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    Home » Recipes

    What is Chorizo + VIDEO

    Published: May 6, 2019 · Updated: Nov 9, 2022 by Maggie Unzueta

    Here is a spicy and delicious recipe for Homemade Mexican Chorizo. Great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner for anytime you want a taste of Mexico in your kitchen.
    Jump to Recipe
    Mexican chorizo in a red bowl with a fork on the side.

    Raw Mexican sausage in a red bowl with a fork on the side.

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    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.

    Raw Mexican sausage in a red bowl with a fork on the side showing what is chorizo.

    Table of Contents

    • 1 What is chorizo made from?
    • 2 What meat is used?
    • 3 Mexican vs. Spanish
    • 4 What is a good substitute?
    • 5 What is soy chorizo?
    • 6 Cooking instructions
    • 7 Where to buy Chorizo?
    • 8 Storing
    • 9 Recipes:
      • 9.1 HUNGRY FOR MORE?
    • 10 Homemade Mexican Chorizo
      • 10.1 Ingredients
      • 10.2 Instructions
      • 10.3 Video
      • 10.4 Notes
      • 10.5 Nutrition
          • 10.5.0.1 Maggie Unzueta

    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?!

    Cooked Mexican chorizo in a black iron skillet.

    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.

    Beef Chorizo cooking in Skillet

    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.

    Soy chorizo sausage in its package.

    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.

    Pork chorizo in its package.

    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.

    A collage showing raw and how to cook the Mexican sausage.

    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:

    • Chorizo Cheese Dip
    • Chorizo Con Papas
    • Chorizo Con Huevos
    • Pambazo

    HUNGRY FOR MORE?

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    Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!

    Mexican chorizo in a red bowl with a fork on the side.

    Homemade Mexican Chorizo

    Here is a spicy and delicious recipe for Homemade Mexican Chorizo. Great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner for anytime you want a taste of Mexico in your kitchen.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: breakfast, lunch, dinner
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 312kcal
    Author: Maggie Unzueta

    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

    HOW TO STORE CHORIZO
    • 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.
    You can swap out the pork for beef, even tofu. 
    Mexican Chorizo is the same as Spanish Chorizo. The two are not interchangeable. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4223IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!
    Maggie Unzueta
    Website | + posts

    Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. SYLVIA A LANSBERG

      July 11, 2021 at 10:12 am

      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.!

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        July 19, 2021 at 2:30 pm

        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. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Nicole Bertrand

      June 08, 2019 at 7:20 pm

      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!

      Reply
    3. Arya

      June 08, 2019 at 3:38 pm

      I miss spanish chorizo, love the spicy flavor.

      Reply
    4. Marysa

      June 07, 2019 at 6:58 pm

      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.

      Reply
    5. Katie

      June 07, 2019 at 4:15 pm

      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”.

      Reply
    6. Kalyan Panja

      June 07, 2019 at 9:28 am

      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.

      Reply
    7. Jasmine Hewitt

      June 07, 2019 at 6:48 am

      i love chorizo! this makes me want some maybe for dinner tonight

      Reply
    8. Lisa

      June 07, 2019 at 1:33 am

      Yummy! I’m used to Spanish chorizo, but would love to try the Mexican version. The family would love this!

      Reply
    9. Sam

      June 06, 2019 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    10. Claire Lee

      June 06, 2019 at 5:00 pm

      I only knew about beef chorizo and it was part of Mexican cuisine, but it was good to learn more about it! Super cool.

      Reply
    11. Elizabeth Keene

      June 06, 2019 at 11:47 am

      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.

      Reply
    12. Natural Beauty And Makeup

      June 06, 2019 at 11:23 am

      I have never tried this but looks so delicious ? I can’t wait to try this recipe!

      Reply
    13. Lyosha

      June 06, 2019 at 11:10 am

      I love chorizo! it is always delicious and so very mexican. I like it when it’s very spicy.

      Reply
    14. Yeah Lifestyle

      June 06, 2019 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      Oh I love Chorizo! I’m definitely going to be giving this a try.

      Reply
    15. Chad

      June 06, 2019 at 10:08 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    16. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats

      June 06, 2019 at 7:55 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply

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    iBienvenidos! I'm Maggie. Welcome to my blog! My passion is authentic Mexican food and traveling throughout Mexico to bring you the very BEST in culture and cuisine.

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