Savory Dinner Pancakes with Spicy Chilli Butter

These savoury pancakes make a fantastic dinner — packed with chorizo, bacon and a zingy chilli butter. Skip the maple and try them with a drizzle of golden syrup instead. It sounds odd, but it really works.

I love a quick omelette for dinner, but my family don’t always agree. These savoury pancakes are an easy way to please everyone with only a few extra minutes of prep to make a simple pancake batter.

If you’re unsure about chorizo with syrup — believe me, it’s delicious. Add bacon, a little cheese and a salty chilli butter and you’ve got pancakes with a tasty twist.

What do we need?

• Basic pancake ingredients: plain flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, an egg and milk.
• Fillings: spring onions (scallions), grated cheddar and chorizo.
• Chilli butter: salted butter mixed with a chopped jalapeño (or green chilli).
• Toppings: extra spring onions, crispy bacon and golden syrup to finish.

How to make these savoury pancakes

• Make the chilli butter by combining softened salted butter with a finely chopped green chilli or jalapeño. Chill to firm up or leave at room temperature if you prefer a softer butter.
• Fry the chorizo in a hot pan for 1–2 minutes until it releases its oils, then transfer it to a plate.
• Mix the pancake batter: combine plain flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, one large egg and milk. Whisk until mostly smooth — a few small lumps are fine. Stir through about three-quarters of the chopped spring onions.

• Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and brush lightly with butter. A non-stick surface helps prevent cheese from sticking when you flip the pancakes.
• Spoon blobs of batter into the pan (about 1/4 cup / 4 tbsp per pancake). Cook for 1–2 minutes until bubbles form on the surface.
• Sprinkle a little cooked chorizo and grated cheddar onto each pancake, flip and cook for another minute or two until cooked through. Work in batches — the recipe yields about 12 pancakes.

Stack the cooked pancakes, scatter over chopped cooked bacon and the remaining spring onions, top with a spoonful of chilli butter and finish with a generous drizzle of golden syrup before serving.

I first posted this recipe in 2014 and updated it to make the method easier. The original included lots of different fillings which made the pancakes tricky to flip. The improved approach keeps chorizo and spring onions in the batter, sprinkles cheese on each pancake before flipping, and adds most toppings afterwards to preserve the pancakes’ structure.

The chilli butter and golden syrup are essential — maple syrup works too, but golden syrup brings the best balance for me.

Top tips

• Use a non-stick pan so the cheese doesn’t stick when flipping. If you prefer not to use non-stick, flip first and then add the cheese so it melts as the pancake finishes cooking.
• Keep chorizo pieces small. Large chunks can stick out and prevent even contact between the batter and the pan, leading to uneven cooking.

Can I make them ahead?

They’re best served straight away, but you can make them ahead for an easy breakfast or packed meal. To reheat, microwaving is quickest and ensures the chorizo warms through — reheat two at a time on high for a minute or two until piping hot. A toaster works for plain pancakes but won’t always heat the filling thoroughly.

This recipe was first posted in November 2014 and updated in 2020 with new photos, a video and a few improvements to the method.

Some links in the original post may have been affiliate links. Nutritional information is approximate and can vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.