This recipe for Papas con chorizo, or potatoes with Mexican sausage, is a classic Mexican breakfast dish that requires only a few ingredients.
It is very easy to make, especially when you have leftover cooked potatoes. Papas con chorizo are a staple for breakfast, but also in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, sopes, tortas and more.
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This recipe is parte of my growing collection of Mexican recipes where you can find a multitude of dishes to honor the Mexican cuisine. This Caldo De Pollo is a great soup to make year round, but is especially good when you are under the weather. Chicken Tinga is one of my favorite recipes to make and perfect for entertaining, as it can feed a crowd.
Mexican Pork in Green Sauce is a shortcut recipe that uses store bought salsa and pork, for an easy dinner. You also need to try these Easy Chicken Tacos. You must make the tacos for Taco Tuesday.
🥘 What is papas con chorizo?
Papas con chorizo is like a warm hug in the morning! It's this awesome Mexican breakfast that mixes up crispy, golden potatoes with this deliciously spicy chorizo. When you cook them together, the potatoes get all these amazing flavors from the chorizo.
It's usually served with tortillas, and you can throw an egg on top if you like. It's not just a breakfast thing though, you can totally have it any time you need a bit of comfort food.
🌭 What is chorizo?
Chorizo is a Mexican sausage and it is made all over Mexico. Each region has its balance of spices, chiles, and herbs. The legend says that the best chorizo you can find is the one made in Toluca, west of Mexico City.
However, there are over 100 varieties of chorizos in Mexico, which is not surprising to me when I think about how vast Mexican cuisine is.
You can buy pork or beef chorizo. The pork is the popular one, and the meat in this sausage is chopped, not ground. It is seasoned and stuffed into casings made from the pig's small intestines.
Most of the chorizo you will find in the stores is fresh, but some types are dried and preserved for later use. When you cook the chorizo, you need to remove the skin, crumble the meat and cook it over low heat until the fat renders out.
🇲🇽 🇪🇸 Is Mexican chorizo sausage the same as Spanish chorizo?
No, they are not the same. Spanish chorizo is a cured sausage, and the main ingredient besides pork meat is sweet or smoked paprika. You can also find it in a softer form that will need to be cooked.
You can serve it as an appetizer, next to other cured meats, like Jamon Serrano, or add it to soups and stews for its exquisite flavor.
Mexican chorizo has chopped, or ground pork or beef, and you have to cook it, as the meat inside is raw. It contains a variety of spices, chiles, and herbs. Some of the peppers used in making chorizo are chiles, ancho, and pasilla.
Cloves, coriander, oregano, cumin seeds, garlic, paprika, and vinegar are only some of the few ingredients used in chorizo recipes.
🏬 Where To Buy Chorizo
This note is for people living in the US, as in Mexico, you can find chorizo in any store and any market. First, try your local Latin/Mexican store, where you can find fresh and delicious sausage.
Otherwise, any large grocery store should carry at least one or two brands of pork chorizo.
If you want to buy it online, here are some brands that are good (affiliated links): El Mexicano Pork Chorizo Sausage, Cacique Pork Chorizo.
📝 Ingredients
Potatoes: The best potatoes for this dish are Russet or Yukon Gold. However, this dish should not be an expensive or fancy one, so any potato that holds its shape during cooking is a good choice.
Chorizo: You need Mexican chorizo.
Chipotle Chiles: In many parts of Mexico this dish also has chiles chipotle added to the meat and potatoes for extra heat and flavor.
While this is not mandatory, I encourage you to use them. Canned chipotles in adobo sauce are preferred. If you don't want the dish too spicy add only one chopped pepper to your dish.
Other Optional Ingredients
You can add chopped onion when you add the potatoes and some garlic powder, but it is not necessary. Mexican chorizo has lots of flavors, and the Chipotle chile brings smokiness to the dish.
👩🍳 How To Make Papas Con Chorizo
Step 1. Start with the potatoes. Wash, peel, and cube them. Place the potatoes in a pot of salted water and boil them until tender. Drain and set aside.
Sometimes I skip boiling the potatoes and add them when chorizo is half way cooked. This way, I allow the potatoes to soak in the juices from the meat and get more flavor.
Step 2. Cook the Mexican chorizo: Remove the casing from the chorizo and place it in a pan on medium-low heat. Cook the meat, stirring to break up any clumps. It should not take more than 10 minutes to cook the sausage. Do not overcook the meat. Just cook it until the fat has rendered out.
Step 3. Assemble the dish: Add the potatoes and Chipotle chilies (these are optional) to the pan with the chorizo and cook everything over medium heat, stirring once in a while, until the potatoes brown a little. Set the mixture aside to cool before serving it.
🍽️ How To Serve
Papas con chorizo is a versatile dish that makes a delicious filling for a variety of Mexican antojitos. It pairs perfectly with burritos, gorditas, tacos, enchiladas or empanadas, adding a burst of flavor to these traditional delights. Here are some ideas:
- Tacos: Warm corn or flour tortillas are filled with the cooked potatoes and chorizo mixture, often accompanied by toppings like diced onions, cilantro, salsa, or a squeeze of lime juice.
- Breakfast or Brunch: It can be served alongside eggs, such as scrambled eggs or fried eggs, and a side of refried beans. Try my recipe for Authentic Migas Recipe (Mexican Scrambled Eggs).
- Burritos or Quesadillas: Spoons of papas con chorizo are wrapped in a flour tortilla along with other ingredients like cheese, beans, or vegetables, then heated until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy.
- Sopes or Tostadas: Sopes are small thick tortillas topped with the chorizo and potato mixture, along with various toppings like refried beans, lettuce, cheese, and salsa. Tostadas are crispy tortillas topped with the papas con chorizo and garnished with ingredients like shredded lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole.
- Side Dish: Papas con chorizo can also be served as a flavorful side dish alongside main courses like grilled meats or roasted chicken or as an accompaniment to rice and beans.
For example, this simple recipe is enough for 12 quesadillas OR 12 tacos. If you want to serve this dish as a light main course, it should be enough for four servings.
❄️ How To Store
In the refrigerator: Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a maximum of 4-5 days. Leftovers can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. Freeze them for up to 2-3 months.
🌮 More Mexican Recipes To Love
📖 Recipe
How To Make Papas Con Chorizo
Ingredients
- 1 pound about 4 medium-small Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, cooked and diced (or a bag of frozen diced potatoes)
- 9 ounces Mexican chorizo or 3-4 links of chorizo, casing removed
- salt and pepper to your taste might not be necessary if chorizo is salty
- 2 canned chiles chipotles in adobo chopped small
- 1 small onion, optional diced
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes: Wash, peel, and cube the potatoes. Place them in a pot of salted water and boil them for 10-15 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the Mexican chorizo: Place a pan on medium-low heat and add the sausage meat. Cook, stirring to break up any clumps. Optional, add some diced onion. It should take about 10 minutes before the meat gets cooked through and the fat has rendered out. Do not let the meat become hard and overcooked.
- Assemble the dish: Add the potatoes and the chilies and let the mixture cook over medium flame, stirring it from time to time until the potato has browned a little. Set the mixture aside to cool off a little before serving it.
Gigi says
I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious. Thank you for the very clear instructions!
Gabriela says
You are very welcome! I am happy it came out good! I like this recipe too!