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What is Chorizo? In short, it is made of ground pork or ground beef mixed with Mexican spices. That’s it!
I’ve left you my homemade Mexican chorizo recipe below.
Usually, it’s paired with something else like potatoes to bring down the robust, strong, and traditional flavors of the spices.
Table of Contents
What is chorizo made from?
Usually, you will see that its color is reddish, like a fire orange. The chiles and spices are what give it a vibrant color.
Expect to find reconstituted red ancho chile and guajillo chiles then blended with the spices and the meat. So easy to make, right?!
What meat is used?
It’s usually made with pork. This meat is very fatty, and it is always necessary to drain the excess when cooking it.
However, beef, chicken, or turkey can also be used. These versions are simply ground meat mixed with the same spices as pork. They are not usually as fatty, but the excess should still be drained off if there is any.
Mexican vs. Spanish
These two are NOT interchangeable.
This means that if you are making a traditional Spanish recipe and can’t find Spanish chorizo, don’t use the Mexican one. Both are very different.
- The Spanish Chorizo is dried, cured, and flavored with paprika.
- The Mexican Chorizo is raw, not cooked, and made with a mixture of chiles and spices.
What is a good substitute?
An alternative can be regular ground pork mixed with a bunch of Mexican spices.
What is soy chorizo?
This version has the same flavors and spices you will find in traditional chorizo. Expect, it is made with tofu.
It is usually interchangeable in most dishes and 100% vegan and vegetarian friendly.
You can easily make homemade soy chorizo. Many people say it tastes just like the real thing.
Cooking instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet.
- Remove the chorizo from the casing and add it to the skillet.
- With a spatula, carefully break down the chorizo as it cooks.
- Stir frequently so as not to burn.
- Once it is fully cooked, remove and drain excess fat.
- Return cooked chorizo to the skillet and continue with the recipe.
Where to buy Chorizo?
Aside from the flavor, it’s extremely versatile. You can buy it just about anywhere these days.
Look for it in the refrigerated area next to the breakfast sausages. Some Mexican grocery stores also make and sell their own version, you can also check out the butcher counter at your local Mexican grocery store.
Cacique is a very popular brand and sold just like sausages in casings. You have to remove the sausage from the plastic lining in order to cook.
Storing
Freezing is a process, so be sure to label it well.
- Place in a plastic bag.
- Remove as much of the air as possible.
- Freeze for up to 6 months, if stored well.
- Thaw completely before using. Only thaw the amount you are going to use, once thawed it must be consumed.
Well stored, wrapped up in plastic and in air-tight container, it will last in the fridge for up to a week.
Recipes:
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Homemade Mexican Chorizo
Ingredients
- 4 ancho chile dried
- 4 guajillo chile dried
- 6 chile de arbol dried
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 ½ tablespoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon peppercorns
- 2 cloves whole
- 1 tspn anise seeds
- 1 2-inch piece whole cinnamon
- 4 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ground annatto
- 1 tspn chipotle powder
- 2 tspn salt (add more if needed)
- 6 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 lbs ground pork
Instructions
- Cut off the stems off and remove the seeds from the dried ancho chiles, guajillo chiles, and chile de arbol.
- Toast all the chiles. About 1 minute on each side.
- Remove from the pan and set aside.
- To the pan, add the coriander seeds, cumin, oregano, peppercorns, cloves, and anise.
- Stir frequently with the a spatula, making sure they don’t burn.
- Do this for about a 6-7 minutes.
- Remove everything from the pan.
- To a grinder, add the toasted chiles, the toasted spices, cinnamon, garlic powder, annatto, chipotle, and salt.
- Grind until it forms into a powder form. You might need to do this in stages.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground spices with the pork and vinegar. Mix well.
- You might need to cook some of the chorizo to taste for salt and other seasonings. Add salt if needed.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight before use.
Video
Notes
- Place in a plastic bag.
- Remove as much of the air as possible.
- Freeze for up to 6 months, if stored well.
- Thaw completely before using.
This was very good. I have been trying to find an authentic Mexican chorizo on east coast but most is hard Columbian or Latin American not the crumbly Mexican chorizo like this. I might try to add different chilis next time to vary the recipe. This recipe definitely a good starter recipe and really easy to follow. I also didn’t have coriander or anise seeds handy so skipped it and I used ground cinnamon and cloves. I had some taco seasoning that had the cumin, coriander and annato and used that!
Way to adapt with what’s on hand—taco seasoning is a clever twist. So glad you enjoyed this Homemade Chorizo recipe!
I love both Spanish and Mexican chorizos. In Florida I can easily find Spanish chorizo (even Publix carries it!) and it is like a very spicy salami. Chopped, it can be used in any recipe that uses Mexican chorizo. I love it in spaghetti sauce, or any tomato based sauce. I make my own Mexican chorizo, although recently I can find Casique chorizo in markets on Cape Cod. Maggie’s recipe looks wonderful and I can hardly wait to make it, the tofu one especially for my semi vegetarian kids.!
It’s readily available in most places. What I can’t find is organic chorizo even in Mexican areas. That’s when I started making my own. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make. That’s when I published this recipe. 🙂
I honestly had no idea that there was pork chorizo and beef chorizo. But what I do know is that I now need to make ALL those recipes!
I miss spanish chorizo, love the spicy flavor.
Chorizo has definitely seemed to become more popular lately. I have had the vegetarian version, but not the real one. I do like the seasonings used.
This looks yummy! I don’t think I’ve tried this yet. But my kids were asking about it because of the Disney movie “Coco”.
Those looking for ideas of preparing chorizo will surely love this nice looking recipe. They can consider wisely from the tips mentioned to prepare the best meal.
i love chorizo! this makes me want some maybe for dinner tonight
Yummy! I’m used to Spanish chorizo, but would love to try the Mexican version. The family would love this!
Thanks for the great explanation. I’m familiar with Mexican Chorizo, but I didn’t know there was a Spanish one. It seems that chorizo is pretty versatile for a variety of dishes.
I only knew about beef chorizo and it was part of Mexican cuisine, but it was good to learn more about it! Super cool.
I love that you included alternatives to the traditional Chorizo meat! There’s opportunity for every type of diet to experience the deliciousness of Mexican cuisine.
I have never tried this but looks so delicious ? I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I love chorizo! it is always delicious and so very mexican. I like it when it’s very spicy.
Oh I love Chorizo! I’m definitely going to be giving this a try.
I can’t read enough about Chorizo! Since i first had it a few years ago i became obssessed with it, sooo good! Thanks a lot for the recipe.
Chorizo is a big thing is Southern California, but I did not know the difference between Spanish and Mexican chorizo! Thank you for an informative post.