Learn how to make authentic Mexican chorizo at home and have the perfect ingredient ready to go for delicious tacos, sopes, or frijoles.
Today I will be sharing one of my favorite Mexican recipes with you, Chorizo. When Europeans hear this word they think of a fermented cured red sausage (Spanish chorizo). But when North Americans hear chorizo they think of a spicy, crumbly meat, red sausage (Mexican chorizo). Spanish chorizo and Mexican chorizo are very different from each other in looks, texture and taste. Since the Spanish chorizo is cured it can just be sliced and eaten. Mexican chorizo must first be removed from its casings then cooked before eating. No matter what you may find on the Internet the two are not interchangeable. I love both types of chorizo but for very different reasons and to eat or cook with in different ways. This recipe is my own trusted recipe, one I’ve been using for a long time, one I love so much that I included it in my cookbook.
The key ingredient that gives Mexican chorizo its red color and spiciness is the Ancho chile powder. But depending on where you live Ancho chile may or may not be available. Below I have listed a way of substituting the Ancho chile with other chile powders. Using the substitute will yield a slightly different tasting chorizo but it will still be very close in taste and can be used just the same. Another great thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t use sausage casings, you only need to cook it before enjoying it.
Step by Step Guide to Making Homemade Mexican Chorizo
Gathering Your Ingredients:
Prepare all your ingredients. You will need ground pork, various spices including cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, bay leaves, and ground cinnamon. Additionally, you’ll require some herbs, granulated garlic, sea salt, peppercorns, chile powder (with options for substitutes), and apple cider vinegar (with the option of using red wine vinegar).
Preparation Tip:
Before you begin, it’s important to note that chili powders can cause a burning sensation to your hands. For this reason, consider wearing plastic gloves during the preparation, especially when handling the chili and the chorizo mixture.
Spice Grinding:
- Using a mortar and pestle, begin by grinding the cumin seed, coriander seed, and cloves together.
- Crumble the bay leaves into the mortar with your hands and grind them until they blend into a fine powder.
- Incorporate the remaining spices, including ground cinnamon, oregano, thyme, granulated garlic, sea salt, and peppercorns (or ground black pepper). Grind or mix them until everything is uniformly combined.
Mixing with Pork:
- In a large glass bowl, break up the ground pork using your hands.
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar and sprinkle half of your ground spice mixture over the pork. It’s crucial to spread the spices evenly.
- Integrate the spices into the pork, ensuring even distribution. Keep adding more of the spice mixture bit by bit, until all of it has been worked into the meat.
- Continue mixing until the meat turns a reddish hue from the chile powder, and all the spices are entirely absorbed.
Rest and Store:
- Once the chorizo mix is prepared, it’s best to let it rest overnight in the refrigerator. This resting period allows the flavors to meld, leading to a richer taste.
- If you’re not ready to use the chorizo right away, consider freezing it. Without casings, you have the flexibility to shape your chorizo into sausages or patties. Maintaining their shape is easy – simply wrap each one in plastic kitchen wrap.
- Alternatively, you can portion out specific amounts of chorizo and store them in plastic bags, which lets you defrost only the amount you need later on, without using up the entire batch.
Cook and Enjoy:
Authentic Homemade Mexican Chorizo
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Description
Learn how to make authentic Mexican chorizo at home and have the perfect ingredient ready to go for delicious tacos, sopes, or frijoles.
Ingredients
- 1.10 lb. or 500 grams of ground pork
- 1 tbsp. cumin seed
- 1 tsp. coriander seed
- 5 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1 tbsp. granulated garlic
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 5 whole peppercorns (or 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper)
- 2 tbsp. Ancho chile powder OR substitute with a combination of
- 2 tbsp. paprika mixed with 1/2 tsp. cayenne powder OR
- 2 tbsp. paprika mixed with 1 tsp. red chili powder
- 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (can substitute with
- red wine vinegar)
Instructions
Spice Grinding:
- Using a mortar and pestle, begin by grinding the cumin seed, coriander seed, and cloves together.
- Crumble the bay leaves into the mortar with your hands and grind them until they blend into a fine powder.
- Incorporate the remaining spices, including ground cinnamon, oregano, thyme, granulated garlic, sea salt, and peppercorns (or ground black pepper). Grind or mix them until everything is uniformly combined.
Mixing with Pork:
- In a large glass bowl, break up the ground pork using your hands.
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar and sprinkle half of your ground spice mixture over the pork. It’s crucial to spread the spices evenly.
- Integrate the spices into the pork, ensuring even distribution. Keep adding more of the spice mixture bit by bit, until all of it has been worked into the meat.
- Continue mixing until the meat turns a reddish hue from the chile powder, and all the spices are entirely absorbed.
Rest and Store:
-
- Once the chorizo mix is prepared, it’s best to let it rest overnight in the refrigerator. This resting period allows the flavors to meld, leading to a richer taste.
