Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (2024)

Spicy Pork Chorizo Prepared with Dry Spices Recipe. This is a third variation to preparing a Mexican style chorizo. After preparing homemade Mexican style chorizo a couple of times before, I was in search of an easier recipe. I love the other recipes I prepared, but because of my bad wrist and arm, I was avoiding the straining of the chorizo part of the recipe. I just wanted to find a way to mix all my ingredients together and be done with it, ha ,ha ,ha!! I still took the time to actually toast my dried chiles to prepare my own chile powder instead of using store bought. And I also took the time to toast my whole spices and grind them. If you have never tried toasting and grinding your own, you really should. There is nothing like it to make your dishes stand out from the rest! This blog has a collection of three chorizo recipes I tested and have to say enjoyedevery one of them.Speaking for myself, the best Mexican breakfast always starts with chorizo!

Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (1)

Chorizo Third Recipe (Toasted Spices)

After testing several methods on how to prepare Mexican chorizo, I have to say this third recipe with all the ingredients toasted is my favorite!

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate

Course: Pork

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 2 lbs

Ingredients

  • 4 chile ancho pods
  • 4 chile New Mexico or guajillo pods
  • 6 to 10 chile de arbol
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Mexican oregano
  • 1/2 tablespoon peppercorns
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons annatto powder or paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
  • 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 pounds ground pork
  • * I added another 1/2 tablespoon of crushed oregano once it was all mixed.

Instructions

  • Remove the stems and seeds from large chile pods. If arbol peppers have stems, remove them. I leave seeds in for heat. In a pan, on low/medium heat, toast the chile ancho, new mexico or guajillo and chile de arbol for a few minutes. Don't let them burn, just until they become aromatic and dry out a little more. Remove from heat and let them cool.

  • In that same pan on low/medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, oregano, peppercorns and cloves until they become aromatic. Remove from heat.

  • . Tear the peppers into smaller pieces. In batches, grind all the toasted peppers and toasted spices to a powder form, mix together.

  • In a large bowl, combine the ground spice mix with remaining spices, ground pork and vinegar. Mix well until spices are distributed evenly. Cook a small portion of the chorizo to check for seasoning. Add seasoning to taste. Cover and refrigerate overnight. I sometimes let the chorizo sit for three days before freezing.

  • Next day, I divide the chorizo into 1 cup portions and wrap with plastic wrap, forming into link shapes. I place them all into freezer bags and lay flat in freezer. Defrost link before using for your recipes.

Notes

Tips~ If you cannot find the dried chiles in your area, find a good quality chile ancho powder, hot chile powder and mild red chile powder to substitute for the dry. 4 tablespoons chile ancho, 4 tablespoons mild red chile powder and 1 teaspoon of hot chile powder. Follow recipe as directed for toasting the other spices.

Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (2)
Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (3)
Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (4)
Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (5)
Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (6)

Tips~ The next day, I froze my chorizo in 1/2 cup portions. Will keep in freezer for 3 months. Make sure you date and label it.

Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (7)

Chorizo Con Huevo Recipe

Olive oil
1/3 cup white onion, diced
1 jalapeño or serrano, minced
1/2 cup uncooked mexican chorizo
6 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and jalapeño and saute for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat slightly and cook the chorizo another 5 to 6 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to crumble the chorizo as it cooks.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together with 1/4 cup of milk or cream. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour into skillet with chorizo. Turn heat down and continue to cook, moving gently with spatula until eggs are set. Serve with flour or corn tortillas. Garnish with grated or crumbled Mexican cheese and fresh salsa. Yields 4 servings.

Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (8)

My First Homemade Mexican Chorizo Recipe. Soon after returning from my month long trip to Monterrey, Mexico to visit with familia, I had to try to prepare my first batch of homemade chorizo. I enjoyed this batch, but now that I look back on it, I think I should have used less vinegar and a more coarse grind on the pork meat. Still very tasty, but like all first time recipes it’s trial and error…..there can always be room for improvement.

Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (9)

Mexican Chorizo

2 pounds ground pork
2 cups white vinegar
Salt
5 chile ancho
5 chile california
Water
4 tablespoons freshly ground cumin
2 tablespoons freshly ground oregano
2 tablespoon crushed jalapeno or red pepper flakes

1. In a large glass bowl, mix 2 cups of white vinegar w/ 1/3 cup of Kosher salt, stir well to dissolve. Taste for salt and add 1 tablespoon at a time until vinegar is not too tart. Add the pork to the vinegar, mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

2. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. In a medium pot filled with water cook the chiles until they get soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir them every now and then. Drain the peppers and transfer to a blender. Start by adding about 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to the blender, blend until smooth. If you have trouble w/ it blending, add a little more water. Pepper puree’ must be strained thru/ a wire mesh strainer, set aside.

3. Once the pork has been in for at least 24 hours, remove from bowl and strain as much of the liquid from the pork with a fine wire mesh strainer.

4. Combine the pork, spices and chile puree’, stir well to combine. Now at this time, you could store the chorizo in 4oz. or 8oz. containers or in small freezer bags. Take it out and use as much as you like. When I cooked it, I added a little canola oil, because the pork was pretty lean.

Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (10)


Note: The original recipe from Mexico calls for pork, chopped fine, but not ground. I chose to use the ground, just easier for me.

My Second Chorizo Recipe~ Rustic and Spicy Homemade Chorizo. This recipe was my second attempt at preparing chorizo. It was truly a labor of love, lol! I sliced all the meat by hand until I achieved the coarse chop I was looking for. I also bumped up the heat level on this recipe. Again, it was very tasty and I enjoyed it much more than the first recipe.

Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (11)

Rustic Homemade Pork Chorizo (Chopped Pork)

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds pork country style ribs, boneless
2 1/2 cups white distilled vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
5 chile ancho
5 chile California, New Mexico or guajillos
10 chile de arbol
1/8 cup dried chile pequin
1 1/2 tablespoons oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/3 cup water

Directions

1. Finely chop the pork or use a meat grinder to obtain a coarse chop. Mix the vinegar and salt and stir well until salt is dissolved. Add the pork to glass bowl and cover it with the vinegar and salt mixture. Stir well to combine, cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 24 to 30 hours.

2. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Transfer them to a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. remove from heat and let cool slightly.

3. Drain the chiles and transfer to the blender. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the blender. Blend until smooth. You don’t really have to add more salt because the pork will be salty.

4. After 24 hours, strain the pork through a fine wire strainer and push out as much of the liquid as possible. Transfer to a bowl and add the chile sauce to the pork. Stir well to combine, cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. The next day, you can divide your chorizo into 1/2 portions and freeze for later use. The chorizo will develop more flavor as time goes by. It will not have as much fat as store bought chorizo, so you may need to add just a touch of oil when you cook it. It will release some liquid when you first cook it. I just let the liquid evaporate, then add a touch of oil to brown up nicely. Yields up to 4 cups, more or less.

Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (12)
Preparing Mexican Chorizo at Home ~ Three Tested Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What's the best way to prepare chorizo? ›

While there are multiple ways to cook chorizo, grilling, broiling and pan-frying are three of the best ways to ensure a tasty, flavorful outcome.

What is authentic Mexican chorizo made of? ›

Mexican chorizo is almost always made from fresh, raw pork. Additional pork fat, herbs, spices chile peppers and vinegar are added to the meat. Once the ingredients are mixed together, they are inserted into short links of edible or inedible casing.

How do you cook pre packaged ground chorizo? ›

Thaw product prior to cooking. In a skillet, cook and crumble sausage over medium heat until sausage is browned and the internal temperature is 160°F.

What is the difference between Mexican chorizo and Spanish chorizo? ›

Mexican vs Spanish chorizo

“Mexican-style chorizo is actually raw meat that's been heavily seasoned with dry chilies and aromatic spices like cinnamon and clove. Spanish chorizo is a hard sausage that's been cured like a salami,” explains Sánchez.

Do you need to peel chorizo before cooking? ›

If you're using soft (i.e. uncooked) chorizo then no, you don't need to remove the skin, because it should cook with the sausage. If you are using the cured, ready to eat chorizo you should take the skin off as it will be tough.

What makes chorizo taste so good? ›

It's Spicy

Mexican chorizo is typically seasoned with vinegar and chile peppers, while Spanish chorizo is made with garlic and pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika, either sweet or hot), which gives it its deep brick-red color and smoky flavor.

Can you eat chorizo straight from the package? ›

There are two kinds of pork chorizo: Mexican and Spanish. Mexican chorizo is generally packaged raw and must be cooked before you eat it. Spanish chorizo is made safe to eat through a curing process, so you don't need to cook it. Food poisoning is common and can cause severe illness that can lead to hospitalization.

How to make ground chorizo crispy? ›

Pan-Fried Chorizo

If you're cooking cured chorizo links, you don't have to cook them in the oven. You can reheat this type of chorizo by pan-frying it! We suggest slicing the chorizo and frying the rounds on medium-high heat until they begin to brown. Leave it on for longer if you want crunchy, crispy chorizo.

Do you cook store bought chorizo? ›

Chorizo can be bought as a whole sausage of either soft cooking chorizo – which must be cooked before eating – or a firmer, drier cured sausage that can be sliced and eaten without cooking. It is also sold thinly sliced, like salami, to be enjoyed raw as tapas.

How do you know when Mexican chorizo is done? ›

Raw chorizo typically sports a vibrant red hue. As it cooks, the color evolves into a rich, reddish-brown, indicating that the proteins have reached a safe and flavorful state. Aim for an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) for pork chorizo and 165°F (74°C) for chicken or turkey chorizo.

Why is Mexican chorizo so red? ›

Mexican chorizo is generally made with ground pork mixed with pork fat, vinegar, and a variety of spices, including spicy red pepper, which gives it its signature bright-red color.

Do Mexicans use beef or pork chorizo? ›

Traditional Mexican chorizo is made with pork. And while it's not uncommon to find chorizo made with beef or even chicken, pork chorizo is the best choice if you want to taste authentic Mexican-style chorizo.

How is chorizo traditionally eaten? ›

Depending on the variety, chorizo can be eaten sliced without further cooking, for example in a sandwich, or can be grilled, fried, or baked alongside other foodstuffs, and is an ingredient in several dishes where it accompanies beans, such as fabada or cocido montañés and can be served as a tapas, such as "Chorizo in ...

Do you slice chorizo before or after cooking? ›

Chorizo should be sliced or chopped before cooking. To prevent sliced chorizo curling up during frying, use a knife to score the casing of the sausage before you slice it.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Terrell Hackett

Last Updated:

Views: 5602

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Terrell Hackett

Birthday: 1992-03-17

Address: Suite 453 459 Gibson Squares, East Adriane, AK 71925-5692

Phone: +21811810803470

Job: Chief Representative

Hobby: Board games, Rock climbing, Ghost hunting, Origami, Kabaddi, Mushroom hunting, Gaming

Introduction: My name is Terrell Hackett, I am a gleaming, brainy, courageous, helpful, healthy, cooperative, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.