Chorizo and Halloumi Pancakes With Fried Eggs Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated March 27, 2019

Why It Works

  • Frying the chorizo and adding it in three different steps gives the dish tons of flavor.
  • Pouring pancake batter over the halloumi and chorizo in the frying pan lets them crisp up, giving the pancakes a nice appearance and more textural contrast when you flip them.

I have a good friend who often has the kind of ideas that only the intentional chemical expansion of the mind can bring about. That's where the idea of putting halloumi—the squeaky, salty, fry-able cheese from Cyprus—into American-style pancakes came about, and it was such a genius idea that I decided to run with it and make it my own. Adding some crisp chorizo and a fried egg makes these into pancakes that are worthy of a 2 a.m. binge or an elegant Sunday morning cocktail brunch.

Overhead of a savory chorizo and halloumi pancake topped with a fried egg.
These savory chorizo and halloumi pancakes will help you win at brunch. .

Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Recipe Details

Chorizo and Halloumi Pancakes With Fried Eggs Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces Spanish chorizo, finely diced

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh oregano leaves

  • 7 1/2 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 5 large eggs, divided

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil (plus more for cooking)

  • 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) buttermilk

  • 4 (1- to 2-ounce each) slices halloumi cheese

Directions

  1. Combine chorizo and olive oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until chorizo is crisp. Transfer to a bowl, making sure to get all of the excess oil. Add oregano to chorizo and toss to combine. Wipe out skillet and set aside.

  2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, 1 egg, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and half of chorizo mixture in a large bowl and whisk together until it forms a batter. There should be no streaks of dry flour, but plenty of lumps are okay.

  3. Return skillet to medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add 2 halloumi slices (these will become the center of two pancakes). Cook until lightly browned on first side, about 1 minute. Flip halloumi and scatter a teaspoon of crisp chorizo on either side of each piece of halloumi.

    A slice of halloumi and small pieces of chorizo frying in a cast iron skillet

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

  4. Ladle a few ounces of batter on top of halloumi and chorizo, completely covering it. Cook pancake without moving until well-browned and crisp on first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until browned on second side, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack and set in a warm oven while you cook the remaining pancakes.

    A savory pancake with chorizo and halloumi in a cast iron skillet

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

  5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to cook remaining pancakes.

  6. Heat another tablespoon of oil in the skillet and place over medium-high heat. Break remaining 4 eggs into the skillet and cook until crisp on the bottom but yolks are still runny, about 1 1/2 minutes.

  7. Serve pancakes immediately, topped with a fried egg and drizzled with remaining chorizo and chorizo oil.

Special equipment

Large nonstick skillet or cast iron skillet, whisk

Notes

Use dry-style raw Spanish chorizo, not Mexican-style raw chorizo or cooked chorizo. If you can't find it locally, you can order it online from Amazon. I recommend Palacio brand.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
793 Calories
49g Fat
50g Carbs
36g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 793
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 49g 63%
Saturated Fat 16g 79%
Cholesterol 308mg 103%
Sodium 1627mg 71%
Total Carbohydrate 50g 18%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 4mg 21%
Calcium 356mg 27%
Iron 5mg 28%
Potassium 541mg 12%
*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.)

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