This chorizo and chicken dish is baked and tastes great. It has all of your favorite Tex-Mex flavors in one dish. Chicken breasts bake in the oven surrounded by a sauce of pork chorizo, cream cheese, and green chilis. This is the best chorizo recipe I have ever made at home and a great low-carb or keto dinner idea!.
Chorizo chicken is a tasty take on the traditional Mexican chorizo sausage. By replacing the pork with chicken, it makes the dish lighter and healthier. It will tell you what chorizo chicken is, how it’s made, how it’s different from pork chorizo, and why you should try it.
What Exactly is Chorizo Chicken?
Chorizo chicken is a type of fresh, Mexican-style sausage made with ground chicken rather than the traditional pork. It’s seasoned with a blend of bold spices like smoked paprika, garlic, oregano, cumin, and chili powder to achieve that smoky, spicy chorizo flavor.
If you compare this to pork chorizo, the main difference is that chicken meat is used instead of fatty pork. This cuts down on fat and calories while still giving you big, bold flavors. The spices are what really make it taste like chorizo.
You can find chorizo chicken sausage sold raw or already cooked. It’s also easy to make at home with just ground chicken and your favorite blend of Mexican spices.
How is Chorizo Chicken Made?
The process of making chorizo chicken is actually quite simple
-
Start with ground chicken, ideally a mix of light and dark meat. Lean breast meat alone can dry out, so a combo works best.
-
Chilli powder, cumin, oregano, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt should all be added. Play around with the mix until you get the smoky, spicy taste you want.
-
Put the seasoned ground chicken into casings to make a traditional sausage. Alternatively, just keep it as loose bulk meat.
-
Cook the sausage in a skillet until browned and cooked through, breaking up any large chunks as you stir. Drain off excess fat.
The spices infuse the chicken with that rich, bold chorizo taste but without all the saturated fat and sodium of pork varieties. It’s quick and easy to throw together for a weeknight dinner.
Key Differences from Pork Chorizo
While the flavors are similar, chorizo chicken does have some key differences from traditional pork chorizo:
-
Leaner and lower fat: Chicken is naturally lower in fat and calories than pork. Chorizo chicken provides plenty of protein without the extra saturated fat and cholesterol of pork.
-
Milder spicing: Pork chorizo can pack some serious heat. Chicken chorizo tends to use milder chile peppers and less salt, making it more family-friendly.
-
Looser texture: Without the fat content of pork, chicken chorizo has a looser, crumbly texture when cooked vs. the dense, oily mouthfeel of pork chorizo.
-
More protein: Chicken provides more protein ounce for ounce than pork, making this a great option if you’re looking to add protein to a recipe.
Benefits and Nutrition of Chicken Chorizo
Switching to chicken chorizo offers several benefits:
-
Fewer calories and less fat: Chicken chorizo can have up to 50% fewer calories than pork varieties. This makes it ideal for anyone watching their weight.
-
More protein: Chicken provides about 25g protein per 4oz serving, giving you more muscle-building protein than fattier meats.
-
Less sodium: Spice blends for chicken chorizo often contain less sodium compared to pork recipes, which is better for your heart.
-
Lower cholesterol: Chicken contains way less cholesterol than red meat and pork products. Going with chicken chorizo helps control cholesterol levels.
-
Gluten-free: Most chicken chorizo is made without gluten-containing ingredients, perfect for gluten-free and celiac diets. Always check labels to be sure.
Nutritionally, chicken chorizo makes a smart swap. You cut calories, fat, and sodium without sacrificing the taste and protein you need.
How to Cook with Chicken Chorizo
The good news about chicken chorizo is that you can use it just like regular pork chorizo in your favorite recipes. Here are some delicious ways to cook with it:
-
Breakfast tacos or burritos: Cooked chorizo, eggs, cheese, potatoes, salsa – a perfect breakfast!
-
Quesadillas: Mix chorizo with cooked peppers and onions for a flavorful filling.
-
Nachos: Top corn chips with chorizo, beans, melted cheese, jalapenos, etc.
-
Pizza: Scatter spicy chorizo over a loaded pizza fresh from the oven.
-
Pasta sauce: Sauté chorizo and add to tomato sauce for extra flavor. Toss with your favorite pasta.
-
Chili or soups: Stir raw or cooked chorizo into hearty soups and chilis.
-
Salads: Crumbled cooked chorizo adds a spicy punch to taco salads or greens.
With its versatility, chorizo chicken can spice up breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between!
Where to Buy Chorizo Chicken
As chicken chorizo grows in popularity, it’s becoming easier to find:
-
Check the refrigerated or frozen meat sections at large supermarkets. It’s often near the raw sausages and chorizos.
-
Mexican grocery stores and butcher shops are a good source. Ask for “chorizo de pollo.”
-
Buy chicken chorizo sausage online from specialty meat companies if stores near you don’t carry it.
