Papas con Chorizo

Here's an easy Papas con Chorizo recipe that you can use to spice up your kitchen routine.

It can lead to all sorts of quick meals:  crispy taquitos, anti-snooze breakfast burritos, or even just a simple plate topped with a few drops of salsa.

How To Make Papas Con Chorizo

Have you used chorizo before?  You can usually spot it by the distinctive reddish tint that dried chiles give it.

Sure, maybe you'll find a more authentic chorizo at local Hispanic markets:

But you can also find it in chain grocery stores these days:

But don't worry too much about tracking down the perfect chorizo for this recipe as you can always fine tune the flavor down the road.  In a pinch you could even start with plain pork sausage and still get a good result, just know that you'll need some extra chipotles if you go that route!  (More info on chorizo.)

You'll need a single pound of chorizo and 1.5 pounds of potatoes for this recipe -- this will make a huge batch with the idea being that the leftovers will lead to easy, on-the-fly meals for the next few days.

I used Gold potatoes for this batch:

But you can use just about any potato variety that you have on hand.  Note that 1.5 lbs. roughly translates as two small potatoes but don't worry about being ounce perfect.

I usually parboil these to give 'em a headstart.  Simply add them to some salted boiling water and cook for 5-10 minutes.

The exact cooking time will depend on how big you've cut them -- just start taking bites around the five minute mark and take them off the stove after they are mostly cooked through, i.e. outsides cooked but inside still a little firm.

Meanwhile we'll brown the chorizo.   Add chorizo to a skillet over medium heat and cook for 8-10 minutes until cooked through.

Once cooked you can set it aside.  I usually let it drain on some paper towels.

Keep in mind that a two ingredient recipe will still produce a satisfying result, i.e. just the papas and spicy chorizo, but adding some extra flavor can really make it come alive so we'll take that route.

In particular, we'll be using some chipotles in adobo:

These are smoky fireballs that I use all the time.  More info on chipotles here if you're new to them.

Using three of them will create some real zing, so if you want a milder batch just use 1-2 chipotles.  I also use some adobo sauce from the can in hopes of getting it to cling to the papas.

Once the chorizo is browned you can either get rid of the leftover fat or use some of it to cook the onion (yes please!).

Once the onion is softened we'll add a minced garlic clove and give it a quick saute.

Then we'll add:

the drained, parboiled potatoes
2-3 chipotles in adobo (de-stemmed, de-seeded, and minced)
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper

I also added a half teaspoon of pure chili powder to this batch but you can consider that optional:

Saute the papas for a few minutes and then add the cooked chorizo.

Bring everything to a uniform temp and then call in the Expert Final Taste Tester (that's you!).

We've only added 1/4 teaspoon of salt up until this point and that's mostly because sodium levels can vary so much in chorizo.  Starting small on the salt will give you flexibility on the final taste test.  I added another generous pinch of salt to this batch.  And if you want more heat you can add more chipotles or adobo sauce.

Serve immediately next to some warm corn tortillas.  I also added some finely diced cilantro stems to this batch.

The cilantro stems will add a subtle, flavored crunch to the dish but you can consider it optional, especially if cilantro is on your Avoid List.

As mentioned, you can make some killer tacos or burritos with your freshly made Papas con Chorizo.  For burritos just add eggs, cheese, and some of that leftover homemade Salsa that's in your fridge (right?!).

But it can still be wildly satisfying all by its lonesome.  Just add a drop of Salsa or hot sauce and dig in!

Okay I hope this post gives you some ideas for your upcoming Papas con Chorizo adventures.  Feel free to use the comments section below if you have any questions about it.

Buen Provecho.

Update:  see our Potato Chorizo Taquitos recipe if you want to use your Papas con Chorizo to make taquitos.

Want something even more fiery?  Our latest recipe is this Chile de Arbol Salsa.