Mexican Waffles with Chorizo

👩🏻‍🍳 Tamara Talks – About Savory Mexican Waffles

Admittedly, waffles do not qualify as “healthy.” However, I submit that they can be “healthyish” or “decadent.” I have a decadent waffle recipe (or two) on this blog! 😳

I have always loved waffles… As a girl, we’d have a “big breakfast” that included waffles, eggs, and sausage or bacon. Occasionally we had “breakfast for dinner.” That was a special treat.

As I got older, and became more health conscious, waffles almost disappeared from our diets. My sweet husband really suffered, as they’re one of his favorite foods!

The pendulum swings? At some point, I became aware of the importance of macronutrients, and aimed for a balance of protein, healthy fats, and moderate carbohydrates. I no longer focus as much on the calories or “macros” of one particular dish; I tend to look at an overall daily count. This approach works for us, and gives us the flexibility to include foods that we had been excluding.

That adjustment means waffles are once again an occasional part of our healthy diet. You may remember I’m not much of a sweets eater? 25 Mostly Savory Waffles has been one of my top 5 posts for almost 4 years. If you LOVE WAFFLES like I do, you will want to check them out!

📋 Ingredients Notes

Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.

• flour
• cornmeal
• sugar
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• eggs
• butter
• buttermilk – No buttermilk? No problem! Check out 5 Ways to Make a Buttermilk Substitute.
• chorizo – At the risk of being repetitive (and annoying!), avoid chorizo in a plastic tube unless you know the quality. I do get a local chicken chorizo that is packaged in a plastic tube, and it’s lean and flavorful. However, it is (more often than not) mostly grease and spice. If you’re into making everything from “scratch,” take a look at my homemade chorizo recipe.
• scallions
• corn – Fresh off the cob is amazing, but canned or frozen corn is fine.
• cheese – I usually use reduced fat sharp cheddar, but feel free to use your favorite cheese.

🔪 Instructions

• Preheat your waffle iron. You always want to start with a hot waffle iron.

• Cook the chorizo – Brown the chorizo in a sauté pan. If it’s a non-stick, you can probably use it to cook your eggs. I like to use a potato masher to break up the chorizo. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

• To start the waffle batter – Combine the dry ingredients.

• Finish the waffle batter – Whisk the wet ingredients together, then fold them into the dry ingredients. DO NOT OVERMIX.

• Finish the waffle batter – Add the cooked chorizo, cheese, corn, and scallions. Once again, fold the ingredients into the batter gently.

• The completed waffle batter should be quite thick.

• Add waffle batter to the preheated waffle iron. Refer to your instruction book for specific information and amount of batter. I find a ladle filled with batter is just right for my waffle iron.

• Cook the waffles – Fight the urge to lift the lid too soon! My waffle iron takes about 5-6 minutes per waffle. A preheated warm oven is helpful if making a big stack and serving immediately.

• Top with garnishes – Eggs cooked to order, sliced or diced avocado, chopped cilantro, thin-sliced jalapeños, more chopped scallions…

❓ FAQ

💭 Tips

A toaster or toaster oven is a perfect way to serve leftover waffles. It restores the crispy exterior, while the interior remains tender.

You want your batter to be thoroughly mixed (no lumps of baking soda!), but overmixing activates the gluten and will make them chewy. See Waffle Batter Hacks for more.

Full disclosure: I will definitely have 2 of these savory chorizo cornbread waffles with 1 egg. I typically make basted eggs, but they don’t look as pretty in photos as poached! Please choose your favorite. FYI: With the protein and calories in the waffles, 1 egg should be adequate.

Do you enjoy a leisurely weekend breakfast or brunch? We certainly do! Savory waffles and these chorizo grits are 2 of my favorites… I’d love to hear about yours!