This is a twist on the classic piperade recipe, also called Piperade Basquaise. It uses red and yellow bell peppers and spicy chorizo in place of the ham. A perfect gluten-free option for your next brunch!
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Slow your roll, because this is not a traditional piperade recipe. I took inspiration from Jody Williams' Buvette cookbook, which changes things up by adding chorizo, and leaving out the tomatoes.
Traditionally, piperade would feature pimente d'Esplette as a main flavor component. But the spiciness and smokiness of the chorizo stands in for it here. I eliminated the green bell peppers and instead doubled down on the sweet bell peppers to balance the heat.
This a nice take on a gluten-free brunch casserole, as an alternative to stratas or other baked egg dishes. It's also great for a quick weeknight meal, "breakfast for dinner", or brunch for a crowd.
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What is piperade?
Piperade, or Piperade Basquaise, is a traditional dish from the Basque region, which straddles the northern border between France and Spain. It is typically made with tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and sometimes ham, and seasoned with pimente d'Esplette, a spice from the region.
Ingredients you'll need
- Sweet bell peppers: Meaning red, orange or yellow. Just one color or mix all of them. You'll need 4 total.
- Yellow onion: We'll slice it thinly like the peppers and cook them down until caramelly and delicious.
- Fresh chorizo: Look for fresh chorizo, not dried. It may come in a casing or it may not. It should be the texture of ground meat, not a dry salami.
- Garlic: Acts as an aromatic bridge between the peppers, onions and chorizo.
- Eggs: We'll nestle them into the pepper/chorizo mixture and finish them in the oven.
- Olive oil, salt, pepper
How to make piperade
Adapted from Buvette, by Jody Williams.
Step 1: Brown the chorizo
Coat an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. I love my Lodge cast iron pan for this recipe. Add chorizo and cook until it begins to brown and get crispy, 5-10 minutes.
Step 2: Cook the bell peppers
Add garlic, peppers and onions and cook until vegetables soften and begin to brown at the edges, about 15-20 minutes. Add a bit of salt to taste.
Step 3: Add the eggs
Add eggs to skillet, nestling them in with the peppers and sausage.Heat the broiler and place skillet underneath until eggs until they are just past sunny-side up. Be sure to watch the skillet during this process as the broiler can cook things very quickly.
Remove skillet from the oven and season eggs with a bit of kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
Piperade tips and substitutions
- If you prefer not to be on broiler watch to cook the eggs, you can put the skillet in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees until eggs are baked and just set. I like the broiler method because it doesn't heat the house and the cooking goes faster.
- If you can't find chorizo, try spicy Italian sausage instead.
- You can absolutely throw some green peppers back in here in place of some of the red or yellow if that is your jam.
More gluten free brunch recipes
- These Baked Eggs in Avocados with Chorizo and Queso Fresco were inspired by a breakfast I had at a dreamy resort in Mexico.
- I could eat Chilaquiles Verdes with Fried Eggs and Chorizo every day and not complain. They are much easier to make than you might think!
- And if you need something a little healthier on the brunch buffet after all that sausage, Homemade Gluten Free Granola is always a good choice.
- Shakshuka with Feta is a similar dish of baked eggs in a skillet, but has Middle Eastern spices.
Recipe
Piperade with Eggs and Chorizo
Ingredients
- 2 red bell peppers thinly sliced
- 2 yellow bell peppers thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 8 ounces fresh chorizo
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil for the pan
- kosher salt to taste
- cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Coat an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add chorizo and cook until it begins to brown and get crispy, 5-10 minutes.
- Add garlic, peppers and onions and cook until vegetables soften and begin to brown at the edges, about 15-20 minutes. Add a bit of salt to taste.
- Add eggs to skillet, nestling them in with the peppers and sausage.
- Heat the broiler and place skillet underneath until eggs until they are just past sunny-side up. Be sure to watch the skillet during this process as the broiler can cook things very quickly.
- Remove skillet from the oven and season eggs with a bit of kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Serve with toasted French bread and a fresh, green salad.
Notes
- Use fresh chorizo for this recipe, not dried. You can find it in Mexican markets and usually at the butcher counter. If you can't find it, us a spicy Italian sausage instead.
- If you prefer not to stand over the broiler, you can put the skillet in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees until eggs are baked and just set. I like the broiler method because it doesn't heat the house and the cooking goes faster.
- You're only going to need one oven-proof skillet for this recipe. But make sure it's a large, deep one, because this is a lot of peppers! A cast-iron skillet makes a nice presentation to go from oven to table.
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