This simple and delicious chorizo taco recipe makes cooking dinner so much fun! In about 45 minutes, a restaurant worthy meal can be on your table!
Can Taco Tuesday be every Tuesday? Tequila shrimp tacos, carne asada tacos, mezcal pulled pork tacos… I love them all!
Is it the finger food factor? Possibly. Maybe it’s the combination of slaws, salsas and cremas? Or could it be the flavorful meats? Whatever it is, I’m hooked and you probably are too!
As often happens, a combination of factors inspired this recipe. I love chorizo sausage, but never thought of using it in a taco until Kevin and I went to this little hole in the wall Mexican restaurant.
The tacos were simple Mexican street tacos, very fresh and so yummy. Of all the taco meats I tried, the chorizo was my favorite. So, I put chorizo tacos on my list of recipes to try at home.
What kind of meat is chorizo?
This is a complicated question because there are two types of chorizo sausage, dried and fresh.
Chorizo in Spain and Portugal is a cured sausage which means it’s cooked and dried. It’s made of pork, but can include smoked paprika, hot pepper and herbs. It’s the type of sausage I used in my chorizo pinto beans recipe because it holds up nicely in slow cooked recipes.
Mexican chorizo is fresh pork sausage and although similar in flavor profile, must be cooked prior to eating. It’s great in eggs, soups and of course tacos! It’s cheaper than the dried variety and in my opinion, can be used in a greater variety of recipes.
Mexican chorizo is also easier to find. Even with pandemic shortages, chorizo was one of the few meats left on the shelf! I’m guessing most people don’t know what it is or don’t know how to use it. This chorizo taco recipe will fix both of those problems if you were one of those peeps!
What to put in tacos…
When I added chorizo tacos to my recipe testing list, there was no plan, just the idea. But the perfect taco recipe needs more than just meat or veggies to make it great!
You have to have a bit of sauce and a topping to make a taco complete. Salsa, crema, slaw, guacamole…. they make a taco delicious. And in most cases a bit of cheese will seal the deal! That’s how restaurants make delicious tacos.
I knew I needed something EXTRA but didn’t want it to be a long and involved recipe.
Inspiration struck when I ran across this jar of aioli. I LOVE everything that Stonewall Kitchen makes. Their gourmet condiments are interesting and nuanced, so if I’m in a hurry, I know that I can pick up a sauce or salsa rather than make it myself. You know Stonewall is good because I am PICKY!
The combo of mango and habanero sounded like the perfect compliment to spicy sausage, so in my cart it went!
Then I went to Target for household items and found ripe mangoes and avocados in the grocery section on sale. Suddenly, I had a plan in mind! A simple fresh salsa combined with the chorizo and aioli seemed perfect.
Add some flour tacos and dinner is so easy! I love that street sized tortillas are now available at the grocery store because they are the perfect size.
But with all the time I have on my hands right now, I feel like I should make my own tortillas! Someday…
The tacos were delicious the first time I made them. Perfect in fact! The aioli was not spicy, but rich with a flavor I can’t quite explain..almost slightly mustard like? Such a nice sauce to balance out the spiciness of the chorizo.
The fresh mango avocado salsa added a cooling sweetness to the tacos but also a tropical vibe. Queso fresco was like the icing on top. Kevin loved them so we tried them a couple more times before the pandemic hit.
Overnight, our store shelves were empty! I couldn’t find avocados and I wondered when I would be able to make chorizo tacos again!
Luckily, stores are mostly back to normal now. The produce section of my usual store is full of fruits and veggies, so I was able to find the mangoes, avocados, limes, jalapenos and cilantro I need to make the salsa.
I already had the chorizo in the freezer and leftover aioli (one jar will make 2-3 recipes). It’s been a challenge lately, but being able to make and photograph this taco recipe is a little slice of normalcy. And tacos make me so happy! Who knew that #tacotuesday combats those stress demons?
I hope you can find the ingredients to make these chorizo tacos, but just in case I’ve listed possible alternatives below.
Hope you and yours are well and eating well :-)
~Kitty
Ingredients and Substitutions
I realize that ingredients are hard to find right now so I’ve listed possible substitutions below. Feel free to skip ingredients and swap them as necessary.
Chorizo → this recipe calls for Mexican chorizo but I think that Spanish chorizo chopped small would be fine too. ‘Nduja and sujuk might be okay too, but would likely be more expensive.
Street taco tortillas → regular flour tortillas or make your own!
Limes → you just need the juice, so frozen lime juice would work. Or swap for lemon.
