Add the best flavor to your breakfast tacos or Mexican dishes with this homemade chorizo spice recipe! Store-bought chorizo can come with additives you may be looking to avoid, but by using this homemade chorizo spice blend you know exactly what is in your spiced pork sausage. You can also control the heat to make it more mild or an extra spicy chorizo!
Homemade Chorizo Spice Recipe – At Home Seasoning Mix
I first fell in love with chorizo when a past neighbor of ours made authentic Mexican chorizo as a gift for us.
It was full of flavor, seasonings, and red wine vinegar, and was so delicious with tacos that I could not wait to recreate it in my own kitchen. While this mix is not the same as she used (we don’t add vinegar), it is one my husband and kids love so much!
A homemade spice mix is super handy to have around when you want to add quick flavor to ground meat.
My bulk taco seasoning recipe is always waiting and ready to go, but sometimes I like to mix it up and make Spanish chorizo for dinner.
We love the spicier flavor of chorizo paired with crunchy lemon tahini slaw, mango avocado salsa, refried beans, and a drizzle of cilantro avocado sauce – it’s the best taco night flavor!
But chorizo isn’t just for dinner – add it into chorizo breakfast burritos that are perfect for meal prep. Or mix it up and make a sheet pan chorizo breakfast hash! Chorizo baked eggs are another yummy option too!
We use a mix of 10 different ground spices/herbs (no need to mess with whole spices) to maximize the flavors.
While that sounds like a lot, the measuring is quick and can be done in advance to save you time!
In fact, you can fully mix the chorizo up to 3 days in advance before cooking it and let the flavor profiles really blossom.
Why you’ll love this homemade chorizo recipe
Super flavorful – This highly seasoned sausage packs in so much flavor. A little bit of homemade chorizo goes a long way in adding a little heat and Mexican flavors. Prep a pound of homemade chorizo and add a small amount to your next breakfast scramble and see how you love the added flavor it brings to your morning plate!
Skip the casing – No need to mess with sausage casings when you make this ground chorizo at home. A pound of ground pork paired with all of the seasonings will leave you with a tasty chorizo that you can use in so many different ways!
Customizable – The recipe as written is a medium heat level for spiciness but it can easily be adjusted to match your personal preferences. If you want less heat, reduce the amount of ancho chile powder, or swap with regular chili powder. If you like it extra spicy, increase the Chile powders!
Simple ingredients you’ll need for chorizo seasoning
Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions.
- ground pork
- ancho chile powder
- cumin
- garlic granules
- spanish paprika
- sea salt
- oregano (mexican oregano if you can find it)
- thyme
- black pepper
- cinnamon
- clove
How to make chorizo at home
Step 1: In a small bowl combine all of the dried spices and seasonings. Mix to fully combine.
Step 2: In a large bowl add the ground pork and mix the seasonings in well – use your hands to get it mixed super well.
Step 3: To cook, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat add the chorizo seasoned ground pork, and break it up into small pieces. Cook until the pork is no longer pink and has browned nicely. Set the chorizo sausage aside and use it in your favorite recipe!
NOTE – You can skip step 2 of mixing the ground pork with the chorizo seasoning and simply add the chorizo mix in while you cook the pork. But for the best flavor in every single piece, I suggest premixing when you can!
Watch me make this homemade mexican chorizo recipe
The full how to video where I make this for chorizo breakfast burritos can be watched below, or on my YouTube channel!
Try this with different ground meats
No need to limit yourself to just using ground pork. If you’re wanting a less greasy chorizo, try using ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
The flavors work well with wild game too, so if you find yourself with ground elk or ground venison, use this mix!
Follow the same steps the recipe calls to ensure your meat is getting super flavorful.
Once mixed, you can have fun with how you prepare it – try turning chorizo ground beef into burgers, or chorizo ground turkey into meatballs. The possible ways to serve your chorizo are limitless!
Another delicious option is to make chorizo ground chicken and top cheezy nachos with it. It makes for a lightly, less greasy nacho that is lighter, but packed with tons of flavor!
How to store
The great thing about this recipe is that you can prep the dry chorizo seasonings in advance. They keep well like any other spice mix in an airtight container. You could prep a big bul batch a couple of months in advance too!
Once you cook your chorizo sausage, any leftovers can be cooled to room temperature and added to an airtight container. Store leftover chorizo in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze cooked and cooled chorizo in a freezer bag for up to 6 months!
More favorite recipes you’ll love
Homemade Chorizo Spice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1.5 tbsp ancho chile powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp spanish paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp oregano mexican oregano if you can find it
- ½ tsp thyme
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp clove
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine all of the dried spices and seasonings. Mix to fully combine.
- In a large bowl add the ground pork and mix the seasonings in well – use your hands to get it mixed super well.
- To cook, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat add the chorizo seasoned ground pork, and break it up into small pieces. Cook until the pork is no longer pink and has browned nicely. Set the chorizo sausage aside and use it in your favorite recipe!
Nutrition
If you try this delicious chorizo recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
