This mexican-inspired savory dutch baby is baked with fresh herbs and cotija cheese and topped with chorizo and sauteed kale! Ready in 30 minutes, this dutch baby recipe is perfect for a weekend brunch!
Savory dutch babies have become our latest brunch obsession. Crispy around the edges with a light and airy texture — what’s not to love? While these popover pancakes pair well with a variety of toppings and mix-ins, our favorite version is this mexican-inspired dutch baby. It’s baked with cotija cheese and fresh herbs and served alongside sauteed chorizo and kale!
savory dutch baby
Dutch babies are made by pouring a pancake-like batter into a hot skillet and baking until it puffs up and becomes golden brown around the edges. The process is pretty easy, but I do have a few tips to make sure you get a good rise out of your dutch baby.
First, I like to whip up my batter (flour, milk, eggs, melted butter, garlic powder and salt) in a blender to make sure it’s well combined. I find that I get the best results when I make the batter right when I turn on the oven and let it sit until the oven is preheated. And second, make sure to preheat your skillet (I use a cast iron skillet) in the oven so that it’s sufficiently hot when you pour in the batter. If you’re having trouble getting your dutch baby to rise, try raising the oven temperature or letting the skillet preheat for a bit longer.
To add a bit of extra flavor, I also sprinkle a mixture of crumbled cotija cheese, chopped chives and thyme over the batter right before it goes into the oven. Cotija is a slightly salty aged Mexican cheese and adds such a beautiful flavor to the dutch baby, but parmesan would also be a good substitute if you don’t have cotija on hand. One tip: make sure to have these ingredients ready to go before you start baking. You’ll want to add the cotija and herbs as soon as you pour in the batter so you can get it into the oven as quickly as possible.
the toppings!
While you could eat your cotija crusted dutch baby as is, our favorite way to enjoy it is with sauteed chorizo and kale. While we use raw Mexican chorizo, cured Spanish chorizo would also be great with this dutch baby! Start by cooking the Mexican chorizo (casing removed) with a bit of diced onion in a pan for about five minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 F (71 C).
Then either remove the chorizo to a plate and keep warm or just push it to the side while you cook the kale. I generally cook the chorizo until it’s just about ready, then slide it to the side of my skillet while I cook the kale on the other half. No need to add any oil — just saute the kale in the fat rendered by the chorizo.
And of course we always like to add some fresh garnishes. Avocados and radishes are our favorite options, but you could also add cilantro, fresh lime juice or even pickled jalapenos!
ingredients
dutch baby
- flour 1 c (120 g)
- garlic powder 1 tsp
- salt 1 tsp
- eggs 5 large
- milk 1 c (240 ml)
- butter (divided) 4 tbsp (60 g)
- chopped chives 1.5 tbsp
- chopped thyme ½ tbsp
- crumbled cotija ½ c (60 g)
toppings
- mexican chorizo 9 oz (250 g)
- diced onion ½ small
- chopped kale 1 bunch (100 g)
- radish slices optional
- avocado slices optional
instructions
- Make sure to have the cotija, chives and thyme ready as you'll need to work quickly once you pour in the batter.
- Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C) and place a 12-inch (30 cm) cast iron skillet in the oven while it's preheating.
- Add the flour, garlic powder, salt, eggs, milk and 2 tablespoons (30 g) of melted butter to a blender and mix until smooth.
- Remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) of butter. Swirl to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Pour the batter into the skillet and sprinkle evenly with cotija, chives and thyme. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown around the edges.
- While the dutch baby is cooking, add the chorizo (casing removed) and diced onion to a skillet and cook over medium-high heat until the chorizo is browned and cooked through (5-7 minutes). The internal temperature should be 160 F (71 C). Set aside and keep warm.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the chopped kale and a pinch of salt to the skillet. Cook until just tender and wilted (5 minutes).
- Serve the dutch baby in slices with chorizo, kale and your favorite toppings.
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