffee down my throat. Go to a spin class.  Eat eggs.

In the beginning, we’d just go to the diner and get eggs and bacon, but that got old pretty quickly and I’ve been trying out more ways to make eggs at home. Sometimes I make fried eggs with bacon, other times it’s quiche or a fritatta. Lately, I’ve been loving this Mexican-inspired take on Eggs in Purgatory.

I start by making a simple blender salsa – it takes about 30 seconds and is so much tastier than the jarred stuff. Then I brown some chorizo in a big pan, add the salsa and let it reduce a bit, and then crack in some eggs and let them cook right there nestled into that spicy sauce. It’s easy to make, delicious, and packed with protein that helps keep me full for the rest of the day.

Depending on my mood, I’ll top it off with avocado slices or briny feta or I’ll scoop it up with grain-free tortilla chips. I bet it would also be great scooped on top of toast.

I like making my own salsa for these salsa poached eggs because it gives me more control over the balance of flavors – I like it thick and saucy with a little heat and a lot of cilantro. I also like the subtle sweetness that red onion gives the sauce. I’m usually all about using fresh ingredients, but for sauces like this, canned tomatoes are the way to go because they have a more consistent flavor and texture than fresh tomatoes do.

For quality tomatoes, I turn to Red Pack. Their whole peeled tomatoes were voted “Best Canned Tomatoes” by Epicurious, and it’s easy to see why. They’re a gorgeous deep-red color (no orange or yellow bits) and the tomatoes themselves are nice and firm. I also like that they’re packed in tomato puree instead of juice – it just gives them that much more flavor.

Salsa Poached Eggs with Chorizo

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 large can (28 ounces) RedPack whole peeled plum tomatoes
• 1 red onion, quartered
• 2 jalapeno peppers, quartered
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 links fresh chorizo
• 6 eggs
• hot sauce, feta cheese, sliced avocado, and tortilla chips for serving (optional) 

Instructions

Add the tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, cilantro, and cumin to your blender. Blend on high 10-15 seconds, or until everything is finely chopped. Season to taste with salt. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium high heat. Remove the casings from the chorizo and crumble the sausage into the pan. Cook 4-5 minutes, or until browned. Pour in the salsa and cook another 5 minutes, or until some of the liquid is reduced and the mixture begins to thicken. 

Use a spoon to create a well in the salsa; crack in an egg. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Reduce heat to medium-low and loosely cover; cook 5-7 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

If desired, serve topped with feta cheese, hot sauce, sliced avocado, and tortilla chips. 

Notes

To make this paleo, I serve it with grain-free tortilla chips. For Whole 30, skip both the cheese and the chips entirely.