Recipe: Savory Tex-Mex Dutch Baby Pancake — Recipes from The Kitchn

As much as I love regular pancakes, there's something about Dutch babies that elevates them to the status of something special. Even though they're surprisingly easy to make, they're so impressive when they emerge out of the oven all puffed up and proud. Since I tend toward savory rather than sweet breakfasts, this Dutch baby, loaded with spicy roasted chiles and melty cheese, is right up my alley.

The batter for Dutch babies couldn't be easier to make: toss flour, milk, and eggs in a blender or food processor and flavor it however you want. In this case, I like Mexican hot sauce and canned green chiles. After a quick blend, the batter rests so that the flour can absorb the liquid, while oven preheats.

Pour the batter into a hot, buttered cast iron skillet, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until it browns and rises impressively. This Dutch baby is cheesy, spicy, and great topped with black beans, avocado, and chunky salsa! We're calling it breakfast, but you know the drill — lunch and dinner are fair game, too.

Savory Tex-Mex Dutch Baby Pancake

Serves 4 as a main, 6 to 8 as a side dish

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole or 2% milk
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon Mexican hot sauce, such as Cholula, plus more for serving
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 tablespoons canned fire-roasted diced green chiles, drained
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese blend

Place the flour, milk, eggs, hot sauce, and salt in a blender or food processor and blend on high speed for 10 seconds. Scrape down the flour clinging to the sides of the jar or bowl with a rubber spatula, add the chiles, and blend to combine, about another 10 seconds; set aside for 20 to 25 minutes for the batter to rest. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425°F.

When the oven is hot, melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Tilt the pan to make sure the butter coats the entire bottom of the pan. Pour in the batter and sprinkle evenly with the cheese.

Bake until puffed, light brown on the top, and dark golden-brown on the sides and edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately (it will collapse quickly) with more hot sauce.

Recipe Notes

• Storage: The Dutch baby will deflate quickly, but is still delicious. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven until warmed through.

(Image credits: Christine Han)

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