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This Chorizo Chili is an easy one-pot meal that’s both delicious and satisfying. Bold flavors of traditional chili with a Tex-Mex twist come together for a comforting dish, thanks to the addition of Mexican chorizo!
Few things are as satisfying and comforting as a big bowl of chili.
You know that feeling I’m talking about – that cozy, relaxed, snuggly feeling like everything is right in the world, and all you want to do is sit on your comfy couch and eat more chili? Yeah, that feeling.
This chorizo chili recipe will take you to that place, and it will not disappoint!
Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s an easy one-pot meal. Any meal that uses the fewest dishes possible is a winner in my book. It all comes together in one pot, requires minimal cleanup, and makes delicious leftovers!
- This is not your average chili. Traditional chili is definitely delicious and a staple recipe for my family, but I also like to change things up and add some Tex-Mex flavors that bring a traditional chili recipe to the next level. This chili adds flavorful Mexican chorizo along with spices like chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic to add tons of depth of flavor to the broth. Let’s just say that THIS CHILI IS NOT BLAND.
- Chili makes the best leftovers. There’s something magical about chili and how it somehow gets even better the longer it’s been in the fridge. I love making a batch of it on Sunday night and eating it throughout the week!
What Is Chorizo Chili?
Chorizo chili is a hearty meal that features a mix of boldly seasoned ground beef and Mexican chorizo in a tomato-based broth that’s cooked and reduced to thickened stew perfection.
It’s loaded with bell peppers, onions, garlic, and a mix of pinto beans and black beans for extra texture and flavor.
This recipe comes together in only one pot and is perfect any time of year!
Ingredients
- Mexican chorizo: I used my homemade chorizo for this recipe. I like the texture and seasoning better than store-bought, and I also like that it’s meatier and has a higher amount of protein, but feel free to use store-bought chorizo if you prefer. If you are making it from scratch, I recommend using a higher-fat ground pork so it doesn’t dry out.
- Ground beef: I recommend using 80% lean ground beef for this recipe to avoid it drying out.
- Seasonings: I used a mixture of chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper to season the ground beef. It’s then mixed with the already aggressively seasoned chorizo.
- Bell pepper, onion, garlic: I used this mix of vegetables for additional texture and to add a more Tex-Mex flavor.
- Beans: I used a combination of black and pinto beans, but feel free to substitute your favorite beans like red or kidney beans.
- Broth and tomatoes: I used beef broth and a mixture of petite diced tomatoes and tomato paste for the base of this chili.
How to Make Chorizo Chili
Mix together the ground beef, chorizo, chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, oregano, and black pepper in a large bowl.
Cook the beef and chorizo mixture in a large pot or Dutch oven for 8 minutes, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Transfer it to a bowl and set aside.
Cook the vegetables. In the same large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes, until they start to become tender.
Simmer. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then add in the cooked beef and chorizo mixture, black beans, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes.
The broth will thicken and you can continue cooking until it reaches your desired consistency if desired. Keep in mind the broth will also thicken as it cools.
Serve chorizo chili immediately in bowls with shredded cheese, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t go too lean. I recommend using 80/20 beef and ground pork so it stays juicy and flavorful. Using lean ground beef and pork will get too dry and grainy.
- Prefer an extra thick chili? You can reduce the amount of broth to 4 cups.
- Add extra vegetables like corn kernels or roasted poblano peppers.
Serving Suggestions
This chorizo chili is a full meal on its own, but it goes great with a side of jalapeño cornbread or some crispy tortilla chips!
And whatever you do, don’t forget the toppings! They’re one of the most important parts of finishing off your chili. Here are my favorites:
- Shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Diced avocado
- A squeeze of fresh lime juice
- Sliced green onions
Storing and Reheating
To store, place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, pour the chorizo chili into a pot and heat over medium heat until warmed through, about 10-15 minutes, or microwave on high for 5-6 minutes, stirring halfway through.
