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    Home • Main Dishes • Healthy Homemade Chicken Chorizo

    Healthy Homemade Chicken Chorizo

    Published: Jan 4, 2020 · Last Modified: Dec 17, 2022 by Beyond Mere Sustenance with Leave a Comment· This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads ·

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    A cast iron skillet of cooked chorizo with a wood spoon and bright cloth napkin.
    A collage of photos - cooked chorizo and uncooked chorizo.
    A Pinterest pin with both raw and cooked homemade healthy chorizo sausage.

    A quintessential Mexican ingredient, Healthy Homemade Chicken Chorizo recipe provides all the flavor of its fattier counterpart without the fat and calories! This easy chorizo sausage is ready to cook and add to your favorite recipes in just minutes...

    A cast iron skillet with Healthy Homemade Chicken Chorizo cooked, a wooden spoon, and a small bowl of red chile powder.
    Jump to:
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Tamara Talks - Is Chorizo Healthy?
    • 🥖 What is Mexican Chorizo?
    • 🥖 Is Mexican Chorizo Healthy?
    • 📋 Ingredients for Healthy Chicken Chorizo
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • ❓ FAQ
    • 💭 Tips
    • 🧂 Useful Stuff
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 🍲 How to Use Mexican Chorizo
    • 💬 Comments

    👩🏻‍🍳 Tamara Talks - Is Chorizo Healthy?

    I grew up on Mexican chorizo. It was ALWAYS in our tacos and frequently in our scrambled eggs as well. I loved it then, but it usually resembled fatty orange grease with very little in the way of solids. However, it did deliver on flavor!

    I found the well-known brand that frequently ended up in the cast iron skillet when I was growing up. Here's a list of the ingredients: Pork salivary glands, lymph nodes and fat, chorizo seasoning, pork, vinegar, soy grits, sodium nitrite. YUCK! Are you interested in eating "pork salivary glands" and "lymph nodes?" I definitely am not.

    Over the years, and in my quest to cook healthy Mexican food, I have found some healthier chorizo options - particularly the house made chicken chorizo at Sprouts and the San Manual chicken chorizo.

    However, I am one that wants to know exactly what is in the food I eat... especially with sausage. It has been on my "to do" list for years (literally) to make my own Healthy Homemade Chorizo Sausage Recipe.

    So here we are just days into 2020. The "New Years Resolutionaries" are out in force, and I'm hoping they'll find this easy Mexican chorizo sausage recipe!

    🥖 What is Mexican Chorizo?

    While Spanish chorizo and Mexican chorizo share some ingredients, they are very different. Most importantly, Mexican chorizo is a RAW sausage, while Spanish chorizo is cured and dried (it can be eaten uncooked). Please don't confuse the two!

    Mexican chorizo is a heavily spiced sausage that gets its color from red chiles and paprika. Not all recipes include annatto, but I love its earthy flavor and brilliant red hue, and chose to include it in my chorizo recipe.

    Traditionally, chorizo involves grinding the meat, toasting, hydrating, blending and straining dried chiles, then stuffing casings. I have completed this arduous task with the help of the sausage attachment on my KitchenAid.

    The process is time consuming, and I have never cooked chorizo in the casing. My easy chorizo sausage recipe is EASY. Haha.

    I suppose one might say this is "cheater" chorizo because I start with ground turkey, chicken, or lean pork (rather than grinding my own), and add ground spices rather than starting with dried red chiles.

    The end result provides all the Mexican flavor you're looking to add to your healthy breakfast recipe or Healthy Mexican Seafood Soup, and you don't have to squeeze it out of the casings before cooking!

    🥖 Is Mexican Chorizo Healthy?

    Not all chorizo is created equal! This homemade Mexican chicken chorizo recipe is healthy because it is made with healthy, lean meat (chicken, turkey, pork, bison, or lean ground meat) and no preservatives. As I've often said, a lot (if not most) commercial chorizo is made with "mystery meat" and contains a lot of fat and preservatives. It is possible to find lean chorizo. Our butcher department has house made pork chorizo that leaves almost no grease in the pan when cooked.

    📋 Ingredients for Healthy Chicken Chorizo

    Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.

    All of the ingredients for healthy homemade chorizo sausage ready to be added to the ground chicken - garlic, red chile powder, salt, spices, Mexican oregano, vinegar.
    • ground chicken - I can get ground chicken at a local market, and it is perfect for this homemade chorizo because it has a little bit of fat in it. Ground turkey, bison, and lean pork are good options as well. You can even use a mixture.
    • red chile powder - Ancho, guajillo, New Mexico red chile powder are good options. DO NOT USE generic "chili powder." It's a spice blend that will
    • paprika
    • Mexican oregano
    • annatto powder - Achiote powder is another name for this ingredient.
    • ground cumin
    • cinnamon
    • cloves
    • garlic
    • vinegar - White or apple cider vinegar are fine.

    🔪 Instructions

    Recipe steps - 1. Add ground chicken, spices, and remaining ingredients to a bowl. 2. Combine thoroughly.
    1. Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Combine thoroughly (hands are best!).
    2. Form into a ball, then divide into zip bags or containers. This chorizo sausage recipe makes about 2 pounds. I divide it into 4 bags of approximately ½ pound each, then freeze 3 for later use.

