Chorizo Street Tacos are a thing of beauty, especially when you push the easy button and pick up a pound of your favorite premade chorizo. Prepared simply with corn tortillas and a few thoughtfully chosen toppings - like onions, cotija, and cilantro - these tacos let boldly flavored chorizo shine with assistance from tasty garnishes.
The beauty of Chorizo Street Tacos is their simplicity - bold, ground chorizo nestled in a warmed corn tortilla and topped minimally with carefully chosen, complementary garnishes.
This is less recipe and more anatomy of what makes a good Chorizo Street Taco.
Less is more, and quality ingredients will yield the mouthwatering results you crave.
This simple chorizo taco recipe is just begging to be paired with something similarly straightforward to drink; I recommend a cold glass of Watermelon Agua Fresca with lime. And something similarly straightforward to snack on; I recommend Avocado Lime Crema and tortilla chips.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These were absolutely amazing!!I love tacos and these were out of this world delicious and so easy to make!My new fav!!! - Krista (a Chorizo Street Taco aficionado!)
- Anatomy of a Chorizo Street Taco
- Ingredients
- Suggested Toppings and Garnishes
- How to Make Chorizo Street Tacos - Directions
- Top Tips for the BEST Chorizo Tacos
- Recipe FAQs
- More Recipes on Midwexican
- Chorizo Street Tacos
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Chorizo tacos are delicious! Chorizo is one of my favorite taco meats because it's so boldly flavored. Chorizo seasoning really brings the flavor, so the hard part of this recipe is choosing how to garnish! Especially if you pick up premade chorizo from your local market.
- Easy to prepare! With premade chorizo, this recipe comes together quickly. While the chorizo is sizzling away, you can prepare all your garnishes and give those tortillas a little char.
These were absolutely amazing!!
I love tacos and these were out of this world delicious and so easy to make!
My new fav!!! - Krista (a Chorizo Street Taco aficionado!)
Anatomy of a Chorizo Street Taco
The Anatomy of a Chorizo Street Taco, according to yours truly. According to a gringo from Minnesota, don't cha know.
First and foremost, choose good quality chorizo since it's the star. I get mine from a local deli that makes homemade chorizo sausages on the regular. Or, make your own!
Go with corn tortillas. I buy street taco-sized corn tortillas at my local grocery store. If you make your own, please consider inviting me over for dinner. I've tried street taco-sized flour tortillas, but prefer the thinness and flavor of corn tortillas here. Use whichever you prefer.
Relatedly, heat your corn tortillas before eating. They will be more pliable and less likely to fall apart. I heat and lightly char mine over the open flame on my gas stove. You can also double them up for strength.
Keep the toppings simple! Traditional Mexican street tacos are only adorned with onions, cilantro, and salsa. Use the freshest ingredients.
...But feel free to experiment! You should keep it simple, but don't limit yourself. I branched out and opted to include queso fresco and crema. And some limes for a hit of acid.
Ingredients
All you need are a handful of ingredients to make these incredibly simple, incredibly tasty Chorizo Street Tacos.
- Chorizo - Pick up premade chorizo, 1 pound or 4 chorizo links, for this recipe. I am referring to fresh ground chorizo that you will need to cook vs. cured versions of chorizo.
- Corn tortillas - You're going to need those smaller, street taco-sized tortillas, around 12-24 corn tortillas. I prefer corn, but go ahead and use flour; they make flour tortillas in street size too!
- White onion - You'll need around ½ of a medium-sized white onion, finely diced. Love a little diced onion for sharpness against bold, comforting chorizo. Feel free to use red or yellow onion.
- Cilantro or parsley - Finely chopped, for garnish.
- Salsa or hot sauce - Of your choosing. I like a few dashes of hot sauce.
- Crema - Optional, as the addition of dairy isn't traditional to street tacos, but I like it. Use sour cream instead, that works too!
- Queso fresco - Also optional, as the addition of dairy isn't traditional, but I like it. Or use feta instead for a similar salty, crumbly cheese result.
- Jalapenos - Thinly sliced, a few well-placed jalapenos add some fire. Inclusion is optional.
- Limes - Cut into squeeze-ready sections, a hit of bright, acidic lime really jazzes things up.
Suggested Toppings and Garnishes
I'll be the first to admit that chorizo tacos *can* be a little boring in the texture department. Fortunately, the right toppings and garnishes can fix that problem.