- If you’re not ready to use the chorizo right away, consider freezing it. Without casings, you have the flexibility to shape your chorizo into sausages or patties. Maintaining their shape is easy – simply wrap each one in plastic kitchen wrap.
- Alternatively, you can portion out specific amounts of chorizo and store them in plastic bags, which lets you defrost only the amount you need later on, without using up the entire batch.
Notes
Gathering Your Ingredients: Prepare all your ingredients. You will need ground pork, various spices including cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, bay leaves, and ground cinnamon. Additionally, you’ll require some herbs, granulated garlic, sea salt, peppercorns, chile powder (with options for substitutes), and apple cider vinegar (with the option of using red wine vinegar).
Preparation Tip: Before you begin, it’s important to note that chili powders can cause a burning sensation to your hands. For this reason, consider wearing plastic gloves during the preparation, especially when handling the chili and the chorizo mixture.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Category: Main
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Mexican
I love the spices in the Chorizo but I am not big on pork sausage. I think I might try it with turkey and chicken and maybe add a little chicken drippings to make up for the lost fat (or not). I know it won’t be exactly the same but still be chorizo, right? How about some green chorizo?
Hi Laura, Why not I’m sure both the turkey and chicken would taste great. I grew up with regular pork but I’d be willing to try your variations :) As for the green chorizo, I have to admit that I’ve never even hear of it. Did a quick Google search and I see that it is from a different region in Mexico that I’m from. But reading the ingredients, wow that sounds really good. Will have to experiment with chorizo verde now.
Thank you for the recipe. I cannot wait to try it with pork or turkey. I think both would be fine. I grew up with the pork kind, but I have never made it. I think if everything works out I will make it instead of buying it. Thanks again.
Hi Rudy,
I’ve never made it with turkey so I can’t tell you how well it works. But you should definitely give it a try and see how it tastes.
I make a dish that’s essentially all of the chorizo spices, bloomed in a little bit of oil with a bit of diced onion, then scrambled into eggs adding the vinegar at the same time. I’m not a vegetarian, but in a pinch, this really scratches my chorizo cravings when there isn’t any handy.
Made using ground beef great
I used this recipe using ground turkey SAUSAGE, which contains a higher fat-content than just ground turkey. I only used half of the vinegar because using the full amount would draw out too much moisture from the already leaner-than-pork poultry. And it still turned out delicious. I work in the food service industry, and passed this recipe along to my chef, who has a spouse that won’t eat pork. Pro-tip: if doubling this recipe, do not simply double the amount of salt. Use the initial teaspoon the recipe calls for, then add to-taste.
Bravo for this recipe maker. It’s delicious and versatile. Love it. I’m already passing it along to friends and family.
You’re making me hungry!!! Beautiful spices!
Well now you have to make some chorizo Belinda :) Thanks!
Great post — and it doesn’t look all that difficult to make at home. I’m more familiar with the Spanish version (in fact, I ate it today), but I’d like to try the Mexican chorizo.
Thank you Joan, and it really isn’t difficult at all. I’m sure you will also enjoy Mexican chorizo, both are delicious.
This really sounds fantastic! I would not change the thing in your Chorizo recipe.
As soon as I get all the spices will try this! Thanks again for a wonderful recipe Nancy!
Sandra, You have to let me know if you do try it, and how you liked it.
It is great that you make chorizo.
Thanks Joy :)
Impressive! Never thought to make my own chorizo and you make it sounds so simple. This is bookmarked!
Lisa, It’s so easy and a good way to impress your guest or family with minimal work.
What a great recipe, I adore spicy food. Unfortunately, not that large amount of spices like these are available in Croatian market. Maybe that will change soon, but all the spices you listed in this recipe are available here. I’ll definitely keep this recipe, it’s great
We have something in common then Tamara :) It was the same in Czech Republic and now it’s changing. But if you have any ethnic markets that is a great place to find out of the ordinary ingredients.
Oh this is fantastic, Nancy! I am saving, I love mexican chorizo and will make it for sure!
Thank you Carolyn. Let me know how you like it.
You Go Girl!!! I could eat this everyday.
Thanks Sandra :) Me too, I love chorizo.
Wow. I’m a foodie but had no clue how easy it is to make chorizo. I live in Tennessee and Mexican chorizo costs almost $5/lb while ground pork is only $2/lb. Can’t wait to try it my Chorizo & Potato Empanadas. I will never buy store bought chorizo again! Thank you!!!!
One question, can I use “ground” cumin & coriander instead of seeds? If so, would the measurements be different?
Hi Steph,
Yes you can substitute ground for whole spices. Substitute the 1 tbsp cumin seed with 3/4 tbsp, and the coriander you can substitute with 1/4 tsp. ground. I’m not such a big fan of the taste of coriander seed so I would start with a conservative amount. You can try this then adjust to your taste if you like.
