
Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo
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Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo
Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo is one of my favorite things to make instead of buying a premade version in the grocery store. I love making food from scratch, and this is a really fun and easy recipe to make yourself. I am a big fan of the fact I can control what goes into my food and can tailor it to suit my personal taste preferences, and you can too.
There are two primary types of Chorizo out there, Spanish and Mexican. Spanish is often cured, similar to salami, and Mexican is usually served fresh and uncured. It is such a versatile ingredient that is perfect for any meal, and pairs with a variety of foods. I love to pair it with eggs and potatoes in a breakfast taco. For this recipe, we’re going with a Mexican style chorizo.
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You can buy chorizo in the grocery store, and there are a wide variety of brands to choose from, but I found I fell in love with making my own in this Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo because it is so simple and easy to do. When you buy it in the grocery store, all you’re really doing is paying someone else to season your food for you. Which takes away your ability to control what is in it. This means it may take a lot of experimenting to find a brand you like.
Why not just make it yourself and tailor it to your specific flavor preferences? That is what makes this Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo so perfect.
Have you tried making this Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo? Come on in and let me tell you about it!

Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo Ingredients
Ground Pork, 1-1 ½ pounds
Paprika, 2 tablespoons
Cayenne Pepper, 1 tablespoon
Ancho Chili Powder, 1 tablespoon
Guajillo Chili Powder, 1 tablespoon
Minced Garlic, 1 tablespoon
Cumin, 1 teaspoon
Oregano, 1 teaspoon
Coriander, 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon, ½ teaspoon
Clove, ½ teaspoon
Red Wine Vinegar, 2 tablespoons
Salt and Pepper, optional and to taste
Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo Directions
Using a spice grinder, grind the minced garlic, whole cloves, and oregano together.
Add that to a mixing bowl, and measure out all of the other spices, and red wine vinegar. This would be the paprika, cayenne pepper, ancho chili powder, guajillo chili powder, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon.
Mix together, and then add in the ground pork, and mix until well-combined. I do recommend using gloves, as the spices can stain your hands red.
I like to make my Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo the day before I’m going to use it, so that all the flavors have time to marry and meld together in the refrigerator before using. You can use it immediately though, it isn’t a requirement to allow it to rest. It is just my preference.
You can also freeze your chorizo for later. Or, just make the spice blend without the red wine vinegar, and store in an airtight container until you are ready to use it.
How to Cook Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, for about 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through.
Use it in whatever dishes you want to, like tacos, tortas, stews, stuffed peppers, or anything else you want.
My personal favorite is breakfast burritos. Because once the fat has rendered from the pork, I saute my vegetables in the fat, and that flavors the veggies as well. Pair that with some eggs and sour cream, and you end up with a very balanced and absolutely delicious burrito to start the day.

Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo Recipe Notes
- Ground Pork
Ground or chopped pork is the most traditionally used protein in this Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo recipe. You can use others like ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, and even tofu if you choose. Although ground pork is still the most popular, because the spices bind with the fat in group pork to create the amazing flavor.
I say 1-1.5 pounds of meat, just because it varies a bit when I buy mine in the store. It is never an exact amount, but I go with the idea of no less than one pound, and no more than 1.5 pounds.
- Paprika
Paprika is generally sweet and has a very mild spice level. I’ve made this Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo with both sweet and smoked paprika in the past. It really just depends on your preference.
I remember asking my aunt when I was a child why she put paprika on deviled eggs, and she said it was for color only. Which meant I grew up thinking paprika was nothing but a bland food coloring, and nothing more. It wasn’t until I got older and started researching just what things were made out of that I realized paprika is one of my favorite spices. I love the smell, because red bell peppers are my favorite sweet pepper.
There are a wide variety of paprikas that you can use to change up the flavor of your chorizo to your liking, depending on your own personal preference. Including:
Sweet Paprika: This is the most common type used and is known for its mild, slightly sweet, and fruity flavor. It is often described as being similar to fresh bell peppers. If you like to use red bell peppers in your cooking, you will enjoy sweet paprika.
Spicy Paprika: This is made from peppers with a higher capsicum level, and offers more heat and a more earthy flavor than sweet paprika.
Smoked Paprika: The peppers used in this variety are dried over a fire, which results in a smokey and slightly sweet flavor profile.
Hungarian Paprika: Is known for its rich and complex flavor. It can range from sweet to spicy, and is often considered a high-quality paprika.
Spanish Paprika: Can range in flavor from sweet and mild to spicy and smoky, depending on the type of peppers used and how they are processed.
- Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne Pepper has a strong and straightforward heat with a slightly earthy undertone to it. Cayenne does not add much depth of flavor to any dish, it is primarily for spice.
If you are not a fan of spice, you can certainly omit the cayenne pepper from your recipe. I’ve never been a big cayenne pepper fan myself, so I sometimes skip this when making my Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo, just because I prefer flavor over heat. I love heat, but it needs to taste good too. I’ve never been a fan of heat just for the sake of trying to burn your own face off kind of heat.
- Ancho Chili Powder
Ancho Chili Powder has a rich, deep, and complex flavor profile. It has a mild to moderate heat, tasting of smoky, sweet, and earthy. Often described as having hints of chocolate and raisins. Ancho chilis are made from dried poblano chilis that have been charred, giving them that earthy and fruity depth of flavor.
Ancho is easily one of my biggest go-to spices when making barbecue sauces, because of that depth of flavor. My husband and I both often stop and smell the Ancho before using it, because we both love it.
If you enjoy making homemade fried chicken and use paprika to season your flour, try adding in some Ancho in addition to the paprika next time. It is a game changer, in my opinion.
- Guajillo Chili Powder
Guajillo Chili Powder is a mild to medium heat with a distinct fruity flavor profile. It features notes of berries, usually cranberry, pine, and a very subtle smokiness. It is often used in Mexican dishes like stews, soups, sauces, mole, and oven as a dry rub for meats.
They are not remotely the same, but guajillo chili peppers remind me of habaneros, in that they have that distinct fruity kind of heat. If you enjoy habaneros like I do, you’ll likely appreciate guajillo peppers as well.
If you cannot find guajillo chili powder where you are, I highly recommend following the affiliate link in the ingredient list for it. Because I had the exact same problem, and this is what I bought to obtain it myself.
- Minced Garlic
I like to use minced garlic instead of garlic powder, and grind it fresh for every recipe I make. Grinding a spice fresh means that it will have a deeper and stronger flavor. You can certainly use garlic powder if that is what you have in your pantry.
- Cumin
Cumin is a robust, earthy, and warm flavor profile, which is often described as nutty and spicy with a subtle citrus undertone. It is a staple in Indian, Mexican, and Middle Eastern cuisines.
- Oregano
Oregano is known for being robust, earthy, and slightly peppery with a hint of sweetness and sometimes minty or citrusy undertones to it. There are two main types of Oregano used in cooking:
Mexican Oregano
Mexican Oregano has a strong and pungent flavor with hints of licorice and anise. It is often used in Mexican dishes like salsa, chili, and enchiladas, where the robust flavor pairs well with chilis and other spices.
Greek Oregano
Greek Oregano has a more savory and earthy taste. It is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine, specifically in pasta sauce, pizza, and grilled meats.
- Coriander
Coriander has a complex flavor profile, that is a blend of citrus, floral, and earthy notes. It is often described as bright, fresh, and slightly spicy, which makes it a very versatile ingredient in many cuisines.
Coriander is dried cilantro seeds. Cilantro is the fresh leaves from the plant, and coriander is the seed.
You can also use dried cilantro leaves, if you happen to have those in your pantry or spice cabinet. I would recommend you grind them up with the garlic, cloves, and oregano. That way the ground leaves impart more flavor. It isn’t exactly the same as coriander, but it is a good substitution if necessary.
- Cinnamon
Cinnamon has a sweet, spicy, warm, and slightly woodsy and citrus note to it. I always call cinnamon a warm holiday spice. Cinnamon is a very common ingredient in Mexican cooking. Next time you make Taco Seasoning, add in a small pinch of cinnamon, for an added depth and complexity to your seasoning.
I’m actually kind of amazed at how well cinnamon compliments spicy ingredients and dishes, and helps to balance them out a bit more. Before experimenting more with Mexican dishes, I always thought cinnamon was for cookies, chai tea, and pumpkin pie. I’m expanding my cinnamon use now, and absolutely loving it.
I highly recommend experimenting more with cinnamon and giving it a voice in savory dishes more often. Just start slowly and gently though. Much like cloves, cinnamon can be an overpowering spice. But when used in moderation, it really does balance spice exceptionally well. It is a very pleasant surprise to find out, and it drives me to use cinnamon more often in other dishes.
- Clove
Cloves have a distinct flavor profile, described as sweet, pungent, and slightly spicy. It is often described as warm, aromatic, and rich. Cloves also possess a subtle bitterness and astringency, which balances out sweetness in recipes. Cloves are often used in both sweet and savory dishes, because of the depth and complexity of their flavor.
I love using whole cloves and grinding them fresh each time I use them. That way they retain more flavor until I am ready to use them. My favorite place to use cloves is in a barbecue dry rub.
Be careful when using cloves though, as they can turn things very bitter very quickly if you use too much. This is one ingredient that will bite you if you use too much. Cloves are deceptive, given the size. You’d think you need far more than you actually do.
- Red Wine Vinegar
Red wine vinegar has a sharp, tangy, and slightly fruity flavor, with a hint of smokiness. It is made by fermenting red wine, and the flavor is robust and punchy. This makes it perfect for marinades, salad dressing, and sauces.
You can use other types of flavored vinegar in this Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo if you want to. The choice is up to you! If you use another vinegar, I would love to hear about it in the comments.

Why I Love This Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo Recipe
I love this Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo because it really is easy to make. It takes just a few minutes to measure out and mix everything together. It is such a versatile ingredient.
You can mix and match spices to fit your personal taste. I’m not a huge fan of cayenne pepper, and so I sometimes switch it up for more ancho or add chipotle pepper instead. I love that everyone can control the ingredients in this recipe to fit personal tastes. I honestly like to experiment when I make this recipe, but still use this as my baseline for starting.
I always encourage people to learn about their food and how to make things from scratch, because it can be tweaked in so many ways. I love my homemade mustard recipe for the exact same reason as the Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo. Once you learn the basic recipe, you can play with it and create so many different flavors and ways to make it from there.
This Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo can be made and frozen very easily, and will last for months. I like to vacuum seal mine, for better freezer storage. I’ve also made larger batches of it and given it to my neighbors in the past. It is actually perfect for large batch making, and dividing up to freeze, give away, or save for a later meal.

Discussion
Have you tried making this Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo yourself? Did you make any changes, substitutions, or additions? Do you enjoy experimenting with making things like this Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo or anything else at home?
What is your favorite dish to enjoy this Easy 12 Ingredient Homemade Chorizo recipe with? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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