How To Make Mexican Chorizo From Scratch

Making homemade Mexican Chorizo, is so much easier than you’d think—not to mention, incredibly delicious and healthier too. Made with simple ingredients like ground pork, chile peppers, vinegar, and spices, this fresh sausage is low-carb, keto, and gluten-free! Video included!

Recipe first posted on September 14, 2021. Last updated June 17, 2022.

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Are you a Mexican chorizo fan? My family loves chorizo. We stuff it into our breakfast tacos as well as our fancy cocktail party mushrooms, oh and burgers too—chorizo burgers are so, so good.

I know there are tons of different options for buying fresh chorizo, especially if you live near a Latin grocery store that makes its own version, but I think you’ll really be surprised at how delicious (and easy) this chorizo recipe is to make it at home.

Today I’m sharing a new recipe for homemade chorizo sausage just in time for all those holiday brunch dates and cocktail parties.

More To Explore

Quick and Easy Chorizo Tacos

Authentic Chorizo and Eggs Recipe

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Quiche

what is chorizo?

There are two types of chorizo: Spanish and Mexican.

Spanish chorizo is a cured sausage, meaning a hard, sliceable sausage similar to salami that is made from chopped pork and can be spicy or mild. In Spain it is typically eaten as a snack with cheeses and other cured meats and bread.

Mexican chorizo is a highly seasoned sausage typically made from ground meat, usually pork although you will find some versions made with ground beef or even soy. It is a fresh sausage that requires cooking before eating.

In Mexico and even here in the United States you can often find different types of sausages within the Mexican chorizo family. Look for green chorizos at your local Latin market that is flavored with poblano chiles instead of the dried red chiles.

ingredients for homemade chorizo

Making chorizo at home means you can control the fat content, heat level, and flavorings. This is my favorite recipe that is super flavorful without being too fatty or spicy. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Ground pork. The best ground pork for chorizo has a high fat content. I like to use one with a 70/30 ratio (70% meat to 30% fat). Some people add extra pork fat, but that’s a little too fatty for my tastes.
• Dried chiles. I used guajillo and ancho chiles, you could add a spicy dried chile like an arbol chile or chipotle for some heat. If you really like spicy foods add a teaspoon of cayenne chile powder. The chiles are what gives it the red color.
• Kosher salt
• Garlic
• Smoked paprika
• White onion
• Red wine vinegar
• Black pepper
• Ground cumin
• Ground coriander

how to make Mexican chorizo

You are going to flip at how simple this recipe is. In about 20 minutes you’ll have cooked Mexican sausage to add to everything from a side dish of refried beans to chorizo and eggs! Here’s how:

step one

Toast and soak the chiles. Remove the stems and the seeds from the dried chiles. Heat a comal or a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once it is hot but not smoking place the chiles in the pan and toast, turning frequently until the color has darkened and they become fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.

Meanwhile bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Once chiles are toasted, add to the boiling water. Submerge them under the water then remove from the heat and let soak until soft and pliable, about 15 minutes.

step two

Blend the chile sauce. Blend the remaining ingredients (except the pork) together in a blender. You don’t need a high-powered blender to do this but if you don’t have one you will need to stop the blender and scrape down the sides a few times to get everything blended well. Don’t add extra liquid or the chile sauce will be too runny.

step three

Mix with pork. Combine the chile sauce with the ground pork in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands to make sure it is well combined and evenly distributed.

step four

Cook and enjoy! Cook with a little oil in a skillet over medium high heat and enjoy or save for later!

what to do with it

So you’ve made your very own pork sausage, now what should you do with it? My favorite way to enjoy chorizo is in a breakfast taco with scrambled eggs.

Cook the chorizo in a skillet until starting to brown. Crack a few eggs in the skillet and break up with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir the eggs into the chorizo over medium heat until cooked all the way through. Check out my Chorizo and Eggs recipe for more details.

Aside from chorizo and eggs there are a variety of dishes that benefit from the addition of chorizo. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Crisp it in a pan and use it as a garnish for soups
• Used cooked chorizo as a topping for nachos
• Cook the chorizo and add it to your favorite rice dish
• Spoon on top of a dish of warm queso fundido
• Fill enchiladas with cooked chorizo

more pork recipes to try!

• One-Pan Blue Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops
• Slow Cooker Chilorio {Sinaolan Chile Braised Pork}
• Grilled Cotija-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Wrapped in Bacon
• Cuban Roast Pork Burger with Mojo Onions
• Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Cilantro Sauce
• Pozole Rojo {Pork and Hominy Stew}
• Red Mole Pork Tamales

chorizo at your fingertips

Now that you know how to make your own Mexican chorizo, you’ll never buy the store bought stuff again! When you make your first batch snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) !

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