Chorizo is easy to make and can be made with your favorite ground meat. Spices can also be adjusted to suit your taste.
Chorizo is so full of flavor and so easy to make, it’s high time you try it yourself. I love sausages, probably because I love the flavor that is infused into the meat.
One can be so creative when it comes to cooking with them. In most cases it is totally acceptable to substitute ground turkey or chicken, instead of pork or beef. The choice is totally yours.
Standard recipes such as sloppy Joe or chili can become new taste sensations when you sub in your fresh made sausage, instead of the normal ground meat.
Well, making my own has been on the back burner for awhile. Lately, I haven’t liked my choices at the grocery. And last weekend found me with some ground turkey when I wanted chorizo.
Being too lazy to run to the store I decided to finally make my own. Let me tell you, there is no going back. Not only do I love knowing what is going into my own sausage, I also love that my recipe tastes better. Just sayin’!
What is the difference between Spanish and Mexican chorizo?
Chorizo is quite common in Mexican food, but also is used in famous Spanish and Portuguese dishes. After googling chorizo, it is apparent that most countries seem to have their own version.
Today we are talking about the Mexican version, that differs from the Spanish kind, in a few obvious ways.
Spanish chorizo is usually dried and filled with lots of smokey, spicy paprika and white wine.
The Mexican version is fresh and tends to use vinegar for flavor. It also contains paprika, but not usually the smoky kind.
They both are traditionally made from pork. I took a few liberties with my recipe and combined a bit of the two.
How To Use Chorizo
We love chorizo fried patties for breakfast. We love it cooked and crumbled on quesadillas. We love it in sloppy Joe. We love it instead of hamburger patties, between a bun with lots of spicy mayo for extra flavor.
Chorizo tastes great added to chili and is a perfect addition to poultry dishes. Mixed into scrambled eggs or instead of bacon on a fried egg sandwich, is a sure way to make something common, become something over the top. I could go on, but you get the picture.
The hardest part about making your own sausage is the waiting. It tastes better if you give the flavors a chance to melt into the meat, which means mixing up the spices and the meat and letting it sit refrigerated for up to a day.
Now I don’t have a lot of patience so I only waited a few hours, but imagine how extra special it would have been if I had showed some restraint. Well, we all are good at something!
I’ve got lots of recipes that require chorizo. If you want to prepare and make your own, give it a go. On the other hand, you can always buy it.
Just keep in mind that this is easy and tastes so much better. And it comes together fast; well, that is if you don’t count the waiting!
So now I’m off to look for dresses. I have several occasions coming up and I need a dress. I am good at cooking. I am not good at looking for dresses. Wish me luck, because I need one for next weekend and another more fancy one, two weeks later.
I’d much rather be making this!
Ways to use Chorizo:
Breakfast Burritos
Red Chile and a Breakfast Sandwich
Simple Green Chile Breakfast Souffle
Overnight Mexican Breakfast Casserole
Migas Scrambled Eggs with Tortilla Chips and Chorizo
Chorizo, Hominy and Green Chile Casserole
Churro Chorizo Waffles
Red Chile, Chorizo and Cheese Breakfast Enchiladas
Please Pin and Share This Chorizo!
Chorizo – How to Make It
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 10 Minutes
- Yield: 1 lb 1x
- Category: Mains
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Chorizo is easy to make and can be made with your favorite ground meat. Spices can be adjusted to suit your taste.
Ingredients
1 lb ground pork, turkey or chicken
1 T ancho chile powder
1 T chili powder
1 T oregano
1 T garlic powder
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 T smoked paprika
1 T regular paprika
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Combine ground meat with seasonings. I used my hands to mix this really well, but you could use a wooden spoon.
Form meat into a loaf about 10-12″ long and place in plastic wrap.
Place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours. You can freeze it like this for further use.
When ready to use slice and press it into patties or fry it and crumble  for other uses.
Notes
It is advised to let chorizo sit for 24 hours to let the spices melt into the meat. However it is still great, if you don’t!
Keywords: chorizo, how to make chorizo, chorizo recipes, chorizo seasoning, chorizo ingredients, chorizo recipe, chorizo sausage
mjskitchen
August 9, 2020 at 4:04 pmI love making my own chorizo. It’s hard to find one at the stores that have enough flavor or spice. Great recipe and a tasty list of dish suggestions. the waffles I’m going to have to try. They look absolutely yummy!
sherry
August 4, 2020 at 7:54 pmthis sounds spicy and tasty. not sure i’ve ever had chorizo, but this does look good. and i like the idea of making your own and knowing what’s in it! where are you in the world? you’re allowed to go out then? OUr state of Victoria is in complete lockdown , and our Queensland border is about to close completely on the weekend. hard times ….
Rahul
August 4, 2020 at 12:36 pmI love Mexican chorizo, but never thought of making it at home. My wife does not eat pork. So can I skip pork ? If I do will it still have the chorizo flavor?