    ❓ FAQ

    How long can I store my chorizo?

    I usually ½ pound in the refrigerator (for up to a week), and freeze the remainder in ½ pound bags for up to 3 months (longer in a deep freeze).

    💭 Tips

    • I have used very lean ground turkey, ground chicken thighs, and lean ground pork, as well as a combination of lean ground meat in this recipe. They're all good.
    • The chorizo may be lean enough to require spraying the pan with cooking spray. I usually do.
    • After disposing of a bunch of freezer-burned food recently, I invested in reusable sous vide bags with a pump. They're great!
    • You can minimize the heat level by choosing chile powder on the milder side (New Mexico chile powder comes in mild to hot varieties). You can also cut some of the heat with more paprika and less red chile powder.

    🧂 Useful Stuff

    Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps to offset the costs of maintaining my blog and creating awesome content! 😊

    Ancho Chile Powder
    Hatch Red Chile Powder
    Sous Vide Bags

    I love having fresh homemade chorizo ready to use, but I especially love grabbing an already made zip bag from my freezer! The chorizo is so quick and easy to make with readily available ingredients... why not give it a try?

    Signature in red and green with chiles and limes. Healthyish Latin cuisine.

    📖 Recipe

    📖 Recipe

    A blue cutting mat with 2 pounds of homemade lean chorizo sausage.

    Homemade Chicken Chorizo Recipe

    Tamara Andersen
    A healthy homemade bulk chorizo sausage ready to cook in minutes before adding to your favorite healthy Mexican recipes!
    Dairy Free
    Gluten Free
    Peanut Free
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSave Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Main Dishes
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 2 pounds
    Calories 96 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds ground chicken - see notes
    • 4 tablespoons red chile powder - see notes
    • 2 tablespoons paprika
    • 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano
    • 2 teaspoons annatto powder
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon each cinnamon and cloves
    • 2 teaspoons garlic - minced
    • ½ cup white or apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt

    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix thoroughly.
    • Divide into zip bags or containers for now and later!
    • Enjoy!

    Notes

    I really like ground chicken thighs when I can find it. I have also found similarly lean ground pork and ground turkey are excellent. A mixture is also a good option. The chorizo all tastes great, and will beat the macros on store bought!
    I use a combination of ancho or chipotle chile powder and New Mexico red chile powder. Avoid using generic "chili powder" as it is a spice mix rather than pure red chile powder.
    You can minimize the heat level by choosing chile powder on the milder side (New Mexico chile powder comes in mild to hot varieties). You can also cut some of the heat with more paprika and less red chile powder.
    I use about 2 ounces chorizo per person when adding to eggs, grits, etc. That means my recipe yields 16 servings. You may choose to add more or less.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g

    NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and/or star rating! Email us with any questions: tamara@beyondmeresustenance.com

    🍲 How to Use Mexican Chorizo

    • A close up of 3 chorizo and egg breakfast tacos on a grey ceramic plate topped with sliced avocado and radishes.
      Easy Texas Breakfast Tacos
    • Frittata Muffins
      Mexican Mini-Frittatas with Chorizo and Cotija
    • A round white plate with Mexican waffles topped with a poached egg and garnished with avocado.
      Mexican Waffles with Chorizo
    • A close up of a Dutch oven with Mexican shrimp boil with corn, potatoes, and zucchini and a ladle.
      Mexican Seafood Boil with Shrimp and Chorizo
    • A healthy Mexican turkey burger on a whole grain bun, a bowl of mashed avocado, and a bowl of blood orange aioli.
      Healthy Turkey and Chorizo Burgers
    • A grey speckled bowl of corn squash and tomatoes simmered in beer topped with 4 seared scallops.
      Seared Scallops with Beer and Chorizo
    • A copper tray with roasted cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and purple potatoes with an orange bowl of Mexican chorizo mayonnaise in the center.
      Mexican Chorizo Mayonnaise with Roasted Veggies
    • Healthy Chorizo Grits Breakfast Bowls
    • A white ceramic bowl with the black beans, tortilla, pickled onion, avocado, cheese, print napkin and copper flatware.
      Black Beans and Greens
    • Bison Tacos
    • 3 Mexican chorizo stuffed mushrooms with a small bowl of cilantro ranch and copper flatware and grey napkin.
      Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms
    • A soup pot of the finished Mexican seafood soup on a marble background.
      Mexican Seafood Soup
    • Gluten free healthy Mexican shrimp and grits in a red stoneware bowl with avocado and cilantro.
      Healthy Mexican Shrimp and Grits
    • Mexican Shrimp Ceviche Flatbread Feature Image Square
      Grilled Mexican Pizza with Shrimp Ceviche and Avocado Hummus

    More Healthy and Healthyish Main Dish Recipes

    • Chicken Broccoli Bleu Cheese Pasta in a cast iron skillet.
      Chicken Broccoli and Bleu Cheese Pasta
    • A copper sheet pan with 4 tostadas de tinga de pollo.
      Chicken Tostadas Tinga with Potatoes
    • A cast iron skillet with the completed savory kumquat chicken and vegetables.
      Savory Kumquat Chicken
    • An aqua ceramic plate with 2 Irish tacos, copper fork, and orange napkin.
      Irish Tacos with Corned Beef and Spicy Slaw

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