Mexican Chorizo Tacos in 15 Minutes
Looking for a quick weeknight dinner that doesn’t lack flavor? These chorizo tacos are ready in 15 minutes, with juicy, spicy Mexican chorizo tucked into warm corn tortillas and finished with the authentic street corn trio of onion, cilantro, and lime.
They’re my family’s go-to when we want something different from ground beef tacos. The chorizo cooks up with so much flavor, and my trick for crisping the edges gives the filling irresistible texture. We usually keep the toppings authentic, but sometimes we pile on sour cream, cheese, or avocado to cool things down.
Recipe highlights:
- Fast: On the table in under 20 minutes.
- Authentic: Classic Mexican flavors of chorizo, cilantro, onion, and lime.
- Flexible: Dress them up with toppings like jalapeno ranch or pickled onions.
- Family-friendly: Spicy and bold, but easy to mellow with cooling add-ons.
- Texture: My crisping tip makes the chorizo flavorful and slightly crunchy.
Need another taco recipe? Try pork tenderloin tacos, quesabirria tacos, carne asada tacos, or ground pork tacos.
Mexican vs. Spanish Chorizo: What You Need Here
This recipe uses raw Mexican chorizo, not Spanish chorizo. The difference matters.
Mexican chorizo is sold fresh and uncooked, usually in a casing or bulk. It’s made with ground pork seasoned with chili powder, cumin, garlic, and vinegar. It crumbles like ground beef as it cooks and develops crispy, caramelized edges when you leave it alone in the skillet. This is what you want.
Spanish chorizo is cured and dried, similar to salami or pepperoni. It’s already cooked. If you try to crumble it in a skillet the way this recipe calls for, it won’t work. Spanish chorizo is great sliced thin on a charcuterie board it’s just a different ingredient.
At the grocery store: Look for it in the refrigerated meat section, usually near the ground pork and sausages. It often comes in a red or orange-tinted casing. Remove the casing before cooking.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mexican chorizo (1 pound): Fresh, bulk or in a casing. Remove the casing if it has one. Do not use Spanish chorizo.
- Corn tortillas: Small street taco-size, about 4 to 5 inches. Warm them directly over a gas flame or in a dry skillet.
- White onion: Finely diced. White onion is sharper and more traditional for street tacos than yellow onion.
- Fresh cilantro: Roughly chopped. The fresh herb that ties everything together.
- Lime: Cut into wedges for squeezing at the end. Don’t skip the lime — the acidity cuts the richness of the chorizo.
- Optional toppings (see below).
Mexican Chorizo vs. Spanish Chorizo
There are two types of chorizo sausage: Spanish and Mexican. Here’s the difference!
- Mexican chorizo (what we’re using): it’s uncooked, ground, spicy, and you can find it with the other ground meat. You can also make your own homemade chorizo.
- Spanish chorizo: it’s dried and cured in casings and is typically found in the ready-to-eat cured sausages. Think Kielbasa or cooked chicken sausage.
Need another Mexican recipe? try fiesta shrimp bowls, healthy chicken enchiladas, steak nachos, or salmon with mango salsa next!
How to Make Chorizo Tacos
- Cook the onions: Cook the onion with olive oil in a medium-high skillet to sweat and soften.
- Cook the chorizo: Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and use a wooden spoon to break it into smaller pieces. Then leave it alone. Drain excess fat: Once the chorizo is fully cooked and crispy at the edges, tip the pan and spoon off the excess rendered fat. You want a thin coat of fat left in the pan, not a pool of it.
- Warm the tortillas: Warm corn tortillas directly over a gas flame for about 30 seconds per side until lightly charred, or in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Stack under a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
- Assemble: Spoon chorizo onto each tortilla. Top with white onion and fresh cilantro. Squeeze lime over the top. Add any additional toppings and serve immediately.
- Serve and enjoy! Divide the chorizo mixture into the warm tortillas then top with authentic toppings including chopped onion, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Topping Ideas
The classic version is just onion, cilantro, and lime. Here are the additions that make these your own:
Avocado crema: The high-protein avocado sauce that takes these from a street taco to a full meal. Drizzle over the top.
