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It’s no secret we LOVE Mexican food – it’s part of our heritage. We even eat it for breakfast, and this chorizo recipe is a fan favorite!
Chorizo is used in some of our favorite breakfast dishes like Chorizo and Eggs. Follow these easy steps to whip up your own tasty batch from scratch!
Chorizo is a pork that is highly seasoned and often spicy. Though there are many variations all over the world, ours is Mexican-inspired. It uses guajillo chiles along with seasonings like garlic powder, cumin, and oregano. Adding eggs to the chorizo will help temper the spice and is completely optional.
Use this chorizo recipe in your favorite dishes, serve it alone in fresh Tortillas, or add some Scrambled Eggs and Salsa! Either way, it’s a family favorite we know you’ll LOVE!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Enjoy alone or in your favorite dishes. Scoop it in tortillas or add it to favorites like Breakfast Burritos!
- Plenty to go around! This recipe makes a large amount of chorizo; enough to feed a crowd or to divide up and store some for later.
- Make ahead. It needs to marinate for a couple of days, so this is great for having prepped and ready to go!
Chorizo Ingredients and Substitutions
- 6 dried guajillo chilis – You may have the best luck finding the different chiles at a Mexican food specialty store. We have also found them at Whole Foods and Amazon.
- 6 dried hatch chilis, mild or hot
- 3 dried ancho chilis
- 4-5 cups water
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 dried whole bay leaves
- 6 garlic cloves – no need to mince as they will puree in the blender
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ tablespoons Mexican oregano, crushed
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef – For the best flavor, shy away from lean meats and stick to 20-30% fat.
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil – or olive oil
- 5 large eggs
How to Cook Chorizo
- CHILIS. Remove the seeds and membranes of the chilis.
- In a skillet, toast the dried guajillo chilis on medium-high heat for about 1-2 minutes being careful not to burn them. Repeat for the dried hatch chilis and the dried ancho chilis. Set aside.
- In a large pot, bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil. Add the toasted chilis and allow them to boil for 8-10 minutes. Drain the chilis in a colander and reserve ½ cup of the chili water.
- Add the chilis to a blender along with apple cider vinegar, dried bay leaves, garlic, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, and the leftover ½ cup of chili water. Blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, add ground beef, ground pork, and the chili puree as well as 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Use your hands to combine the mixture very well and make sure the meat is entirely coated in the puree mixture.
- MARINATE. Divide into 3 sections (each will be about ¾ – 1 pound). Place in plastic bags and let the meat marinate in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- COOK. Once marinated, cook 1 part of the chorizo in a skillet on medium heat until cooked through. Whisk 5 Eggs in a small bowl and add to the skillet. Scramble the eggs and chorizo together.
- Eat homemade chorizo immediately with your favorite Tortillas. Add flavor to Mexican dishes like Taco Soup, Queso Dip, or Beef Tacos.
Kristyn’s Chili Tips
- When working with chilis, you may wish to wear gloves so that oils don’t irritate your skin. Also, do not touch your face without first washing your hands.
- Slice the chilies in half and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and membranes from inside the chiles.
- For a very spicy chorizo, leave the seeds and membrane in the chilis and omit the eggs. For a less spicy chorizo, dilute the chorizo paste further by adding more egg or sausage to the recipe.
Chorizo Recipe
Follow these simple steps to marinate and cook your own fresh chorizo recipe from home. The flavor is worth the extra effort!
Ingredients
- 6 dried guajillo chilis
- 6 dried hatch chilis, mild or hot
- 3 dried ancho chilis
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 dried whole bay leaves
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ tablespoons mexican oregano, crushed
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 5 eggs
Instructions
- Remove the seeds and membranes of the 3 types of chilis.
- In a skillet, toast each type of chili on medium-high heat for about 1-2 minutes being careful not to burn them. Set aside.
- In a large pot, bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil. Add the toasted chilis and allow them to boil for 8-10 minutes. Drain the chilis in a colander and reserve ½ cup of the chili water.
- Add the chilis to a blender along with the apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, garlic, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, and the leftover chili water. Blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, add the meat and the chili puree as well as the vegetable oil. Use your hands to combine the mixture very well and make sure the meat is entirely coated in the puree mixture.
- Divide into 3 sections (each will be about ¾-1 pound). Place in plastic bags and let the meat marinate in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Once marinated, cook 1 part of the chorizo in a skillet on medium heat until cooked through. Scramble 5 eggs in a small bowl and add to the skillet. Mix to combine. Eat immediately with your favorite tortillas.