- Pickled red onions
- Tortilla chips, crushed (by the way, great way to use up those crushed up chips left at the bottom of the bag)
- Pepitas, toasted
- Tortilla strips, you can find those by the croutons and salad dressings in the grocery store
- Corn, freshly roasted, for pops of texture and hints of sweetness
- Pineapple, grilled, offers up some interesting textural contrast and sweetness
How to Make Chorizo Street Tacos - Directions
- Step 1. Bring a skillet to medium heat. Add the chorizo to the skillet and break into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Step 2. Cook the chorizo for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently until fully cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Step 3. Heat up your corn tortillas.
- Step 4. Electric stoves: Heat tortillas in a large skillet for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Repeat this process until all of the tortillas have been heated. Gas stoves: Turn burner to medium heat. Heat tortillas over the open flame, using tongs to flip every few seconds until the perfect char is achieved. I find this takes around 30-45 seconds per tortilla.
- Step 5. Assemble the tacos. Put 2-3 ounces of chorizo per tortilla (feel free to double up the tortillas if you prefer), then top with onion, cilantro (or parsley), salsa (or crema), and queso fresco (or feta).
- Step 6. Serve with lime wedges.
Top Tips for the BEST Chorizo Tacos
Tip 1. Double up on corn tortillas. I like to double up my corn tortillas for maximum strength. I sometimes get away with using one tortilla per taco, but double up for sturdiness.
Tip 2. Keep the toppings and garnishes simple. Against bold chorizo, simplicity is best! Think diced onion, cilantro, maybe even some grilled pineapple for sweetness. My advice is to choose 2-5 toppings / garnishes to keep the flavors simple and balanced.
Tip 3. Accommodating dietary restrictions. Can't have gluten? Reach for gluten-free tortillas. Don't deal so well with dairy? Take these street tacos a more traditional route and omit using cheese and crema. Vegan or vegetarian? Use a soy chorizo instead (I've seen soyrizo at Trader Joe's). Or try making a homemade walnut chorizo.
Tip 4. Pair it with an interesting side. Like this Mexican-Style Dense Bean Salad with homemade jalapeño lime dressing; it's cool, nutritious, and zippy. A wonderfully simple Black Bean Soup, amenable to garnishes. Refried beans from a can that taste like your favorite restaurants, thanks to a few choice additions.
Recipe FAQs
Street tacos are smaller than the tacos people in the United States are used to eating and are considered snacks in Mexico. Designed to be portable and assembled quickly by street vendors, you won't see them overflowing with toppings. Street tacos are served on corn tortillas (typically) and feature meats including beef, pork, and chicken. They are topped simply with chopped onions, cilantro, and salsa. You won't find lettuce, tomatoes, or cheese on traditional street tacos; those are American additions.
I couldn't resist adding queso fresco, jalapeno slices, and crema to these Chorizo Street Tacos, even though it's not traditional. I dig the saltiness, the punch of heat, and the presentation.
I'm referring to the use of fresh Mexican chorizo, which you can find in the grocery store pre-ground in 1-pound packages OR as chorizo sausage links in a 4-pack. I am not referring to the Spanish style of cured chorizo.
By the way, if you're a chorizo lover, check out these Chorizo Breakfast Tacos or this Chorizo Quesadilla. Or these stuffed mushrooms with chorizo.
More Recipes on Midwexican
Chorizo Street Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chorizo (or 4 chorizo links)
- 12-24 Corn tortillas (street taco size)
- ½ medium-sized White onion (finely diced)
- Cilantro or parsley (chopped)
- Salsa or hot sauce (optional)
- Crema (optional)
- Queso fresco or feta (optional)
- 1-2 Jalapeno(s) (thinly sliced, optional)
- 1-2 Limes (cut into squeeze-ready sections, optional, garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a skillet to medium heat. Add the chorizo to the skillet and break into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Cook the chorizo for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently until fully cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat up your corn tortillas. Electric stoves: Heat tortillas in a large skillet for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Repeat this process until all of the tortillas have been heated.Gas stoves: Turn burner to medium heat. Heat tortillas over the open flame, using tongs to flip every few seconds until the perfect char is achieved. I find this takes around 30-45 seconds per tortilla.
- Assemble the tacos. Put 2-3 ounces of chorizo per tortilla (feel free to double up the tortillas if you prefer), then top with onion, cilantro (or parsley), salsa (or crema), jalapenos, and queso fresco (or feta).
- Serve with lime wedges.
Krista Anderson says
These were absolutely amazing!!
I love tacos and these were out of this world delicious and so easy to make!
My new fav.!!!
Tino Marie says
YAY! I'm so glad you enjoyed them, they are one of my favorite tacos to make!