Behold the secret ingredient to giving your Mexican dishes an authentic and incredibly amazing flavor! This homemade Mexican chorizo is easy to make and the flavor is out of this world!
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. Â I don’t trust it. Â 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! Â And, more importantly, what ISN’T!
Chorizo is a heavily spiced sausage commonly used in Mexican dishes. 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. Many recipes call for about 1/4 lb at a time, so I divide it up into 1/4 lb “sausages” and freeze them so they’re ready for use when I need them.
And as for my chronic trust issues with store-bought chorizo…I’m afraid it’s a hopeless case, a lost relationship. Â 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: Â We’re through.
(Thanks, Carole King, for those fitting lyrics.)
This homemade Mexican chorizo is super simple to make. Â 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! Â It’s really that simple. Â And this chorizo tastes good! Â Just grab some ready-made chorizo from the freezer whenever you need it.
Many authentic Mexican recipes call for chorizo. Â Here are a couple of mine and more will follow:
Tinga Poblana Pulled Pork Tacos
Mexican Meatballs with Roasted Garlic, Chipotle and Tomatillo Sauce
* Be sure to follow us over at The Daring Gourmet on Facebook!
Wrap the individual 1/4 pound logs in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer ziplock bag. Then you can grab one whenever you need it, let it thaw and use it!
Enjoy!
BEST Homemade Mexican Chorizo
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 chorizo 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, divided into six 4 oz. servings.
Nutrition
Ben Skipper says
hi, thanks for this recipe.
can this be made using beef aswell?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Ben, Mexican chorizo is strictly made from pork. You can use beef I suppose but the flavor will be very different.
Angie says
Can you tell me where the 13 carbohydrates are coming from? I follow a keto/low carb diet and I just don’t see anything that would add that much? I have used many of your recipes and the Rope Vieja is one of my all-time favorites! I need to make it again soon!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Awesome, Angie, I’m so glad you enjoyed the ropa vieja, thank you! So those 13 grams of carbs…garlic has one gram per clove, so that’s 5 grams right there. And paprika and chili powder have over 3 grams per tablespoon, so that’s where the remaining carbs are. Keep in mind that 13 grams of carbs is for the entire batch of chorizo, NOT per serving. Keep in mind also that there are 6 grams of fiber in this, so it’s actually only 7 grams of net carbs. Hopefully that puts your mind at ease! :)
Angie says
Thank you! I didn’t realize it was for the entire recipe. I am going to make some of this soon since the store bought can be iffy at best.
Ray says
My recipe is different from yours, especially using paprika. I use peppers originating from mexico and definitely no cinnamon or cloves, but I totally agree with you on “I WANT” to know what goes into my sausage meats!
Ray says
“Ancho” (which includes the generic Poblano name or specific types like Pasillo), “Guajillo” and “Chili De Arbol” (for the heat) are considered the “Holy Trinity” for most Mexican recipes. You just need to figure out the balance of these for your recipe. Paprika (mostly Hungarian types in stores) is definitely NOT Mexican. Spanish paprika can be found perhaps (type grown in Spain). But then again, a Spanish Chorizo is processed much differently than a Mexican Chorizo and definitely has a totally different taste profile.
Karen says
I was wondering if I could use 22oz of 80/20 ground pork? Would that be enough fat for the recipe.
Thank you , Karen
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Karen, it’s close enough and your chorizo will be delicious. Happy cooking! :)
Michelle Brumett says
Yuck!!! I feel the same way about store bought chorizo. When I read what they made it out of…I gagged!!! No Thank you. I used your recipe soo thank you for that!! It was easy to make!!
Garnet says
Is this really mild or spicy
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Garnet, it’s very mild. But you can make it spicy if you prefer.