Homemade Mexican chorizo
Fresh loose pork chorizo with guajillo, vinegar and warm spices, ready to crumble into tacos, eggs and potatoes.
Make this once, then cook it into 56 different dishes.
- Time40 min plus overnight rest
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.42 a head
- Makesabout 650 g raw chorizo, enough for 3 batches for 4
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Toast the guajillo, ancho and árbol chillies in a dry pan for 15 to 20 seconds per side. Cover with the boiling water and soak for 20 minutes until soft.
20 min - 2
Drain the chillies, keeping 80 ml of the soaking water. Blend the chillies with the garlic, vinegar, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, salt and the 80 ml soaking water until a thick, completely smooth paste.
- 3
Put the pork mince in a large bowl, pour over the paste and mix thoroughly with clean hands (wear gloves for the chilli) for about 2 minutes, until the colour is even.
- 4
To check the seasoning, fry a teaspoon sized patty until cooked through, then taste. Add salt or vinegar to the main mix if needed. Never taste raw pork.
- 5
Cover and chill for 12 to 24 hours so the flavours develop. Divide into 200 g portions.
- 6
To cook, crumble the chorizo into a cold frying pan. Cook over a medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, breaking it up, until browned, cooked through with no pink, and the fat has turned red.
11 min
About homemade mexican chorizo
Mexican chorizo is a raw, loose pork sausage seasoned with dried chillies, vinegar, garlic and warm spices, and it is cooked by crumbling it into a pan. It is not the same as Spanish chorizo, which is cured and smoked with paprika and eaten sliced. Mexican chorizo is tangy, deeply red and rich, and it renders its own red fat as it cooks.
It is the heart of tacos de chorizo, chorizo con huevo (scrambled eggs), papas con chorizo, queso fundido and chorizo and potato empanadas. A little goes a long way, because the red fat carries flavour into everything it touches.
Making it at home is easy and lets you control the heat, the fat and the salt. Resting it overnight is the one step you should not skip.
Tips
- Use pork mince with about 20% fat. Very lean mince gives a dry, crumbly chorizo that lacks the red fat that flavours the eggs or potatoes.
- Rest the mixture in the fridge for at least 12 hours. The vinegar and chillies flavour the meat and the colour deepens.
- Always start the crumbled chorizo in a cold pan so the fat renders slowly, then turn up the heat to brown it.
- Vegan version: replace the pork with 250 g soya mince rehydrated in 400 ml gluten free vegetable stock, or 300 g finely chopped chestnut mushrooms (add 100 g chopped walnuts if nobody is nut allergic). Keep the same paste.
- Freeze raw in 200 g flat packs. They thaw in the fridge overnight and crumble straight into the pan.
Storing and freezing
Raw chorizo keeps for up to 2 days in the fridge (it contains minced pork), so freeze portions you will not cook by then, for up to 3 months. Cooked chorizo keeps for 3 days, cooled within 1 to 2 hours, and must be reheated until steaming hot all the way through.
Dishes you can make with homemade mexican chorizo
Tacos de Chorizo con Papa (Chorizo and Potato Tacos)
DFEFNFFrijoles Charros (Cowboy Beans)
GFDFEFTacos de Huevo con Chorizo (Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Tacos)
DFNFQueso Fundido con Chorizo (Melted Cheese with Chorizo)
EFNFHuevos con Chorizo (Mexican Scrambled Eggs with Chorizo)
DFNFHPTlayuda Oaxaqueña (Oaxacan Giant Crisp Tortilla)
EFNFHPTacos de Chorizo con Papas (Chorizo and Potato Tacos)
GFDFEFTacos Campechanos (Steak and Chorizo Tacos)
GFDFEFQueso Fundido con Chorizo y Chipotle (Baked Cheese with Chorizo)
EFNFTlayuda Oaxaqueña (Oaxacan Crisp Tortilla Pizza)
NFEFTacos de Papa con Chorizo y Escabeche (Potato and Chorizo Tacos)
EFNFPambazos de Papa con Chorizo (Dipped Potato and Chorizo Sandwiches)
EFNFQuestions
What is the difference between Mexican and Spanish chorizo?
Mexican chorizo is raw, loose and flavoured with chillies and vinegar, so it must be cooked. Spanish chorizo is cured or smoked with paprika, firm and ready to slice and eat.
Can I use Spanish chorizo instead?
Not as a straight swap. Spanish chorizo is cured, drier and smoky, so it will taste different, though chopped and fried it works in a pinch for tacos. Use Mexican style for the real dish.
How spicy is it?
Medium and tangy. Guajillo and ancho give fruity warmth rather than fire. Include the chiles de árbol or double them for more heat, or leave them out for mild.
Do I need to cook it before eating?
Yes. It is raw pork and must be cooked until it is browned and there is no pink inside, with the juices running clear and the middle piping hot.
Is it gluten free?
The ingredients as written are gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free. It uses no rusk or filler, unlike many shop bought sausages. Check the labels on your spices and vinegar.
How do I make a vegan Mexican chorizo?
Use the same chilli paste with rehydrated soya mince or finely chopped mushrooms and walnuts, and cook it in a little oil until dry and crisp at the edges. Keep it nut free by leaving out the walnuts.
More base recipes
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.