BEST Mexican Chorizo Recipe
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Behold the secret ingredient to giving your Mexican dishes an authentic and incredibly amazing flavor! This homemade Mexican chorizo recipe is easy to make and the flavor is out of this world! This freezes well so you can conveniently have it on hand to grab and thaw as needed.

Why You Should Make Your Own
SALIVARY GLANDS AND LYMPH NODES. That’s what you’ll find in the list of ingredients of a lot of store-bought chorizo. I bought some a while back, cooked with it, and it wasn’t until after we had eaten it that I saw the foreboding list of ingredients. Yes, I felt a little ill. The “daring” in Daring Gourmet isn’t referring to entertaining members of the lymphatic and exocrine families.
Since seeing that I haven’t been able to stomach the thought of ever eating store-bought chorizo again. I don’t trust it. That’s right, I have trust issues with chorizo. So, I make my own. I don’t bother using the sausage casings – no point since when cooking chorizo you remove it from the casing anyway. So I either grind my own pork or have the butcher do it for me. That way I know EXACTLY what’s in it! And, more importantly, what ISN’T! Beyond have full control over the ingredients in your chorizo, the other advantage to making your own is that you can customize the ingredients to your taste – more or less salt, spicy or mild, etc. And I promise you, this homemade chorizo is so much fresher and more flavorful than anything you’ll buy at the store.
What is Mexican Chorizo?
Chorizo is a heavily spiced sausage commonly used in Mexican dishes. Unlike Spanish chorizo which is a cured sausage, Mexican chorizo is raw and needs to be cooked before consuming. It’s crumbled and fried up with whatever other ingredients the dish calls for. It’s made with a variety of ingredients, including various ground chiles, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, vinegar, etc.
And as for my chronic trust issues with store-bought chorizo…I’m afraid it’s a hopeless case, a lost relationship. I don’t think I can ever learn to trust it again . I suppose we could seek counseling together, store-bought chorizo and I, but what’s the use? We never loved each other in the first place, have since lost the ability to communicate, and
“Now it’s too late, baby, now it’s too late…
Something inside has died and I can’t hide it,
and I just can’t fake it.”
Store-bought chorizo: We’re through.
(Thanks, Carole King, for those fitting lyrics.)
This homemade chorizo is super simple to make. I did the work in experimenting with the different spices and ratios – now all you have to do is combine the spices with the meat and you’re done! It’s really that simple. And it tastes good! Just grab some ready-made chorizo from the freezer whenever you need it.
Homemade Mexican Chorizo Recipe
Let’s get started!
Simply place the meat in a large bowl and all all remaining ingredients.
Use your hands to thoroughly combine the mixture.
Place it in a colander or sieve over a bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 days, daily squeezing out and discarding any liquid (this isn’t absolutely necessary but it will more closely resemble the texture of store-bought).
After 3 days, divide the meat up into 6 little 4 oz loaves, wrap each one in plastic wrap and place the loaves in a freezer bag.
Many recipes call for about 1/4 lb at a time, so I like to divide it up into 1/4 lb “sausages” and freeze them so they’re ready for use when I need them. That way you can grab one whenever you need it, let it thaw and use it!
How to Use Chorizo
Mexican chorizo is a flavorful and versatile ingredient that can add a rich, spicy, and slightly tangy taste to a variety of dishes. Here are a few ideas:
- Tacos and Burritos: Use it as a filling for tacos and burritos, along with your favorite toppings like chopped onions, cilantro, salsa, and cheese.
- Queso Fundido: Use it to liven up your favorite queso fundido.
- Breakfast Burritos: Add some to scrambled eggs and wrap them in tortillas for a hearty breakfast burrito.
- Chorizo and Eggs: Sauté it and scrambled eggs together and serve it with salsa and tortillas if you like.
- Chorizo Hash: Cook it with diced potatoes, onions, and bell peppers.
- Chorizo Rice: Cook it and mix it with cooked rice, along with diced tomatoes, onions, and spices.
- Tamales: Incorporate it into the masa dough when making tamales.
- Chorizo and Bean Soup: Add it to a pot of beans or bean soup for added depth of flavor.
- Chorizo-Stuffed Peppers: Hollow out bell peppers and stuff them with a mixture of cooked chorizo, rice, beans, and cheese and bake until the peppers are tender.
- Pizza: Use it as a topping for pizza, loaded nachos, or baked potatoes.
Enjoy!
For more delicious adventures in homemade charcuterie be sure to try my:
- Italian Sausage Recipe
- Homemade Breakfast Sausage
- Homemade German Bratwurst
- Homemade British Bangers
- Smoked Ham Hocks
- Smoked Ham
- Smoked Cheddar Sausages
- Italian Capicola
- How to Make Bacon
Save This Recipe
BEST Mexican Chorizo Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb coarsely ground lean pork
- 6 oz coarsely ground pork fat (ask your butcher)
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place the meat in a large bowl and all all remaining ingredients. Use your hands to thoroughly combine the mixture. Place the it in a colander or sieve over a bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 days, daily squeezing out and discarding any liquid (this isn't absolutely necessary but it will more closely resemble the texture of store-bought chorizo). After 3 days, divide the meat up into 6 little 4 oz loaves, wrap each one in plastic wrap and place the loaves in a freezer bag or wrap again in aluminum foil. You can also use wax or freezer paper.
- The chorizo will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. Storing it longer doesn't really pose a safety concern, but the taste will suffer.Makes 1 1/2 pounds.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet April 28, 2018
Gurl, this is sooo freaking delish! I grew up in SoCal and have lived the rest of my 57 years in Central Cali married into a Hispanic familia so I have eaten my fair share of Chorizo. This stuff, your recipe, puts all of those store bought ones to shame. And to clarify, this still tastes like chorizo just better than the commercial junk (like salivary glands and lymph nodes? Wha?? Gross).
I don’t often have pork fat in the house and wanted to make this, so I just mixed all of your listed spices together first in a ramekin and then cooked them for about a minute in about 3 Tbsp of hot olive oil. Then I took the pan off the heat and poured in the vinegar, minced garlic and a touch of sugar (1 Tbsp?). I stirred it around until it quit bubbling and steaming and I let it sit for 5-ish minutes to cool off some. Then I mixed it all in with my ground pork (I had 85/15% on hand) and portioned them out into 3oz patties for freezing but cooked one portion for breakfast with my egg. It literally was the best Chorizo I’ve eaten and I can’t wait to try it with the pork fat now. I will be eating this frequently =}
Oh that’s awesome, MissyG! I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed this and I really appreciate the feedback, thank you! <3
on the chorizo recipe the ingredient of dry Mexican oregano you do not specify that it has to be ground which it should be otherwise people use the whole oregano all the ingredients that go into it are powder form.
This chorizo is fantastic! It was easy to make and the blend of flavors is rich and delicious. I just made a second batch and doubled it to freeze.
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you very much Jenn!
No instructions on how to cook it.
Whatever recipe you’re using that calls for Mexican chorizo will instruct you how to use/cook it.
Thank you! I”ve been looking for a “good” chorizo recipe for several years. This is the best ! Made 10 pounds and it has blown away all the others. Friends are raving!
We butchered our pig this weekend, so our pork was FRESH! I mixed the spices for four 1.5 lb batches of this chorizo recipe, but I ended up using only 1/2 the amount called for and it was fantastic! Always use less and fry some up and taste after the first grind, then add more spice/salt if necessary. Whew!
Try omitting the coriander or use seeds, and use sugar if too earthy for you … half or none of the fat also… just my two centavos.