Sliced avocado or guacamole: Simple and clean.
Pickled red onion: Adds brightness and acidity that plays against the rich chorizo.
Cotija or queso fresco: Crumbled over the top for a salty, creamy layer.
Salsa verde or pico de gallo: The tomato freshness cuts the fat in the chorizo.
Jalapeño: Sliced fresh or pickled.
Toppings and Variations
- Sauces: try creamy jalapeno ranch, cilantro chimichurri, avocado crema or classic guacamole.
- Cheese: queso fresco, shredded Mexican cheese,
- Onion: red onion or Mexican pickled onion (my favorite!).
- Sweet & Spicy: top with pineapple mango salsa or Chipotle corn salsa.
- Beans: Refried beans or black beans
- Chorizo breakfast tacos: Add scrambled eggs.
- Cheesy tacos: Melt cheese onto tortillas before filling or finish with cottage cheese queso or dairy free cashew queso.
Tested Tips & Tricks
- Get crispy chorizo: Resist stirring too much! Letting the chorizo sit helps it caramelize.
- Keep tortillas warm: Stack and wrap them in a clean towel until ready to serve.
- Tone down the heat: Balance the spice with sour cream, cheese, or avocado.
FAQ
Mexican chorizo fresh and raw, not Spanish chorizo, which is cured and already cooked. Mexican chorizo crumbles in the skillet like ground meat and develops crispy caramelized bits as it cooks. Look for it in the refrigerated meat section.
If your chorizo comes in a casing, yes. Just squeeze or slit the casing and push the meat out. Bulk chorizo (the kind sold in a log or patty) doesn’t need any prep.
Yes. The flavor profile is slightly different corn tortillas have a more traditional street taco quality but flour works fine if that’s what you have.
Gas flame: hold the tortilla with tongs directly over the flame for 20 to 30 seconds per side until lightly charred. Skillet: medium-high heat, dry pan, 30 seconds per side. Stack them under a clean kitchen towel to keep warm and pliable.
The chorizo reheats well. Cook it fully, let it cool, and refrigerate for up to three days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat. Warm the tortillas fresh when you’re ready to serve.
Mexican chorizo is moderately spicy from the chili powder. The heat level varies by brand. If you want less spice, look for “mild” labeled chorizo or add a creamy topping like avocado crema to balance it.
Easy Chorizo Tacos
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Ingredients
Chorizo Tacos
- 1-2 Tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 medium white onion diced and divided
- 1 lb Mexican chorizo bulk raw chorizo or chorizo sausages with casings removed
- 12 corn tortillas
- Street Taco Toppings: cilantro, fresh limes, and white onion
Instructions
- Cook the onion (3 min): Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add half of the diced onion and cook to sweat for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.1-2 Tablespoons avocado oil, 1 medium white onion
- Crisp the chorizo (8 min): Crumble the chorizo on top and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, until no pink remains. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, only stirring 2-3 more times to let the outsides of the chorizo crisp and char.1 lb Mexican chorizo
- Warm the tortillas (2 min): Heat a griddle or separate dry skillet over medium heat to warm the tortillas. Cook them for 30-60 seconds on each side, or until warmed through. Alternately, cook them over an open gas flame for 15-20 seconds on each side, until charred.12 corn tortillas
- Serve: Spoon the chorizo mixture into the warmed corn tortillas then top with the remaining chopped onion, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Or add your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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My husband even commented that this recipe tastes SO much better than Chipotle! I made my own chorizo blend following your recipe directions. It’s so simple & easy to make and it packs a BIG flavor punch. I paired it with homemade sourdough tortillas = perfection! Molly you knocked it out of the park yet again.
Wow! What a high compliment. Thanks so much for sharing, Bri!
So simple and so delicious. Great recipe!
I’d like to know how to make hard tacos with chorizo
Just use hard tacos instead of soft!
Perfect. I needed details on how to cook chorizo correctly – so it gets crispy but doesn’t burn. This took guesswork out of it and made it an easy meal. Thank you
I love reading a post that can make people think. Also, thank you for permitting me to comment!
So simple and delicious
Thank you!