Mango → I think fresh peach would be good swap but this pineapple salsa recipe might be better
Avocado → edamame
Jalapenos → use another fresh hot pepper such as serrano but add to taste
Cilantro → a little fresh oregano or chives would be nice
Queso fresco → use cotija, queso blanco or a mild feta
Habanero mango aioli → mayonnaise or make homemade aioli
Chorizo Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 12 street taco tortillas
- 16 ounces chorizo sausage , removed from casing
- 2 limes , juiced
- 3 avocados , diced
- 2 mangoes , diced
- 4 jalapenos , seeded and finely diced
- 1 bunch cilantro , chopped
- 1 cup queso fresco , crumbled
- 6 tbsp mango habanero aioli
Instructions
- Lightly oil a skillet or cast iron pan and heat over medium high heat.
- Heat tortillas 30 seconds on each side, then place on a plate and cover with a moist towel so they don't dry out. They can be placed in the oven on warm until ready to serve.
- Turn pan to low and add chorizo, breaking it up as it cooks. Make sure to stir every few minutes.
- While chorizo cooks, juice limes and dice avocado. Mix them together well so that the avocado doesn't brown.
- Dice mangoes and jalapeno and add to avocado with chopped cilantro. Season salsa with salt to taste.
- To make tacos, smear each tortilla with aioli then layer with cooked chorizo, salsa and top with queso fresco.
Notes
- We used Hatfield chorizo sausage which comes in a one pound package and is loose sausage which really saves time.
- We also used Stonewall Kitchen's mango habanero aioli for speed. Contrary to the name, it's not spicy but it is super flavorful. But you can also make homemade aioli too.
Nutrition
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Analida Braeger says
We love chorizo in our house and use it all the time chopped up in eggs. The tacos with the aioli look fantastic! Thanks for all the tips!
Vintage Kitty says
You’re welcome Analida. Hope you give the recipe a try!
Andrea Howe says
Oh my goodness, I love the idea of this salsa to pair with spicy chorizo. We love having tacos once a week so this will have to go into the rotation.
Vintage Kitty says
You’re going to love it Andrea!
GUNJAN C Dudani says
ooohh!!! I am craving for some lip smacking Mexican food. Your images look so tempting. They are making me hungry.
Vintage Kitty says
Glad the photos look as tasty as the recipe! Get your Mexican food fix!
Marisa Franca says
I love your use of spicy, salty, sweet and the tangy lime. The tacos will make an ideal quick lunch for when my grandsons drop by. It’s been a while since I was able to make them something special and I know they’d love this.
Vintage Kitty says
All the flavors for maximum tongue excitement!
Connie says
Mmm these tacos are bomb! So fresh and yes, Taco Tuesdays exist every Tuesday in Phoenix! High Mexican population here and that chorizo is gone off our shelves! LOL
Vintage Kitty says
OMG that’s a crisis! I hope you can locate some chorizo Connie!
Ben says
Get in my belly! Taco Tuesday just got way more awesome. I can’t wait to make up a batch of these.
Vintage Kitty says
As Guy Fieri would say, welcome to flavor town!
Aline says
OMG I never thought of chorizo tacos, so thank you for bringing this to my world lol They look amazing and I just added to this week’s menu!! So excited!!
Vintage Kitty says
I know, right! It blew my mind too! So easy and delish!
Amanda says
These tacos are the best! I just love the spicy chorizo and habanero with the sweet mango — it adds such a nice depth of flavor. And they’re super simple too!
Vintage Kitty says
So happy you loved them Amanda!
Mikayla says
I’ve never tried chorizo in a taco and that totally surprised me, because it’s delicious! I usually pick up a pack for eggs but man, tacos are the new thing! Love all your suggestions for toppings, they were fresh and just spicy enough and totally binge worthy.
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks for letting me know how things went Mikayla. I’m so glad I could expand your culinary world!
Mary P says
Where have these been all of quarantine!? The rave reviews are in – this is what PERFECTION tastes like. These sweet, spicy, tangy, fresh, and comforting tacos have caused quite a buzz among our crew. There’s a line of neighbors at the door ready for us to open a lakeside Vintage Kitty taco stand (and to be honest, I’m actually considering it)! This was such a treat – thanks for bringing joy into our week with this recipe!
Vintage Kitty says
Mary, you’re so sweet! So happy you and the family enjoyed the recipe. I’ve been loving the lakeside sunsets you’ve been posting on Facebook. Can you beat lake + tacos? Quarantine might not be so bad!
Trishia says
The BEST tacos I’ve EVER had!!! I had the recipe as shown my only substitute was Morning Star Farms veggie chorizo because I’m on WW. I made them with the regular chorizo as well for the rest of my family and we all agree this is our favorite go to meals list!!
Vintage Kitty says
Wow! That’s high praise Trishia! So happy the whole family loved them!