Fresh Chorizo Recipe, using Red Adobo Sauce (Video)

Name: Fresh Chorizo Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Mexican Food
Ingredients: 2 lb ground meat, pork or beef preferred; 1.5 cups Red Adobo Sauce; 1/2 cup paprika; 1/2 tsp salt, more to taste

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Make Chorizo More Often

Mexican chorizo has the reputation of being sinful, with its high-fat profile and spicy flavors. I like to think of it as the “bacon of Mexican-food”, pairing with almost anything and somehow elevating the dish to this crave-able wonder. The best part? This fresh chorizo recipe is incredibly easy and customizable with options for spice level or even your choice of meat. Read on and let’s make some!

What is Chorzio?

You might feel inclined to skip by, but this is pretty important even if you don’t like history. There are two main styles of Chorizo which are incredibly different.

Mexican chorizo is what we’re talking about today. Ground pork is the most common, however, the ground beef version is readily available as well. Reviewing the ingredients on a label might reveal that some Mexican chorizo utilizes more parts than just the “ground meat”, like glands or cheek meat. Whole animal usage in Mexican food has been part of their culture, paving the way for delicious tacos and products like their style of chorizo. We are only using fresh ground meat today, promise.

This type of chorizo is uncured, raw meat. You’ll need to cook it before you consume it. Think of it as marinated ground pork or beef, waiting to hit the hot skillet and crumble away.

Spanish chorizo is made with a type of cured pork, typically smoked as well, and seasoned mostly with Spanish paprika. This is extremely regional, creating many varieties of textures, sweetness and spice. You can purchase this in the United States as well, but it might simply be air-dried rather than smoked. The casing is edible as well and can be eaten right away.

ground beef mixing with the red adobo sauce, fresh chorizo recipe

Not-So-Secret Ingredient: Adobo Sauce

This fresh chorizo recipe really couldn’t be easier, but it does start with one main component: Red Adobo Sauce. The sauce is mostly a combination of dried chiles and toasted garlic, which has been simplified to use hydrated chile powder rather than toasted chiles for simplicity. The adobo sauce is commonly used, regionally, for a number of different recipes. Chorizo happens to be a tasty one of those recipes.

You will need to prepare Red Adobo Sauce to make this recipe. Don’t worry, it’s simple and fast.

Is this an “authentic” chorizo recipe?

Short answer: Yes. This is pretty dang authentic, using only Mexican flavors and ingredients. That being said, there are so many varieties and regional styles of Mexican chorizo. Not all chorizo is made using adobo, the ingredients are prepared and mixed right into the meat instead of having a pre-made sauce, ready to go. Spend a few minutes searching for chorizo recipes and you’ll find that every single one is slightly different.

chorizo y papas, potatoes — *Chorizo y papas with carrots and yellow bell pepper.*

How Should I use Chorizo?

Your first time making chorizo? Pair it with potatoes or eggs. Think of chorizo as spicy, tangy, crumbled bacon. Chorizo y papas (chorizo and potatoes) is one of the most classic combinations. This dish is served alongside eggs, beans, rice, with tortillas, wrapped inside a burrito, and many many more ways. Crisping up diced potatoes and veggies with chorizo in a pan is the core, how you consume it is completely up to you.

I’ll be sharing and updating this article with more recipes along the way, as they are added to the website.

Pork is common, Beef is acceptable too

Yes, there is beef chorizo. We actually consume more of this than the pork, just due to household preferences (happy wife, happy life). Grocery stores will carry soyrizo, and other variations but pork & beef are the most common. Living in Arizona we see chorizo everywhere. Every taco stand or Mexican restaurant sells it, and they are selling pork chorizo. Beef is more expensive, and doesn’t give you that guilty mouth-feel that the pork does.

The beauty of the beef chorizo is simply pairing it with your meal. This fresh chorizo recipe allows you to customize what you’re making for the family, simply by swapping out the proteins or adjusting your red adobo sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to add oil when cooking?

Generally, yes. It depends on the meat you’re using. Watching my YouTube video you’ll see I skip it, that’s because I happen to be using a higher fat beef which I happened to have. I would recommend when starting to add 1 tbsp oil to a skillet and warm it before cooking the vegetables and chorizo.

How long does chorizo last in the fridge?

1-2 weeks. Thoroughly mixed and sealed, you should not have an issue. The meat ends up being semi-cured through the vinegar and chiles, allowing it to maintain a level of freshness beyond ground meat on it’s own. Good luck leaving chorizo in your fridge for 2 weeks, that never happens.

Can I make it with turkey?

Yes you sure can, but realize that you will absolutely need to add fat to a pan to cook it. I repeat: Fat is required. Ground turkey is so lean, you will not achieve the same browning on it’s own. Olive oil even pairs nicely with chorizo, so feel free to use what you feel is healthy.