Want to level-up from store-bought chorizo? Make your own spicy and flavorful Homemade Mexican Chorizo at home with just ground pork and pantry spices. Perfect for tacos, breakfast bowls, and meal prep!
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This Homemade Mexican Chorizo hits that perfect balance: smoky, spicy, flexible, and undeniably delicious. It elevates tacos, bowls, soups - any dish calling for bold flavor. Give it a try and let me know your favorite way to use it!
This homemade Mexican chorizo recipe should not be confused with Spanish chorizo. Mexican chorizo is a raw, heavily spiced ground pork while Spanish chorizo is cured and smoked and ready to eat. Both are delicious, but I'm really focused in on these Mexican flavors and using them in all the breakfast and brunch recipes!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- One bowl recipe - No need to make a big mess. Just add everything into a large bowl and mix.
- Great for meal prep - Make a large batch and divide it into individual portions and freeze for future you!
- Easy to customize - Like it spicier? Add more heat. Want it mild? Pull back on the chili powder.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Just meat, some spices from the grocery store, and one optional herb. That's it! You don't even have to buy the fancy, expensive spices. I often use the two dollar Badia spices and it still tastes incredible!
- Ground pork - You can see in this picture that I'm using cubed pork shoulder. Even if I'm grinding my own meat I'd like to add all of my spices first so, as it grinds, those spices are ground all the way in. But for goodness sake you don't have to use ground pork and use a meat grinder. Any grocery store ground pork will do, although a 20% fat content is best. If your pork has less fat, just add extra oil when cooking it in the pan.
- Cilantro - What a polarizing ingredient! I personally love the flavor and aroma of cilantro, using it in my simple salsa and my Mexican Caesar dressing, but there are a lot of people out there who hate it. Feel free to leave it out!
- Spices - I think all of the spices are essential or I wouldn't have added them to the recipe. I use Mexican oregano when I can find it, but use whatever you can find. The chipotle powder can be difficult to find, so if you don't have it, replace with an equal amount of chile powder.
- Apple cider vinegar - There is a mild amount of acidity to balance the spices in this sausage, and I like the way the apple cider vinegar tastes, but if you don't have it you can use plain white vinegar.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations
- Switch the meat: Ground turkey or even plant-based meat works. Just add ½ teaspoon extra smoked paprika to compensate for their more simple flavors.
- Make it milder: Reduce chili powder to one teaspoon and omit cloves.
- Amp up smokiness: Add a pinch of ancho chili powder or a drop of liquid smoke.
- Make in bulk: Double the recipe, portion into ½‑cup freezer bags, label, and freeze flat for quick meals.
Cynthia's Recipe Review
Store-bought who? Once I started making this Homemade Mexican Chorizo, there was no going back. It's spicy, smoky, and ridiculously easy - basically everything I want breakfast to be. I keep a stash in the freezer at all times, just in case brunch emergencies arise (as they do).
Step-by-Step Instructions
You might think that making your own homemade sausage would be a hassle, and sure it can be. I mean, I like to grind my own pork, but I'm notoriously extra. You can be a normal person and just buy ground pork at the grocery store and add in some pantry spices and boom you've just made chorizo. Aren't you clever?!
Step 1: Place your meat into a large bowl and top with all of your herbs and spices. If making your own ground pork, mix thoroughly and then chill for at least 30 minutes before grinding.
Step 2: If using ground pork, I would recommend wearing a glove, or using a spatula you don't mind turning a little red, and gently mixing the ingredients into the ground pork until it is a uniform color and texture. Don't over mix. For the best flavor chill for a few hours, up to overnight, before cooking.
Pro tip - Cook a taste test: Heat a skillet to medium, add a drizzle of olive oil, and cook a spoonful of the meat for 2-3 minutes. Taste and evaluate. Want more salt? More heat? Adjust to your liking.
Cook: Cook your chorizo as you would any other ground meat. I prefer to saute mine in a large skillet (usually a cast iron pan), using a wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks.
Next-level: Add diced potatoes to make Papas con Chorizo, or potatoes with chorizo. Top with a fried egg, or use in tacos or breakfast burritos.
My favorite way to use homemade chorizo is to mix it with roasted potatoes and serve it in charred tortillas along with fluffy scrambled eggs and tomatillo salsa. Team chorizo breakfast taco all day long! 🙌
How to Use This Homemade Chorizo
- Tacos & burritos: Take my bean and cheese burrito and load with chorizo, fresh cilantro, salsa roja, and lime.
- Breakfast bowls: Pair with potato hash and add scrambled eggs and avocado.
- Sauces & soups: Stir into queso, enchiladas, chili, or add spice to your favorite pinto beans.
- And of course: Try it in my signature Chorizo and Potato Breakfast Tacos!
Recipe FAQs
This is a fresh sausage which is raw until cooked in your pan or dish. Don't eat it uncooked.
Yes! Turkey, chicken, lamb, and even plant-based meat work beautifully.
Fresh chorizo will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or the freezer for up to 3 months. Store in freezer bags, preferably vacuum sealed, to avoid freezer burn.
Absolutely! This recipe works for chorizo links if you have sausage casings. Just be sure to chill before stuffing.
Did you try this recipe?
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I appreciate it so much!
-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Homemade Mexican Chorizo (Easy and Delicious)
Recommended Equipment
- Optional Equipment (if grinding meat)
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) ground pork pork shoulder if you'll be grinding your own sausage
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄16 teaspoon cinnamon a pinch
- 1⁄16 teaspoon ground cloves a pinch
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place ground pork in a medium bowl, add all of the remaining ingredients.
- Use your hands, or a spatula, to blend until the spices are evenly distributed.
- Taste test (optional): Heat a skillet to medium, add a drizzle of olive oil, and cook a spoonful of the meat for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before use.
- Cook the chorizo in a heavy skillet, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, or a spatula, until browned and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
Our family loves this chorizo so much! I keep a stash in the freezer at all times, just in case brunch emergencies arise.