Chorizo Tacos
Chorizo tacos are a mouth-watering taco recipe and fairly easy to make. They are packed with so much flavor and perfect for your Taco Tuesday!
If you never had this type of taco before and are wondering what are chorizo tacos made of, then think of a warm, soft, corn tortilla, topped with delicious and aromatic chorizo meat and then garnished with fresh cilantro and onions.
The final dish is then served with Mexican salsa and a squeeze of lime.
Let’s talk about those tacos de chorizo
The recipe is considered as tacos callejeros or tacos de la calle, in English known as Street tacos and honestly, the best tacos you can ever have in Mexico; but somehow unknown outside of the country, which is a shame, because those tacos are amazingly good!
You’ll find them often served at many taco stands and they’re utterly delicious. In those stands (called taquerías, in Spanish) chorizo tacos will be served with various toppings, like roasted or fried onions (cebollitas), radishes, beans, chopped lettuce, chiles toreados, lime wedges, and of course, salsas.
And no, no sour cream nor cheddar cheese are a topping option for tacos de chorizo in Mexico.
What Kind of Chorizo to Use?
Don’t get confused with Spanish chorizo sausage, you are going to need Mexican chorizo. If you’re lucky enough to find that type of chorizo at your nearest supermarket or butchery, go for it.
Otherwise (and the best option, in my opinion) is to use homemade chorizo. You can make from traditional pork chorizo to beef chorizo, chicken chorizo, or even vegan chorizo.
Not sure what’s the difference between Mexican and Spanish chorizo? Read those 10 things you need to know about chorizo!
The Key: Flavoring the tortillas
Without a doubt, the key to those amazing chorizo tacos is the way that tortillas are heated up. You wanna go with corn tortillas because those hold better the toppings and they have an amazing flavor that doesn’t compare to flour tortillas.
Now, you don’t want to heat your tortillas in the microwave, no way. And if you thinking of charring your tortillas in the stove flame, hold on, there’s a better option:
Use the fat from fried chorizo. That, my friends, will take this recipe to the next level!
Aren’t those beauties mouth-watering? Now, let’s see the recipe…
Chorizo Tacos Recipe (step by step)
Step 1 – Get all your toppings ready. Chop lettuce, onions, and cilantro then place them in separated bowls.
Make also your chiles toreados if you want some and make the salsa you’d like to serve over your tacos. I’ve made this guacamole salsa but also a salsa verde with tomatillos is a perfect option.
Step 2 – Cook your chorizo. In a large skillet or frying pan heat the oil or lard over medium heat. Add chorizo, crumble it with the back of a spoon and cook it, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes.
Once cooked, use a spoon to gather the meat near the border of the pan and leave the fat in the middle.
Step 3 – You can start heating the tortillas now. So, heat a cast-iron skillet, a griddle, or a comal over medium heat.
Slightly dip one side of the tortilla in the chorizo fat.
Heat 3-4 tortillas at a time from both sides until soft and pliable then place them on a plate and cover with foil to keep them warm.
Step 4 – Assemble your tacos. Place a flat tortilla on a plate, spoon the chorizo in the middle then add some lettuce, onions, and cilantro.
Repeat with each tortilla until all ingredients are gone. Serve your tacos de chorizo and drizzle with avocado salsa and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Enjoy!
Recommended Toppings
- Onions. Fresh chopped onions gives the perfect crunch to those tacos.
- Cilantro. Chopped cilantro is a must.
- Lettuce. Shredded or chopped.
- Beans. Cooked black or pinto beans, aka frijoles de la olla.
- Radishes. Diced or sliced.
- Potatoes. There’s a place in Aguascalientes that serve tacos de chorizo with mashed potatoes and they are delicious!
- Salsa taquera. This is a mild sauce and very easy to make.
- Salsa Roja. A fiery-red sauce, perfect for those who love spicy food.
Notes & Tips
- Don’t skip dipping the tortillas in the chorizo’s fat. Really, that’s a game-changer when making those tacos.
- Toppings are optional, many taco stands serve tacos de chorizo only with chopped onion and cilantro. While others offer more topping options. Is up to you, just don’t skip the salsa!
- Make ahead. You can prepare the chorizo and salsa up to 3 days ahead and the toppings one day ahead (keep them in air-tight containers). Then just assemble the tacos as you’re ready for lunch or dinner.
- Make them vegan. Use soy chorizo or mushroom chorizo and swap the lard for vegetable oil for a vegan version.
How To Store
Once assembled, chorizo tacos can’t be stored as the tortillas will get leathery and the other ingredients will get cold as well.
But, you can store the chorizo mixture once cooked in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Tortillas can also be stored before heating them for up to 1 week or up to 4 months in the fridge/freezer.
Salsas can be stored too, refer to any of our salsa recipes to know more about how to store them.
Fresh toppings like cilantro and onions can only be stored for one day in the fridge.
Drinks To Pair
Wondering what to drink with those chorizo tacos? Here are a few beverage recipes to pair with, let us know if you enjoyed some.
- Tamarind Drink (fresca).
- Classic Michelada.
- Agua de Guayaba (guava).
- Tamarind Margarita.
- Oats Fresca Water (agua de avena).
Chorizo Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb Mexican chorizo
- 16 small corn tortillas (or 8 regular tortillas)
- 2 Tbsp pork lard (or vegetable oil)
Toppings
- 1 cup onions (chopped)
- ½ cup cilantro (finely chopped)
- 2 cups lettuce (chopped)
- guacamole salsa
- chiles toreados
- limes
Instructions
- Heat the lard or oil over medium heat in a frying pan.
- Add chorizo, crumble it with the back of a spoon and cook it for about 10 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron skillet, a griddle or a comal over medium heat.
- Slightly dip the tortillas in the fat that chorizo released in the pan.
- Place tortillas in the heated skillet and heat both sides until soft and pliable.
- Place tortillas in a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them warm.
Assemble tacos
- Place a flat tortilla in a plate and add chorizo in the middle.
- Top with lettuce, onions, and cilantro.
- Repeat with each tortilla until all ingredients are gone.
- Serve with salsa and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
- Don’t skip dipping the tortillas in the chorizo’s fat. Really, that’s a game changer when making those tacos.
- Toppings are optional, many taco stands serves tacos de chorizo only with chopped onion and cilantro. While others offers more topping options. Is up to you, just don’t skip the salsa!
- Make ahead. You can prepare the chorizo and salsa up to 3 days ahead and the toppings one day ahead (keep them in air-tight containers). Then just assemble chorizo tacos as you’re ready for lunch or dinner.
Nutrition Information
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Amazing recipe, easy, straight to the point and with lots of information. I was able to make my chorizo tacos at the first try thanks to your recipe and tips. Thank you!
I needed a quick and delicious recipe for chorizo tacos and this is it! I read 4 other recipes before I found this one and they all seemed too complicated or too cheesy (I prefer the chorizo texture without gooey stuff on top). Thanks for the clear instructions and links to other recipes like Guacamole Salsa.