Hi Nancy! I was looking for a authentic mexican chorizo recipe. I’m so glad for your website. I tried and it’s great, i grew up in Parral, Chih. Mex. eating chorizo all the time and we used to eat it raw, and it was so good, I wouldn’t do that now. It it hard to find a good chorizo from the store, and I’m so excited that I can make it myself, thank you so much!!!
Hi Mona, So glad to hear you tried it and liked it. Yes I know how hard it is to live without a good chorizo. That is what inspired me to keep working on this recipe.
Nancy, my brother, mother and I spent a week in Puerto Morelos and made chorizo breakfast tacos every morning which we consumed on the patio in a warm ocean breeze. It was an incredibly, wonderful hilight of our vacation. Having lived in Texas many years, I was quite alarmed when I returned to the North East to find that no one sells authentic Mexican chorizo up here. SO … I’m setting out to use my meet grinder attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer for the first time. Might this be a recipe from that area of Mexico? It’s a wonderful, peaceful, non-commercial fishing village about 25 minutes south of Cancun.
Hi John,
Wow, your description has me desperately craving summer on a Mexican beach. To answer your question, there are a couple of different chorizos I know of, the other is a green chile version. But as far as I know the red chorizo is pretty much the same around the country, like my recipe here. Of course different regions will add or exclude some ingredients depending on regional tastes. I would suggest to you that you first try my recipe as is. Cook it and taste it, then adjust from there.
As for the fat content, I use store bought semi-lean pork. But after I cook the chorizo I do drain off all the extra fat. Too lean of meat will affect the texture but I don’t think the taste too dramatically. You could always add a little oil when you cook it.
Good luck and I hope it satisfies the craving.
Also, does there need to be a certain amount of fat in the pork or can I make it lean without affecting the flavor?
John, five years later, let me respond. DON’T DO IT!!! First of all, I have lost 68lbs a couple years ago and largely due to eating WHOLE fats, never “reduced” fats or fat substitutes. Fats get a bad wrap and we need them! ….. n moderation, of course. Second, if you’re worried about the fats, believe me, you will see plenty of fat at the bottom of the pan that you can drain off or soak up with a big pile of paper towels.
Hi Nancy! I was wondering, how spicy is this recipe? The chorizo I know comes from the Sonoran Desert area and isn’t very spicy. Do you know how I could make your recipe less spicy but still flavorful if it is spicy?
Thanks, Nora
this looks incredible. all i have is chipotle powder at the moment, so i will use that. i have been wanting to use a mmix of half ground sirloin with half chorizo to make burgers lately. maybe ill do that soon.
Hi Nancy. I found your recipe last night. We moved to Ecuador last year and the chorizo here is much much different than Mexican chorizo. After living in New Mexico for 12 years, I miss Mexican chorizo. I have Ancho powder (I had to bring my own chile powders, Ecuadorians use one type of chile and that does not include the various chiles we are used to) and everything necessary to follow your recipe. I am also having to grow my own green chiles, anchos, and various other chiles. I decided if I can’t buy the necessary ingredients I will buy or make them! I start first thing in the morning with the chorizo. I suppose it will take a couple of times to get it right for my taste buds…Thanks again Phil
Good Recipe! I made like 4 pounds. I used beef and a little bit of pork just for flavor. Next time I will use less cinnamon because I could taste it too much. I really liked it. Thanks for sharing!
I have tried other recipes, and will try this one next. I have made others with ground chicken and it worked out just fine as long as it a mix of light and dark meats.
Hi Nancy, your recipe sounds great, my husband works on a ranch in Texas where he processes deer & makes pan sausage, smoked link sausage,and steaks. I was wondering if your recipe (mailnly the coriander and cinnamon)could work with ground deer meat. Because the deer meat is so lean we will be adding some ground pork fat- any sugestions would be greatly appreciated.
As for adding pork to i’ve been mixing pork with deer meat for over twenty years. My dad has been making Chorizo for over 50 yrs, Just mix it up well and freeze it. My dad had a smoke house and he would sometimes smoke the chorizo. This recipe is almost like my dad’s.
Finally REAL Mexican chorizo! I live in Florida. I can get Columbian, Puerto Rican, South American chorizo, etc. everywhere. Even Whole Foods told me if I could get a receipe for Mexican they would make it but they didn’t know how otherwise. Now I can make it myself!!!! Thank you Soooooo much!
Hi Nancy, I make chorizo, but have not used ancho peppers back when my grandparent made chorizo so many ingredients were not available in Chicago. So they used other ingredients.I am going to try chorizo with the ancho and I see some people have used turkey, I am going to try that too. Thanks for new insight on my old recipe.
Virginia
Thank you so much for the recipie! My husband loves chorizo, but it’s hard to find where we live (in Michigan). I just made some with venison and pork fat (as venison has no fat). Absolutely wonderful! Can’t wait to make it with all pork as well!
