Forget Traditional Scrambled Eggs: Transform Your Breakfast With A High Protein Ingredient

Making eggs the gold standard for protein is easy when each large egg contains about 6 grams. However, eating the same scramble day in and day out can get a little old. While you could spend time learning new recipes, chorizo is a high-protein option that not only boosts the heartiness of your breakfast, but also acts as a no-fuss seasoning.

While it depends on the exact brand you buy and the ratio of fat to meat, chorizo can contain around 9 grams of protein per 2-ounce serving. While it's typically made with pork, nowadays, it's fairly easy to find varieties made from chicken, beef, or even plant-based alternatives, giving you a wider range of flavors to choose from. Spanish chorizo is commonly seasoned with pimentón, a Spanish paprika that's one of José Andrés' favorite pantry staples, while Mexican chorizo typically gets its vibrant flavor and color from dried chiles and other spices. Bright and obscenely tasty, these seasonings lend the sausage much of its flavor and trademark red coloring.

Using chorizo even lets you forgo traditional cooking fats like butter since it releases more than enough fat to keep your eggs from sticking to the pan. Chorizo also cooks down quite quickly, so when you cook off its excess moisture, you end up with a surprisingly compact protein boost that won't interfere with your preferred scrambled egg texture.

Whether you use ground meat or sliced discs of sausage, chorizo has the moisture, fat, and meatiness to adapt to just about any cooking style. It does tend to overshadow subtler flavors, but provided you cook fresh chorizo thoroughly and use it as a mix-in rather than adding it raw, you can use it in anything from simple scrambled eggs to giving breakfast pizza a spicy kick.

While some extra moisture can help you achieve the right texture, too much can make your eggs runny rather than creamy. If you plan to pair chorizo with eggs, cook it first over medium-high heat to crisp the meat and cook off the excess liquid while still retaining all the flavor. While you may need to let your pan cool a bit before adding the eggs, this gives you the chance to pour off any fat you don't want. That fat is still full of flavor, so don't hesitate to save it and use it to saute future dishes.

Discs sliced from a whole sausage offer a great mixture of textures, combining the snap of a firm casing with the tenderness of the meat itself. Cooking fresh sausages whole and then slicing them tends to retain more of their juices, which is great for a plate of eggs. If, however, you plan on incorporating them into something like a breakfast burrito, which may grow soggy, it's best to crisp the discs individually to ensure they don't release too much juice when reheated.