Mexican Chorizo Recipe

This homemade Mexican chorizo recipe is easy to make for spicy chorizo sausage with lots of bold chili flavor, great for pork or beef chorizo.

We’re making homemade Mexican Chorizo in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends, and it is fantastic! If you’ve never made homemade chorizo, it’s time to start because I think you’re going to love this recipe.

Mexican chorizo is a highly seasoned sausage used in many well known Mexican dishes. There are many different types of chorizo in the world, each varying from region to region.

Spanish chorizo is well known, though different in preparation, as it is a cured sausage, where Mexican chorizo is more commonly served fresh, or uncured.

It’s an incredibly versatile ingredient. You’ll find it used to make tacos and burritos, breakfast tacos, mixed into scrambled eggs, topping for tostadas, and so much more.

You can find chorizo in many grocery stores in the Mexican aisle. Store bought chorizo is great, and there are many brands available for you to try.

However, you’ll fall in love with making your own as you can better control the overall flavor and texture of your chorizo.

When it comes to pork sausage, chorizo is king, and I can’t get enough of it.

Let’s talk about how to make Mexican chorizo, shall we?

Mexican Chorizo Ingredients

• Ground Pork. Pork is more traditionally used in most chorizo recipes. With Mexican chorizo, you can use other meats, like ground beef, chicken, turkey, even tofu, though pork remains the most popular.
• Paprika. I like smoked paprika or hot paprika, though any paprika will work.
• Cayenne.
• Ancho Powder. You can use rehydrated anchos, pureed, or freshly ground whole pods.
• Guajillo Powder. You can use rehydrated guajillos, pureed, or freshly ground whole pods.
• Garlic Powder. Fresh minced garlic is great, too.
• Cumin. I prefer to toast and grind my own cumin seeds for more pronounced flavor.
• Oregano.
• Coriander.
• Mexican Cinnamon.
• Ground Clove.
• Red Wine Vinegar.
• Salt and Pepper.

How to Make Mexican Chorizo – the Recipe Method

The Pork. Add the ground pork (or other grounds meats) to a large bowl.

The Seasonings. Add all of the seasonings and vinegar.

Hand Mix. Hand mix the ingredients into the meat until uniformly mixed.

Boom! Done! Spicy Mexican chorizo is ready to go! At this point you can package and freeze it, or you can cook it up and get to making all sorts of wonderful spicy recipes. What are you making?

How to Cook Chorizo

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through.

Garnish and serve. Perfect for making chorizo tacos, burritos, Mexican tortas, adding to soups, stews, stuffed peppers, just about any of your favorite spicy foods.

Storage Information

Store your uncooked Mexican chorizo in the freezer in sealable freezer bags or containers. It will last months in the freezer.

I like to wrap mine in plastic in sausage shapes like they sell in stores. However, you can also flatten the meat into baggies to optimize your freezer space.

This is a chorizo rojo recipe, and no casings are needed to enjoy it.

Recipe Tips & Notes

Best Pork for Chorizo. Fatty pork is best for delicious chorizo, like ground pork shoulder or pork leg, or a good 70/30 ground pork mixture.

You can use leaner pork for a lower calorie version, though you may sacrifice flavor.

Consider grinding your own pork to make your own special blend.

Other Meats. You can use other meats to make Mexican chorizo. Beef is particular popular, and fattier parts are more flavorful, but you can also make chorizo with ground chicken, ground turkey, other meats and tofu.

Green Chorizo. Green chorizo is a version of Mexican chorizo made with tomatillos, cilantro, chili peppers and garlic. You can easily incorporate these ingredients to make your own.

Season to Taste. Chorizo is a highly seasoned Mexican sausage, so feel free to adjust the seasonings to your own preference.

I’ve included a lot of seasonings with this recipe, but add in more if you’d like, or you can dial it back. Consider more cayenne for spicier chorizo, or even hotter chili peppers.

Other Seasonings. Recipes vary from cook to cook. Other popular ingredients I have seen in Mexican chorizo recipes include pork fat or lard, dried chiles, cinnamon, cloves, red peppercorns, onion, mustard powder, Mexican oregano, other chile powders, and others.

That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my homemade Mexican chorizo recipe. Let me know if you make it and how you spiced it up. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you.

Cookbook Recommendations

If you love traditional Mexican cooking, I love these cookbooks with recipes from all over Mexico. Definitely recommended.

• Mexico: The Cookbook (affiliate link, my friends!)
• Made in Mexico: The Cookbook, by Danny Mena (affiliate link, my friends!)

My Favorite Chorizo Recipes

Try Some of My Other Popular Mexican Recipes

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Homemade Mexican Chorizo Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds ground pork fatty is best, or use ground beef or other ground meats
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon ancho powder
• 1 tablespoon guajillo powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon Mexican cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste (1 teaspoon each)

Instructions

• Add the ground pork (or other grounds meats) to a large mixing bowl.
• Add all of the seasonings and vinegar. Hand mix the ingredients into the meat until uniformly mixed.
• Store until ready to use or cook immediately.

Video

Notes

Nutrition Information

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 9/30/22 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 10/13/21.