Simply love chorizo but hardly buy it anymore unless I’m @ a Mexican market. I am going to try your recipe this week-end
I am a great fan of Mexican cooking but find it difficult to find the right ingredients because I now live in Costa. I am used to the Sonoran taste. I grew up in Tucson AZ. married 2 x to Latinas . Every time I visit my home in Tucson I always stock up on Spices and bring them back to Costa Rica so I can relive my childhood…I get my spices from a spice factory south of Tucson.. Not sure if you are familiar with them but the flavors are to die for..
http://www.santacruzchili.com/aboutus.htm
I think that you have one of the best facebook pages Thanks for all the great information…
I too have a problem sourcing ingredients locally as i live in Crete Greece, however i now get all my ingredients from the mexican grocery on line. It is fantastic and the service is super and they deliver straight to the door so if like me you cant get ingredients locally try these guys out ..
http://www.mexgrocer.co.uk/
And thank you so much for the recipe, Ive never tried making it myself and Im eager to try. Thank you for sharing, your a star!
Sadly moved to NY but happy to teach my daughters the fine art of Mexican cooking. Your chorizo and my empanadas made for a wonderful cooking lesson.
I am so fortunate to live in … and love on … Mexico! Here in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, MX., we have several grocery stores that make “casero,”(home made) chorizo, custom made in each store. Usually the butcher has fashioned the chorizo into a clever figure of a pig. I am amazed at the difference between the flavors! Each store seems to have its own idea about what chorizo is …and all of them are great! I look forward to trying your recipe! I grew up in Southern AZ, and our local butcher made exquisite chorizo. My dear gringo mom made big, fat, wide tacos that were the talk of the town! Thanks again for your recipe!
As is often advised, I began with tiny amounts of Chia Seeds and tried to perform my way up, but I eventually had to stop because of intestinal distress.
I stopped and let my digestive system recover, but decided a few weeks later to offer Chia
Seeds one particular last try. The next day, I woke up running a 100
degree fever. I didn’t at first connect the two, but a friend told me that her mother had a similar experience: the chia seeds had gotten stuck in little recesses in her colon and caused an infection. I right away went for the doctor and was place on an antibiotic, but it took a good four days to recover. I am surprised that this is not discussed much more often; I had been seriously ill. The rest of my seeds are going to art projects!!!!
Here is my webpage – Philip
Thank you for posting this. My local store stopped selling the good chorizo and now only sells the Johnsonville brat-style stuff. I might use smoked paprika with regular red chili powder, though.
Nancy, what a great recipe.
I used ground cumin ’cause I didn’t have the seeds,
turned out super, thanks again.
Oh snap! I been getting ground pork in my csa lately and have been trying so many different things with it. From asian meatballs to spinach meatloaf. However, this spice mix/chorizo was the BEST by far!!! Great flavors, easy to mix, quick to cook and awesome for breakfast leftover at work!
I sauteed some boiled yukon golds in butter, added the chorizo, cooked for a bit then added eggs & cheese. Then served for dinner. My husband was stoked. Will make again soon.
Thanks for the spice mix, totally tasty.
Thank you so much for posting this Nancy!! Can’t wait to try it out!
I’m married to a Mexican-American, but we live in England, and we can’t get it here!! My husband always craves chorizo, we keep thinking we’ve found it in stores but it always turns out to be the Spanish chorizo! SO EXCITED to try this out and surprise him with it!!
For a quick batch of excellent chorizo you can use pickling spice (any grocery store has this in the spice section). Grind pickling spice in a blender with sharp blades. Add chile powder (Kroger-branded chile powder is mild and surprisingly good) and vinegar. Add cayenne if you want to. Mix with ground meat. Done.
Ken Hooper
Tamale Trolley Food Truck
Memphis TN
Back to school has me preparing food in bulk. This is a great, authentic recipe that freezes well for busy days ahead.
Thank you for differentiating between the Spanish and Mexican variations.
haven’t tried it yet. i loved mexican food that’s why i used my magic google to find a recipe that’s authentic.
I must say ladies the chicken idea is great. When I lived in Stockton, California I would have brunch on Sunday mornings at El Torito. Although there are a number of El Torito restaurants throughout California the Stockton location is the only one that I that I am aware of that served chicken chorizo.
It’s a wonderful sausage with eggs and fixings. One tip, add some pork fat to the mixture.
OMG that is by far the best spice mix EVER!! We made it with chicken and then stuffed the chicken and cheese into home grown poblano peppers…amazing!
30 years ago I first moved to Germany and we really missed our San Antonio chorizo. Dad and I figured out our own recipe based on memory and experimentation. I still make my own and am making another batch today. Some of my favorite chorizo can be found in parts of south San Antonio and has a small amount of cinammon. I have always added it to mine. Looking at your recipe has inspired me to try the cloves today…but I’m not giving up my cinammon.
