Things just get 10x cuter when they're mini, right?! I've recently fallen in love with quail eggs. Not only are they mini and super cute, they're also really tasty and a nice change from regular eggs. And they're perfect in these crispy shredded potato nests. I've added some Mexican flavours with chorizo sausage, jalapeño and cilantro. These grab and go potato cups are great for meal prep too!
This post is sponsored by Spring Creek Quail Farms, which means I was compensated for my time. All views are my own.
Have you had quail eggs before? If not, I hope to convince you. These tiny, speckled eggs have completely stolen my heart. I was a little nervous to try them at first, only because they are tiny and I thought they'd be hard to crack. But, once you get the hang of it, it's actually quite easy to do. I actually got it right on the first try!
Spring Creek's quail eggs come from happy hens, raised in a free-run environment without hormones or antibiotics. They're delivered fresh from their farm to the store! Spring Creek Quail Farms is located in Saint Anns, Ontario and is a small family run farm.
Here are some interesting facts about Spring Creek quail eggs:
These potato nests are easy to make and contain only eight ingredients! Here's what you'll need to make them.
For these crispy potato nests, I use russet potatoes which I happen to love. They are great baking potatoes that get all nice and crispy in this recipe. I haven't tested this recipe with a different potato, but I'm sure other types such as sweet potato, or a combination of the two would work.
To help bind the potato together and help form it, you'll need some all purpose flour.
I use Bob's Red Mill 1-1 All Purpose Flour which is gluten-free.
To provide some flavour and help make these potato nests take on a Mexican flavour, I use smoked paprika and ancho chili powder. Both offer a lot of smokiness and in my opinion taste better than traditional paprika and chili powder.
Check out smoked paprika here!
Check out ancho chili powder here!
Adding two quail eggs to these potato nests helps amp up the healthy fats and protein. I recommend using two quail eggs in each cup, as they're more filling this way.
Crispy chorizo sausage is added on top of these potato nests and provides tons of flavour and more crispy goodness.
Adding some heat with fresh thinly slice jalapeño is a tasty addition and one that I highly recommend.
Garnishing with some fresh cilantro adds colour and flavour.
Making these potato and egg nests couldn't be easier! If you have a food processor, I highly suggest using the shredding attachment to shred your potatoes. This will save you A LOT of time.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place a greased muffin tin in the oven while you shred the potatoes.
First, shred your potatoes. There is no need to peel, them, just give them a good scrub. Use your food processor to shred them, or a box grater if you don't have a food processor.
Place the shredded potatoes in a clean dish towel (this is better than using paper towels) and rinse the potato to remove the water. There is a lot of water, so be sure to really wring out the towel to get the shredded potato nice and dry.
Once your potato is nice and dry, add it to large bowl. Add the flour, spices and salt and mix.
Take out your muffin tin. Use your hands to form a nest and then place in the muffin tin. Press down in the center a little so you'll have room for the eggs later. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned a little and starting to get crispy.
While the potatoes are baking, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a splash of oil to the pan. Add the crumbled chorizo and let it cook undisturbed for three to four minutes, until crispy. Then flip and continue cooking until browned, cooked through and no longer pink.
Remove the muffin tin from the oven. Add a small bit of the crumbled chorizo to the egg nests. Use a serrated knife to crack open the quail eggs and add these to the potato nests. Place back in the oven to bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still a little runny.
Remove the muffin tin and add more chorizo on top, followed by the sliced jalapeño and cilantro.
These crispy potato and egg nests are quite versatile, here are some options and ideas:
I love quick, meal prep friendly breakfasts. See below for more ideas:
The muffin tin I use and recommend is this one. It is THE ONLY one that I have tried that doesn't require you to use liners or even to grease the pan (although I still use some oil on it when baking these). This muffin tin is also the only one that I can make egg muffins in without them sticking and me wanting to pull my hair out after trying to clean the pan.
If you make these crispy potato egg nests, please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products and services I have personally used and love. Disclosure here.
Easy, delicious and portable crispy potato nests with eggs, chorizo, and all the right spices.
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