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).

Storage and Freezing

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.  This sausage will freeze well for up to 4 months.

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 Mexican 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 adventures in homemade charcuterie 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

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet April 28, 2018