Last Updated on October 9, 2021 by Anne-Marie

Making this homemade chorizo sausage recipe is easy. You can make this chorizo seasoning mix as spicy as you like!

Why this recipe works

Making homemade chorizo sausage is super easy to do and the flavor is amazing.

This recipe will come in handy for those of you who can’t find chorizo at the store for your favorite Mexican-inspired recipes.

Best of all, when you make your own chorizo, you can control what goes into it.

There’s no hidden sugar, dairy, or gluten and you can choose what type of ground meat to use.

What type of meat can you use in homemade chorizo sausage?

Traditionally, chorizo is made with only pork.

You can also use ground:

● venison

● chicken

● turkey

● buffalo

● beef

However, you do want some fat content when it comes to sausage, so don’t go too lean on your ground meat. Mix it with a fattier meat like pork.

I like using 1 pound ground pork and 1 pound lean ground beef.

How much ground meat do you use in chorizo sausage?

I use 2 pounds of ground meat when making chorizo sausage.

You can half the recipe if you need only a pound of Mexican sausage for a recipe.

Or you can double or triple this recipe if you want to make a big batch for freezing.

Just make sure you have plenty of spices, vinegar, and freezer paper (or freezer bags – see the section on freezing the chorizo below) before you start.

Control the spiciness of the easy chorizo sausage

I like making three versions of the chorizo – spicy, medium spicy, and mild – so I have a variety in my freezer to choose from.

You can adjust the spiciness of the chorizo sausage ingredients (the chile powder and cayenne pepper) according to your personal preference and how you’re going to use it in your cooking.

What recipes can you use homemade chorizo in?

You can use chorizo in eggs, burritos, tacos, chilis, and even in stuffing.

Here are a few recipes that use Mexican chorizo: 

● Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing with Chorizo, Squash & Apples – the ultimate spicy Thanksgiving stuffing.

● Easy Mexican Picadillo Recipe – serve with rice for dinner or use in tacos.

● Hash Brown Sausage Muffins – freeze up a batch to heat up for breakfast.

● Easy Breakfast Chilaquiles Recipe – one of my favorite Mexican recipes!

Your favorite Keto recipes: It's also a wonderful spicy sausage to use in any Mexican-style keto recipes.

Can I freeze homemade chorizo?

You sure can! There are several ways to do it.

One pound blocks: I like to weigh it out into 1 pound blocks. Then I wrap it in freezer paper to use later in my cooking.

Some people like using gallon freezer bags. That way they can flatten out the bags and stack them in their freezer.

Make patties: Some folks like to form their chorizo into patties and freeze those up for special weekend breakfasts. (The kids can help you make these.) Nothing like chorizo and eggs for a Mexican style breakfast!

Make sausage links: If you’re ambitious, you can put it into casings and freeze those. (I’ve made chorizo sausage links with an attachment on my KitchenAid. It’s fun, but a lot of work.)

Since I tend to use chorizo in recipes or mixed in with scrambled eggs, I don’t bother stuffing the meat into sausage casings.

Brown before freezing: My neighbor back in Colorado liked to brown her sausage meat before freezing. That way she saved time when making her sauces and casseroles.

Tips when making chorizo seasoning mix

Salt: If you need to reduce sodium intake, it’s fine to cut back the salt in this recipe. Add a little more of the other seasonings or spiciness to compensate if you feel the Mexican sausage is lacking flavor.

Spicy or not? Feel free to cut back or add more of ground chipotle chile powder and cayenne pepper. My son and husband love spicy sausage. But I’m not into spicy food, so I make several batches and vary the spiciness.

Just remember when to packaging up your sausage, to carefully note the spiciness level!

Vinegar: Red wine vinegar adds a special flavor to the chorizo. But in a pinch, you can use cider vinegar.

Spices: It’s worth using chipotle chile powder rather than plain chile powder and smoked paprika over regular paprika. Both spices add a terrific smokiness and flavor to your homemade chorizo recipe.

Originally published on November 15, 2013. Updated with new pictures and information.