Homemade Chorizo Burger

One full chorizo cheeseburger sits in the background between two halves of another chorizo burger.

Howdy folks, and thanks for stopping by the website! This week’s video is a twofer: I’m going to teach you how to make mouthwatering homemade Mexican chorizo, and then you and I are going to make a showstopping chorizo burger. I’ve made many burgers and different varieties of meats in my life – and this just might be the most flavorful burger yet.

Mexican Chorizo 

You can usually find Mexican chorizo in grocery stores in states along the Mexican border. It’s not the cured, hard sausages from Spain that you put in Paella. Mexican chorizo is prepared and sold raw, and you’ve got to cook it up. In the U.S. South it’s mostly used in breakfast foods. My favorite way to make it is to cook some chorizo in a skillet and scramble some eggs in with it. It’s a buttery, spicy, delicious breakfast and when we’re done with the Chorizo, you’ll be able to make it yourself. You’ll thank me, I promise you.

Store-bought chorizo is usually really greasy. It’s made from scrap parts of animals and it is how people brought delicious flavor to the least tasty parts of the animal so as to not waste any part of the animals they hunted. If you’ve ever made you some Venison chorizo or similar, I wouldn’t turn down a plate.

Step One: Rehydrate Dried Chiles

The red coloring that distinguishes Chorizo from other sausages is because it’s made from dried chilies. You’ll need Guajillo, Ancho, and Hatch Chilies – all dried and whole. Remove the stems and seeds, and boil until the chilies are soft and pliable.

Tip: Sometimes dried Hatch chilies are labelled as “New Mexico” chilies.

Step Two: Puree the Chilies and Spices

Spoon the chilies out of the boiling water and into a blender or food processor with the garlic and spices listed in the recipe below. Add a capful or so of Apple Cider Vinegar, and blend until completely smooth.

Step Three: Mix the Chili Puree With the Meat

Select the leanest breakfast sausage you can find – this will reduce the amount of grease in the food – and mix the puree into the meat until fully incorporated. Chill for 6-12 hours before cooking. You may keep this in the ice box for up to four days.

Mexican Chorizo Burgers

To make the perfect chorizo burger, mix one part chorizo and two parts 80/20 Certified Angus Beef. Mix together well and divide into baseball sized portions and flatten into a burger. Place in the ice box for about 30 minutes.

Tip: The chorizo will behave better on the grill if it’s chilled. 

Season all over with Mesquite Seasoning just before you add to the grill.

Place the burgers on the indirect heat side of the grill to give them about 10 minutes in a Mesquite smoke bath (throw some chunks of mesquite in with your hardwood lump coals). Then, grill the chorizo burgers until they reach an internal temperature of 155F.

When the burgers are almost ready, melt some butter in a cast iron skillet. Crack one egg for each burger until the whites are set up and then place on top of the chorizo burger. Add your preferred toppings – here are my suggestions: Red onion, cheddar and pepper jack cheese, and mayonnaise.

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Homemade Pork Chorizo - Cowboy Kent Rollins

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 12 hours 20 minutes
Servings 2 lbs.

Ingredients
  

  • 6 guajillo chili peppers dried and seeded
  • 5 ancho chili peppers dried and seeded
  • 3 Hatch or New Mexico chili peppers dried and seeded
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons cumin
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 3 teaspoons whole oregano
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • ½ tablespoon Kent Rollins' Chili Seasoning or chili seasoning of your suiting
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • 4 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds lean ground breakfast pork sausage

Instructions
 

  • Place the peppers and garlic cloves in a stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
  • Strain the contents from the stockpot and place in a blender. Add the apple cider vinegar, cumin, bay leaves, oregano, smoked paprika, onion powder, chili seasoning, salt and black pepper. Blend on high for about 4 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula a few times while blending to ensure it is all mixed well. Note: if the mixture is not blending smoothly, you can add a small amount of the pepper water.
  • Let the blended peppers cool for about 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the sausage to a large mixing bowl. Pour the contents of the blender in with the sausage and mix well with your hands for about 2 minutes.
  • Cover and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but preferably for 12 hours.
  • Chorizo can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Chorizo Burgers - Cowboy Kent Rollins

Prep Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ pounds 80/20 ground beef
  • ¾ pound chorizo
  • 3 tablespoons Kent’s Mesquite seasoning or salt and pepper
  • Cheese for topping
  • Sliced tomato for topping
  • Sliced purple onion for topping
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 2 tablespoons butter plus more for spreading
  • 4 large eggs
  • Mayonnaise for spreading

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl combine the beef and chorizo meats and mix well with your hands.
  • Divide the mixture into four equal pieces and form into patties. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the grill/smoker to about 300 degrees F. with the coals on one side of the grill for direct and indirect heat.
  • Place burgers on the indirect heat side and shut the lid. Smoke for 10 minutes. Move the burgers over direct heat and continue cooking until cooked through, or internal temperature is about 155 degrees F., flipping as needed.
  • Move the burgers back over the indirect heat and top with cheese slices. Spread butter on the undersides of the buns and toast over the direct heat.
  • Place a large skillet over the direct heat side and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Crack the eggs in the skillet and cook to desired doneness.
  • To assemble the burgers: spread mayonnaise on the bottom buns, followed by a slice of tomato, burger patty, fried egg, onions and top bun. Serve immediately.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!