It’s been a long time since your comment…but if you see this, how much cinnamon would you add to this recipe? I only had my first chorizo on a pizza recently and loved it! I bought the Johnsonville to use in egg bites last week and it was okay but I want to try to make some like the pizza place makes theirs. This recipe looks good but I could see cinnamon in it too. Just not sure (at all) how much to add.
Looks fascinating. I will ty it with mashed tofu. It will be more of a scramble than a sausage. Do we use chili or chile powder?
Hi! I’ve been enjoying this Mexican delicacy almost since the day I was born! Made some today and it’s absolutely yummy. For a slight variation I omit the cinnamon (sweetness) and a bit more vinegar as I prefer the tangy tartness in the overall flavors. Wishing everyone buen provecho!
I’ve been using this recipe for a cornbread/chorizo stuffing for the last 2 Thanksgiving. It’sis really delicious and easy to make. I’ll make it again this year. This is a keeper.
I live in a small fishing village…We do not have red meat available as often as we wish… but then we have lots of seafood. I tried abalone to make chorizo… and… BINGO! big success!!!
Thanks for the recipe!.
Remarkable! Its truly awesome article, I have got much clear idea about from this piece of writing.
Awesome recipe! Great spice and taste, I ended up using duck with a little pork fat in this recipe, best thing ever! This will be my go to recipe for every duck season, thanks for sharing.
Thanks a million Nancy. My mother passed on without leaving me her recipe. She said that store bought often has a decent flavor “pero usted tiene que quitar los pedazos de orejas y narizes.” That always grossed me out but it’s true that you can’t buy commercial that doesn’t have scrap meat in it. I’m currently in Mexico and it’s the same story here. Thanks again; I’m leaving for the Mercado Mega in Merida with my shopping list.
I do not understand when l see Mexican recipes they always use cumin. I
lived in Mexico for 20 years and l am married to a true Mexican, and husband does not get why cumin is used in a lot of Mexican cooking.
My mother-law, sister-law not my sisters-law husband that there family come from Merida, which has the best of Mexico use cumin in there cooking. I bend in lots of places in Mexico and never had a dish with
cumin. I am looking at your recipe for chorizo and it has cumin, the whole time l was in Mexico never ever had chorizo with cumin.I think that is more of a Tex-Mex then real Mexican.
@Cristine Aes
Uh…huh.
“YOU” are “married” to a Mexican man who is from Merida.
*I AM* a Mexican woman from Jalisco who now lives in Quintana Roo.
But YOU are going to authoritatively lecture ME about what is or is not “authentic” Mexican cuisine.
If the outrageous arrogance of that isn’t apparent to you (which it clearly isn’t), I can only say thanks for the amusing comment!
i am sixteen and am pretty much just getting started with cooking on my own i just finished mixing the ingredients together and am letting it sit over night i had to get all the stuff pre-ground because we dont have a grinder thing :) i cant wait to try it and i hope it turns out good
I am going to try this recipe, so my question, if using already ground spices does it change the measurement like for the seed cumin and coriander? Thanks!
I have 7#’s pork so I triple ingredients?
I live in holland and can’t buy any fresh chorizo anymore when my supermarket changed into a new one. As I use it for mexican recipes I now used your recipe to make my own. Will eat it tomoorrow but it already smells great. I used 2 different kind of pork meat and grounded it myself.
Absolutely the best chorizo recipe I have found. I am moving to Northern Ireland and can’t buy Mexican Chorizo over there so had to keep trying this until I ended up with my own favorite flavor.
Everything as listed above except:
1 pound ground chicken ( I have also used pork which is delicious, but some in my family don’t eat pork)
1/4 tsp powdered cloves instead of 5 whole (the clove flavor was overpowering for me)
1/2 tsp sea salt (I eat a lower sodium diet)
3 Tbl Key Lime Juice instead of 3 Tbl cider vinegar (the vinegar was too sour tasting, vs the lime was subtle and still added the needed acid)
Thank you for your recipe. I would have never ended up with a satisfying chorizo without it.
Oh… I forgot to add that I used just the Ancho Chili powder. None of the alternate suggestions of paprika etc.
Going to give this a try. The DR. has me on a low carb high protein diet, I have not had chorizo in a long time(I love chorizo) with this recipe I can control the carbs, fats, etc.
Thanks
M Salinas
I’m so looking forward to using this recipe. The pork chorizo found in stores has so much fat, so like some of the others, I’m going to try it with Turkey. Can’t wait to put it in my chili recipe!
Nancy, my brother in law is from a region that makes the chorizo verde. It is absolutely awesome!! It has great flavor and it seems less grease than the red. You definitely have to try it.
I love your chorizo recipe. I made it today using lean ground pork and like it a lot better than any of the fatty chorizo found in the stores that burns so easily. I’ll be eating chorizo more often thanks to your recipe.