★★★★★
Chef Mimi
August 4, 2020 at 5:59 amThis is a great idea. The only chorizo i can get where i live is Mexican chorizo. Good flavor, but it’s super greasy, and can only be crumbled. Which is fine, but limiting, if you want slices. I would imagine yours is only for crumbling as well, or maybe thicker slices, but i bet the taste is fabulous, and there so much less grease.
John / Kitchen Riffs
August 3, 2020 at 7:10 pmGreat recipe! LOVE chorizo, and homemade is terrific. Although I don’t make my own much these days — a couple of nearby butchers make really good chorizo, so I’m often lazy and just go buy it. 🙂 But the big advantage of making your own is you can spice it exactly the way you want it. Which is kinda nice. And it’s a really fun project, too. Hmmm, I think I’m talking myself into making a batch, soon!
Diana
March 30, 2019 at 12:14 pmSuper easy and tastes just like chorizo! I like it better than the batch they sell at my local butcher. Their recipe has a stronger paprika taste than I like. I followed the measurements here exactly and it resulted in an excellent blend of flavors wherein one doesn’t take over the others. Bravo!
★★★★★
Abbe Odenwalder
March 30, 2019 at 5:14 pmThanks so much Diana! I love it when I hear great things! Appreciate you taking the time to write!
Bam's Kitchen
February 5, 2015 at 12:32 pmI am so glad you posted this recipe. I have a hard time finding chorizo in Hong Kong,… go figure. They have plenty of chicken feet but not so many Spanish meats…
shannon weber
January 29, 2015 at 3:25 pmthis is so helpful, Abbe! Making my own chorizo has been on my own project list for quite some time too, but i've just never gotten around to having the time. You make it looks so easy, though! Definitely moving this up on the project list.
Biz
January 19, 2015 at 7:53 pmI never even thought to make chorizo at home – I absolutely love it – can't wait to try it Abbe!
Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself
January 19, 2015 at 11:22 amI never knew you could make chorizo at home, yours looks awesome!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Rebecca Subbiah
January 19, 2015 at 3:38 amthis looks great never thought to make it, thanks so much for visiting my blog
Carol at Wild Goose Tea
January 19, 2015 at 3:17 amIt would have never entered my head in a 100 yrs to make this. But hey why not. Very interesting post about the difference between Spanish and Mexican. I am doing some part time work for a Spanish gentleman, which has made me curious about the food of that country. The thought of using this instead of hamburger on a bun—wowzer. Plus all the other suggestions. Thank you Abbe
Tricia Buice
January 19, 2015 at 1:39 amI never would have thought to make homemade chorizo – thanks so much! It looks amazing
Angie Schneider
January 17, 2015 at 6:12 pmI didn't know the homemade chorizo was possible. You rock, Abbe.
Abbe Odenwalder
January 17, 2015 at 6:53 pmThanks Angie! Possible and good. Rock is my middle name because more often than not I feel like I am banging my head against the wall. But not with this!
Cheri Savory Spoon
January 17, 2015 at 2:34 amI've always wanted to make my own chorizo, you make it look so uncomplicated Abbe, thanks!
Abbe Odenwalder
January 17, 2015 at 6:52 pmVery uncomplicated Cheri, which is why I make it! So easy and quick! You are so welcome!
Two Healthy Kitchens
January 17, 2015 at 12:05 amI just love the idea of making my own chorizo, especially since I could user leaner meats – and I'll know exactly what's in it! And how awesome to turn it into sloppy joes, or use it to amp up the flavor of chili! This is such a great idea! Definitely pinning – can't wait to share! 😀 ~Shelley
Abbe Odenwalder
January 17, 2015 at 6:51 pmThanks so much Shelley. Your pins are great! Chorizo is one of my faves!
Kitchen Riffs
January 16, 2015 at 11:57 pmI love homemade chorizo! Or sausage of any kind. I don't make it nearly as often as I should — you're right that the flavor is outstanding. And I much prefer Mexican chorizo to Spanish (although I'll happily eat either one). Fun stuff — thanks.
Abbe Odenwalder
January 17, 2015 at 6:50 pmThanks John! I like fresh chorizo but lately Manservant has been getting into the dried chorizo, sliced really thin, from Boars Head. He likes it on cheese plates! Perfect with manchego.
Karen @Baking In A Tornado
January 16, 2015 at 11:03 pmSeriously, that's all the time it takes to make my own chorizo? I may make a few batches, one for use and another for freezing.
Abbe Odenwalder
January 17, 2015 at 6:49 pmThat's it Karen. Next time I'm going to stock up and make a bunch.
Karen Harris
January 16, 2015 at 9:35 pmI love making my own chorizo too because that way I can make it a little bit leaner. There is nothing like it in breakfast tacos. Good luck with the dress shopping.
Abbe Odenwalder
January 17, 2015 at 6:48 pmSo true Karen. Breakfast tacos rock! And I found success. Two Dresses! And on sale!!!!!
Liz Berg
January 16, 2015 at 9:24 pmI never knew making chorizo could be so easy! And I do believe yours is much better than any I could buy 🙂
Abbe Odenwalder
January 17, 2015 at 6:48 pmThanks Liz. It is easy and good.