Video
Notes
Chili Tips:
- When working with chilis, you may wish to wear gloves so that oils don’t irritate your skin. Also, do not touch your face without first washing your hands.
- Slice the chilies in half and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and membranes from inside the chiles.
- For a very spicy chorizo, leave the seeds and membrane in the chilis and omit the eggs. For a less spicy chorizo, dilute the chorizo paste further by adding more egg or sausage to the recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 254kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 109mg, Sodium: 447mg, Potassium: 411mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 2323IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Prep ahead of time?
Fridge: Keep the marinating chorizo in airtight containers in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Freezer: For longer storage, freeze the sections for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before cooking.
How to store?
Leftover cooked chorizo can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for 3 months.
Complete The Meal
Sides
Add Chorizo To
Mexican Breakfast
Huevos Rancheros Recipe
25 mins
Mexican Breakfast Casserole
55 mins
Chilaquiles Recipe
20 mins
Breakfast Enchilada Casserole
1 hr 5 mins
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This recipe was originally published March 2023.
Absolutely love chorizo time, I was first introduced to it at a church function and it made a big hit for me and my friends.
I’ve been having trouble finding ground chorizo at the store so I’m happy to have this recipe to make my own! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy!
I Have never tried this but intend to in the very close future, I have been told by many friends that is is really good.
Your recipes look very tasty especially desserts always looking for new recipes.
Thank you! You’ll have to let us know what you think of the chorizo. Homemade is our favorite!
I’m trying this for our next Taco Tuesday!
Hope you enjoy!
Love this chorizo recipe! I did add some jalapenos to it and was it the best ever. Make the Breakfast recipe first and everyone loved it. Have made tacos using this same recipe plus adding the makings for a taco. O MY was this good.
Thanks for this recipe. Can’t wait to try it again.
Great chorizo recipe! I LOVE chorizo! I grew up in Arizona and chorizo and eggs were a regular breakfast. Best with homemade tortillas!
I have been wanting to try chorizo and this looks to be my perfect opportunity. Thanks, so much, #Kristyn – Lil Luna
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy the chorizo!
Love the flavor!
I love chorizo…it,s so much tastier than other sausage and it makes dinners excelente! Cinco de Mayo is going to be bien@
This looks very spicy. We are not fans of really hot food. Just so I know how much to pull back, what would you say is the spicy level of this?
All of the peppers used in this are considered mild-medium spice, so definitely take out seeds and membranes if you don’t want spice (they contain most of the spice).
I love this! I’ve been making homemade chorizo for a few years now. Have you read the ingredients list for store bought chorizo!?! 🤮
Homemade is the best!! 😉
I had no idea you could make your own chorizo. I love that there are real chili’s in the recipe, as well as all the yummy spices!
Best tasting recipe! Way better then store bought
The recipe turned out great. I was wondering for next time, if we boil the dried chilis can I use fresh chilis and skip the boiling?
So excited to try this homemade version of chorizo. We normally go buy it. Now I get to make it myself.
Wow! My first time making it and it’s so easy! Thank you so much.
This homemade chorizo is definitely worth the wait! The flavor is incredible, I’ll definitely be making this recipe again, thank you!
This chorizo is perfect for tortilla! It’s packed with flavors and so delicious! Another go-to recipe!
Chorizo has been a family favorite for a long time!! We make it often! Your recipe makes it super easy & it’s so tasty!! We add it in breakfast burritos all the time.
I’ve never used the chilis listed but was able to locate them at my local Fry’s food. Since I’m also in AZ I think the stores here carry a pretty good variety of Mexican foods. Anyway, It takes some time to make but was really good.
Homemade chorizo! Doesn’t get better than this!
The flavor of this chorizo is amazing! Will definitely make again!
This Chorizo recipe tastes exactly like what I have had while on a trip to Ensenada, Mexico. Truly authentic in it’s seasoning and spices and well worth the marinade time!
This recipe is definitely a little more involved than just cooking up store bought chorizo, but the homemade flavor is SO worth it!! We use ours in breakfast burritos.
Couldn’t agree more! Nothing beats homemade. 😉 Glad you enjoy the recipe!
My husband loves Chorizo and nothing beats homemade! This recipe is perfect – thank you!
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoy the chorizo!
Takes a little more effort but knowing exactly what’s in the chorizo and spicing it to our preferred level is well worth it!
Couldn’t agree more! 😉
I love chorizo and the idea of making it at home was really appealing! I like that I know exactly what’s in it, and can adjust the spice level to my preference. Yum!