More Recipes
- White Chicken Chili
- Green Chicken Chili
- Quinoa Black Bean Chili
- Chipotle Sweet Potato Pork Chili
- Chile Verde
Chorizo Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound Mexican chorizo
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 2 large red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 5 cups beef broth
For serving
- Chopped cilantro
- Shredded cheese (Monterey Jack or cheddar)
- Sliced green onions
- Fresh lime juice
- Sour cream
- Diced avocado
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, chorizo, chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, oregano, and black pepper.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the beef and chorizo mixture and cook for 8 minutes, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Transfer it to a medium bowl and set aside.
- In the same large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes, until they start to become tender.
- Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add in the cooked beef and chorizo mixture, black beans, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef broth.
- Stir together until well combined and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili reduces and reaches your desired consistency. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
- Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
- Make your own. Instead of store-bought, you can make your own homemade chorizo for this recipe.
- Don’t go too lean. I recommend using 80/20 beef and ground pork so it stays juicy and flavorful. Using lean ground beef and pork will get too dry and grainy.
- Prefer an extra thick chili? You can reduce the amount of broth to 4 cups.
- Add extra vegetables like corn kernels or roasted poblano peppers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
Loved this chili! Used txistorra sausage (Basque version) for the chorizo and piment d’Espelette for the flakes. Your spicing ratios are perfect. It tasted amazing. Thanks,
Thanks, Rob! I’m so happy to hear you loved it!
This turned out so delicious. Flavorful, comforting, and hearty. I only ended up using 4 cups of beef broth and it was perfect for my taste.
Turned out pretty good. If I cooked it again I would use less beef stock and add if needed. It was a bit too thin and I couldn’t get it to cook down to a thickness I wanted.
Made this for a church chili cookoff, but added a can of Chipotle peppers in a Smoky sauce.
Won first place out of 20 entries.
Chorizo has taken my chili from good to excellent! Thank you for the guidance on how to add it to my recipe. I think we all have different preferences around how we like our chili, and I only added a cup or so of beef broth. I used a mix of beans, and added some mushed up ancho chilis in adobo.
I love chili with chorizo! [for those who can’t find chorizo, try “Wild Forks” online. I’ve found them to be a great resource for meats that I can’t find locally]
Nice dish – a welcomed variation on our family’s go-to Tex-Mex chili. Easy to make, the hardest part is letting it simmer when you want to just dig in. We’ll make this again.
Used this recipe to win an office chili cookout. It’s now my go to whenever I need to meal prep for my fam for a week. This is great, thank you!
I do not have chorizo pork. Can i use chorizo spice and ground beef?
Hi Heather! Yes, that should work great!
The “pork” part of chorizo pork is important. If you can’t find chorizo pork, try to find some ground pork for your chilli, along with the chorizo spice mix. And don’t skimp on the seasonings!
I had already made Chili with meat, beans, spices, onions, garlic, etc. Now in my Slow Cooker. Similar to this recipe.
Ground Sirloin 1+ lbs. 2 small chorizo’s, tossed in hot skillet. I had sauteed onions, garlic, bell peppers in the skillet with grease from a Burger I cooked last night.
My beans were from scratch, soaked over 9 hours, cooked at a boil for 5-10 minutes, let sit for an hour. Test taste, Pintos were still hard, so cooked some more. Kidneys plumped up easily and cooked quicker than pintos. I left them overnight to sit in their juices.
Used Srichacha Sauce for heat, added more spices. Taste test showed I needed more Cumin, Sea Salt, Oregano, Cinnamon, etc. Second taste test rewarded me with a better taste.
Now on low, will add more liquird as it cooks down. Liquid Smoke, spices. Worchestershire sauce, Coconut Aminos, m & more Sriacha sauce! I think it will be “Knock Out Delish” when done. Ole!
Hi Trudy! That sounds delicious. Thanks for using our recipe!