I have made it with ground turkey and with ground chicken and it turns out really good. You just have to be sure to oil your pan before browning since there is so little fat in the meat. As a matter of fact I will be making 5lbs of turkey chorizo these evening and using it as a filling along with potatoes and roasted poblanos for my empanada filling.
How do you feel about grinding spices in an electric spice grinder as opposed to mortar and pestle?
Great recipe…I am making some now with Vension and Pork Butt….60/40 mix… Can wait till morning to cook with Huevos.
Tried it and was awesome, however I added a bit more vinegar since I like mine a bit more sour
I had a similar recipe from my grandparents in Mexico! I lost the recipe but remember making with 1lb pork and 1lb beef all similar spices used here and 1/4-1/2 cup of tequila. I loved the taste it was so good! Will be making this recipe soon thx.
Ok, I lived in Houston for many years and Corpus, so I know mex. chorizo. Where I live now in MO. they dont even know what it is, small farming community. So I want to thank you for this post and recipe, this is as close as I have come to the chorizo, I am use to. Did make a couple of changes, but my whole family (tex-mex) loved it. I did not have corriander, so used fennel seeds and fresh chopped cilantro,which i always have on hand. I used the alternative ingred. of 2T paprika, and 1 t.cayenne and 1 t. red pep. flakes, as we dont have ancho chili pwder here. I used 5 whole cloves of garlic diced fine, and smushed. otherwise all is the same, I mashed all the spiced together with the meat, and placed in a plastic freezer bag, and kneaded it every hour for the first 4 hrs, then let it set in fridge over night. To let spices come together. Mine came out amazing, my son even took some back to college with him. Awesome recipe, thank you so much.
Oh forgot, I gave it 5 stars.
I just bought all the ingredients and can’t wait to try it. Will let you know how it came out. Thanks.
Outstanding recipe! I made up a batch but used lemon juice instead of vinegar and it worked great! Cooked it up in bacon fat and added it to my charro beans for a Mexican pot luck. “Amazing goodliciousness!” as my granddaughter said.
This is a great recipe it looks beautiful color and was very easy to make.
Thank you.
Hello
looks like agreat recipe! Going to try it really soon. 2 questions; what part of the pork did you use to grind (shoulder, loin, etc…) and will you “simmer” the chorizo before cooking it say in the grill?
Thanks
I just made a batch of Chirizo using this recipe as the basis. For mine, I combined one pound of venison burger with a pound of hot, smoked Tennessee pork sausage and about 10 ounces of Prisciutto ham left over from another dish.
I have a very nice blend of Italian spices that I substituted for most of the herbs & spices on the list. I used fresh garlic from my garden, along with just-dug onions; and a smoked, dried, crushed Poblano pepper I grew and prepared. I sauteed these in lard just till lightly sweated.
All the ingredients plus two ounces of home made champagne vinegar went into the stand mixer for about seven minutes at low speed.
Most of the batch is in the fridge maturing but I made one small patty to have with brunch. It was wonderful!! The extras added something but the base recipe provided the core taste. I’m glad I found this recipe — I’ll use it again.
My fat finger missed the stars … this gets 5!!
I really just started eating chorizo mexicano about 6 almost 7 years ago..i love it! I will dedinitely try the recipe but with beef as i dont intentionally eat pork.Can I purchase my in powder form or should i do it myself? Also should i freeze the chorizo or store it like i do the one i buy.
Oh no… I finished making it and it is now all wrapped up in the freezer but I just realized I did not mix the salt, pepper and vinegar into the mixture… Is this gonna break the yumminess? I planned to use the chorizo for soup….
What amount of ground cumin and correander would you substitute for the whole seeds?
Nancy,
I made Sweet potato Chorizo tacos for my family that was on visit from Japan. I made instant fans. So now I’m looking for a way to get them the chorizo experience in Japan. Thank you so much for your recipe, I think that the substitutions could work for them:
2 tbsp. Ancho chile powder OR substitute with a combination of
2 tbsp. paprika mixed with ½ tsp. cayenne powder OR
2 tbsp. paprika mixed with 1 tsp. red chili powder
I’m SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW!
MEXICAN CHORIZO DOESN’T HAVE CINNAMON IN IT. THANK U.
I made this last night, I let it sit in the fridge over night, I cooked it today.
This my friend, is outstanding. I highly recommend it.
On the optional spice ingredients, I used Hatch chili powder.
This is an absolutely wonderful recipe. I’m definately keeping this one.
P.s. Make a double batch and freeze it.
Hi Nancy…..I’m almost ready to make up the seasoning….just waiting for the Ancho chili powder to arrive. Is it possible to use an electric spice grinder for mixing the seasoning? Or will the consistancy be too fine? Thank you for your advice.
What grind do you recommend for your chorizo? My grocery stores do a pretty fine stringy grind.
Thank you.
