Sausage fills a special place in my heart.
Sausage is simply superior — pork (win #1), ground (win #2), mixed with bold spices and herbs (win #3), then fried as patties, rounds, or crumbled into crisp bits (wins #4, 5, and 6).
I enjoy many kinds of sausage, but chorizo has a distinctly spicy, pork-forward personality thanks to a flavor-packed paste of dried chiles, onions, garlic soaked in vinegar and boosted with cumin, oregano, a hint of cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Yes — cinnamon. It may sound surprising, but a little cinnamon adds a subtle depth to savory dishes that transforms them from good to outstanding.
When I say chorizo, I mean Mexican-style chorizo. Spanish chorizo is typically cured, smoked, and dried; Mexican chorizo is fresh, quick-cooking, and perfect for dishes like queso fundido, huevos con chorizo, tacos, or my favorite: taco pizza. I’ve tried store-bought chorizo sold in plastic casings and knew there was room for improvement.
The solution was to make it myself. After trying recipes from Homesick Texan and GirlieChef and adapting their advice, I developed my own favorite version. I’ve tested many batches and finally landed on a recipe I keep returning to.
My method is to make large batches. I start with three pounds of ground pork (you can grind your own or buy it pre-ground), mix in the chorizo paste, divide into one-meal portions, freeze flat in zipper bags, and store them for quick meals. Having chorizo in the freezer makes weekday dinners and breakfasts effortless. Here are a few ways to use a pound of browned chorizo:
- Add to scrambled eggs for classic huevos con chorizo. Serve on tortillas with cheese.
- Stir into black beans or refried beans and serve as a filling or dip.
- Mix with generous amounts of cheese for queso fundido — chorizo cheese dip, if you prefer.
- Scatter over a pizza crust with tomato sauce and a blend of Monterey Jack (or Pepper Jack) and Cheddar, bake, then top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions and guacamole for taco pizza.
- Top tortilla chips with chorizo and cheese for hearty nachos.
- Use chorizo like bacon: brown until crisp, then use the rendered fat to fry potatoes for incredible home fries.
Tip: Flatten portions in zipper-top bags before freezing to save space and speed thawing.
What’s your favorite way to use chorizo? If you haven’t tried it yet, will you give it a shot?
Homemade Chorizo
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 10 dried guajillo chili peppers stem and seeds removed
- 7 dried arbol chili peppers stem and seeds removed
- 4 dried New Mexico chili peppers stem and seeds removed
- 2 onions peeled and chopped
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano If you can’t find Mexican oregano, Mediterranean oregano works fine.
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper or 2 teaspoons pre-ground black pepper
- 3 pounds ground pork
Instructions
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Wipe the dried chiles with a damp paper towel. Lightly toast stemmed, seeded chiles in a hot pan about 1 minute per side until they become pliable. Transfer to a non-reactive bowl, layer the chopped onion and garlic on top. Warm the cider vinegar until very warm to the touch, pour it over the chiles, onion and garlic, weigh them down with a plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for an hour.
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Place the soaked chiles, onions, garlic, warm vinegar, cumin, oregano, salt, cinnamon and black pepper in a blender and process to a smooth, thick paste. Add a splash more vinegar if needed to blend. Let the paste cool completely.
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When the chile paste is cool, mix it thoroughly into the ground pork with your hands until the meat is evenly colored.
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Portion into one-meal servings and place each portion into an appropriate zipper-top freezer bag (quart bags for up to 3/4 lb, gallon bags for larger portions). Remove as much air as possible, seal, and press flat to freeze. Flat packages save space and thaw faster.
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition tool.
did you make this recipe?
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