-
Make your own from ground chicken and spice mixes. Customize the flavors to your taste.
The bottom line is that chorizo chicken is readily available. With its rise in popularity, more stores now carry it both in sausage form or as bulk seasoned meat. It’s also easy to make your own special blend at home.
Should You Make the Switch?
For those looking for a leaner, lighter take on chorizo flavor, chicken chorizo is a smart choice. The reasons to give it a try include:
-
All the taste of classic chorizo but with less fat and calories
-
Higher in protein compared to pork varieties
-
Just as versatile as pork chorizo in recipes
-
Easy to find in stores or make yourself
-
Perfect for Mexican dishes, breakfasts, pizzas and more
-
Ideal if you’re limiting cholesterol, fat or sodium
With its excellent nutrition stats and convenience, chorizo chicken earns its spot as a tasty, healthier alternative to pork chorizo. So next time a recipe calls for chorizo, try subbing in the chicken version for a deliciously leaner meal. Your waistline and tastebuds will thank you!
FAQs About Chicken Chorizo
What’s the difference between chicken chorizo and pork chorizo?
The main difference is chicken chorizo uses ground chicken instead of fatty pork. It has a similar smoky, spicy taste but is lower in fat and calories.
Is chicken chorizo healthy?
Yes, chicken chorizo is healthier than pork varieties due to its leaner protein and lower sodium and cholesterol. In moderation, it can be part of a balanced diet.
How do you cook chicken chorizo?
Simply sauté chorizo in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked and browned. Break up any large chunks as it cooks. Then add to your favorite recipes as you would pork chorizo.
Can you freeze chicken chorizo?
Absolutely. Raw chorizo sausage or cooked crumbled chorizo can be frozen for 1-3 months. Thaw in the fridge before using.
Is chicken chorizo gluten free?
Most chicken chorizo contains only simple spices with no gluten ingredients. However, always check labels to confirm the brand you’re using is certified gluten free.
Chori Pollo Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use regular pork sausage in this recipe and it will be completely delicious. However, it will not be chori pollo. You have to use chorizo sausage for that authentic-tasting dish in the end. Most grocery stores carry a few different varieties of chorizo in their Latin section of the refrigerated foods. And if not, don’t hesitate to ask your grocery store manager if they can order you some!.
Because it is just as salty as Parmesan cheese, cotija cheese is often called the Parmesan of Mexican food. It is made from cow’s milk. Most grocery stores have it in their Latin section of the refrigerated groceries so look there. If you don’t have any, you can use fresh parmesan cheese instead. Just don’t use the fake cheese that comes in green cans!!
Reading how to pronounce a phrase in another language is rarely helpful. Hearing it is the only way to go. So, here is a link to the pronunciation ==> How To Pronounce Chori Pollo. If that doesn’t help, just call it chicken chorizo instead and you’ll be good to go!
If you are eating a low-carb or keto diet, chori pollo is an amazing recipe because it only has 4 grams of carbohydrates in each serving. That includes one whole chicken breast and the creamy chorizo sauce as well. It’s a large serving of delicious protein for a very low carb count.
Chori is the word for chorizo sausage. Most chorizo is made with pork, but some is made with chicken, organ meat, or plant-based meat alternatives. As far as seasonings, that is dependent on where the chori is made. Generally, it is seasoned with garlic, smoked paprika, chilis, annatto seed, and either white wine or vinegar. All of these ingredients make for an amazing chicken recipe!.
Yes, chori pollo makes a great freezer meal. To do so, you’ll prepare the chorizo sauce from the recipe, then assemble the dish in a heavy-duty aluminum pan with a lid. Using these disposable pans frees up your good pans for whatever else you need them for. Do not bake the dish as directed in the recipe. Instead, cover with plastic wrap, then the foil lid. Mark the lid with directions for baking, the name of the recipe, and the date. To prepare the dish, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 2-3 days then follow the baking directions as listed in the recipe below.
If you are lucky enough to have some leftover chori pollo, package up the chicken into airtight containers while the leftovers are still warm. Allowing the leftovers to cool before putting them in the fridge allows bacteria the chance to grow and no one wants potential food poisoning! Store your leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days, or in the freezer for 3 months. Leftovers make great chori pollo tacos or burritos! In fact, this is one of those magic recipes that is actually more delicious on day two than it was on day one!
How to Make Chori Pollo?
Oftentimes, you’ll prepare chori pollo in one pan on the stove. For this recipe, you’ll cook the chorizo and sauce on the stove, then finish the dish in the oven. I love cooking like this because it allows me to walk away from a dish as it cooks.
- Stir-fry the chorizo in a big pan over high heat until it’s fully cooked. Do not drain.
- To make the chori pollo sauce, mix the chorizo with the tomatoes and cheese.
- Put the chicken in a large casserole dish and cover it with sauce. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Serve on its own or over some steamed rice.