I’m looking to do a 25 pound batch of this great recipe , would I just multiply all the ingredients or would it turn out poorly. I know some recipes you can buy some you can’t. Thanks
Turned out great with ground pork and with ground turkey. Thanks for sharing!
I recently got a meat grinder and decided it was time to try making my own chorizo. This recipe is delicious. I will say I ended up tripling up the recipe for 10 pounds of ground pork for our taste. We couldn’t wait for the flavors to meld overnight, that being said it is already a winner. I can’t wait to see what it will taste like in the days to come! Thanks!
Nancy, I am a big fan of chorizo, but not the extra steroids, antibiotics, and who knows what else from GMO feed hogs. I followed your recipe with ground venison. It was fantastic. I will be using this recipe often.
We decided to buy an electric meat grinder last weekend, we love it. Made several pounds of sausage, 3 different flavors. All AWESOME. Then my husband asks me, Hey what about homemade chorizo? I’m not a big fan of sausage, but totally love making and eating our own- NOW – Was raised eating chorizo, egg and potatoes all the time, but not a great fan, never could find one that was just right. Just didn’t like the flavor. Well after falling in love with our own sausage, I figured, what the heck, we’ll give it a try? SO GLAD WE DID.
So off for the recipe search, saw a few, but they just didn’t sound good, or even the right flavor – UNTIL I found your site? We got everything together except for the Ancho chili powder. None on hand so we used the substitutes. Hubby couldn’t wait to try a touch, nor could I, just to make sure it wasn’t too spicy or if we wanted to change anything?
Well we forgot the ACV. Something was missing, we thought it was the cumin and salt, as we cut those a touch, so we added them back in, almost there, during the second taste test, hubby cleaning off the island and asks, did you get the ACV in there. OOPS totally blew that one, NOPE. So the 3rd taste test with the ACV added in – WE JUST GOT TO SAY, HOLY PORK!!! AWESOME CHORIZO. We didn’t let it meld, just had burritos with eggs and cheese last night. CANNOT WAIT TO TRY TODAY? We had a about 1/2 of it left (1.10 lbs) and decide to use the rest of a 3.77 lb pork shoulder roast-to make more. TOTALLY AWESOME, WON’T HAVE TO EVER LOOK FOR ANOTHER RECIPE, AND I’M IN LOVE WITH CHORIZO NOW? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR WONDERFUL RECIPE – NANCY.
HAVE A BLESSED DAY?
Hi,
I am looking for a recipe for just the chorizo spice blend above. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance! :-)
What ya think? Can I submit with tofu for a vegan chorizo? What else can I submit with?
Great recipe, I always keep some in my kitchen. I use a teaspoon of chipotle pepper and a pinch of cayenne plus a generous tablespoon or two of Spanish paprika. I also sometimes add a tablespoon of lemon juice in addition to the apple cider vinegar to help it cure. Thank you!
I have to give this recipe a try. The recipe I buy at the store is amazing but it has MSG which gives me a severe headache. Not worth the pain anymore.
I made this with turkey since I’m trying to eat less fat, but not skimp on flavor-it was great! I’m sure it would be even better with pork, but I still wasn’t disappointed! It also froze well, since I froze half and ate it a week later! Thanks for this recipe, I loved all the spices!!!
Really good recipe. I had ground lamb and turkey so I used them combined and it turned out great. I believe this seasoning would work well with any meat. You just may want to add some fat if the meat is very lean.
I made this vegan with textured vegetable protein and it was really good! Thanks for the recipe
There’s no raw garlic! Is that right? Granulated is just as authentic? I’m one of those that grinds their own spices so to add a prepared garlic product took me by surprise.
I have a pound of it melding in my fridge for tomorrow’s breakfast. I’ll let you know what I think.
My fingers are crossed.?
Nancy
Thanks for the recipe. Just got a meat grinder for Christmas and I had anchos all the way with fresh cuban oregano and the rest was ground with a coffee grinder.
Scott
I rarely leave comments for recipes I try. With that being said, I felt compelled to leave one for you today. A few months ago I was on a sausage making and meat grinding phase. I went buck wild and had a ton of meat ground up. I stumbled upon your recipe and decided to give it a go. Truth be told I love spices so I used the 10 pounds of meat and initially followed your recipe as is. cooked off a small chunk and felt I needed more. I ended up tripling the spice mix. My husband thinks this is the most fantastic chorizo he has ever had. We went through almost all the 10 pounds within a few months. Fast forward to January and I was reorganizing my freezer and found 2 pack of the chorizo! My husband was so excited he could bearly stand it! We just ate chorizo mixed with onions, eggs, and cheese. Thank you again for the best recipe ever!
Wow. Can’t wait to try this but I will take it one step further and add some meat glue in some batches and Sous Vide it 71/4
GREAT RECIPE. TANK A LOT
Awesome. This is very good right now can hardly wait until it has time to sit.
Beautiful recipe. Than you very much for sharing.
My mom passed before I could get the recipe of her mexican chorizo, I just can’t seem to get the taste right!. I would like to use beef instead of pork, I found a fast food place that was right on the taste but they wouldn’t give their recipe, where would you suggest I go to find the real chorizo taste
Can I let sit for two nights before cooking? I need to prep it on Tuesday and cook it on Thursday.
I bought all of the spices and got to work. I was happy to find a recipe that I could utilize my mortar and pestle with. I followed the recipe exactly as written, but the end product had a bitter taste and it wasn’t spicy at all. I’m thinking it was the bay leaf. I will definitely try the recipe again, but i won’t put as much bay in and I’ll add more spice. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
When I try to print, all I get is a blank page. Working off my cell phone also. And reason why it won’t print? I printed another recipe of chorizo and thatzworked fine. Would it be that your gateway is closed as it is a Sunday?
I’ve tried several recipes and this is by far the best.
This is an excellent combination of spices. I used it with some meatless crumbles.
Would there be much difference if a spice grinder was used?
Thank you for the recipe with the alternatives. I’m overseas and it came out great.
My beautiful Mama has made this recipe since I was a kid. I make it now and pass it on to my friends and family.
This is a very good Chorizo. As I am accustom to a Chorizo that has more red to it, I substituted the paprika with 2 tablespoons of Achiote powder that I ground fresh from whole seeds. The color was perfect. Additionally, I was not able to locate Ancho Chile Powder so I used red Chile power. I don’t know how much this may have affected the flavor of the sausage, but it was still very good.
I love chorizo and eggs rolled in a tortilla with cheese for breakfast. Sense moving to Hawaii I have not found a good chorizo till now. This is a 10 on my list. Thank you for sharing. Fun to make and fun to eat. God bless you.
Oh dear god, this turned out so amazingly well.
Seems like a ton on spices for 1 pound of meat, guess it will be very flavorful haha we shall see tomorrow. I used my grassfed pasteur raised ground beef as a healthy alternative :)
So absoltely 100% delicious!
I bough some Italian hot pork sausage. It contained hot pepper, paprika ,and some herbs.
All I had to do is add the rest of the ingredients in your recipe. It came out pretty good
for my first attempt. I will get better at it as I try again,
Thanks,
Jimmy
Stupid question but here goes…I’m making 10 pounds of sausage tomorrow and like this recipe. So I just multiply everything by 10?
I’m not a big fan of cloves, never have been, and that would mean I need to use 50 of them? Is that right?
Will this be spicy? If not, is there something I can add to kick it up a notch?
Thanks. Amazing that I’m asking a question all these years later.
This recipe is sooo spot on!!! Amazing flavor just like the chorizo street taco I get at my favorite taqueria!
Btw I made this vegan using quorn meatless pieces and it was amazing
Was this for a 1lb batch or 10 lb batch??
Can you use beef instead of pork??
Actually, the spice mix works with almost any stuffing!
Late to the conversation but, my family hails from the fronteria near Bisbee and we never use cumin. A pot above noted that every Mexican butcher she visited had a different idea of what chorizo should be, and some just omit the cumin (and maybe the thyme). Let’s not get into a BBQ style type of argument
Can you use this spice mixture on a pork roast or shoulder?
Sounds delicious! Can you substitute ground cumin and coriander? I always have those in the cupboard. Can’t wait to try!!!
AMAZING.
I tweeked the recipe and took the spices level down for the kids and this is by far one of the best Chorizo recipes I’ve even made.
I was a doubter that this would tastes like I expected but holy smokes you have exceeded my expectations. We use just the seasonings in a pound of ground beef that we then stuffed into zucchini boats with mushrooms, tomatoes & cauliflower rice. So good!
Made this with frozen and drained tofu. This is spiced perfectly! Saving this one to make again and again. I’ll have to try it with ground boar, too.
My first time trying to make chorizo at home, and I was not disappointed (even having to substitute due to not having Ancho chile powder… yet). Great, simple recipe!
Wonderful taste. We really enjoyed it and look forward to trying it with other meats.
I love this recipe so much, I have been making this over and over again and it never fails. Thank you Nancy!
I have been looking for the perfect chorizo recipe – and this is it!
This is a great recipe, thank you, love chorizo!
Thank you, great recipe, love myself some chorizo and will make a big batch to keep in the freezer!
Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Done, made, and loved it!
Thanks for this, I love chorizo and this turned out so well!
Thank you thank you for this fabulous recipe. Love my chorizo!
Recipe approved. This is awesome!
This definitely is THE ULTIMATE homemade chorizo recipe on these interwebs!
Great recipe, will make fantastic chorizo. Perfect for tacos!!!
Thank you for this, it made my day, so happy I found this amazing recipe. My Chorizo-game has officially been upgraded!