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Chorizo and Potato Tacos

Juicy, highly seasoned Mexican chorizo is the key to these classic tacos, and we devised a quick method for making our own. We started by toasting ancho chile powder, paprika, and spices in oil to intensify their flavors, and then we mixed ground pork into the spiced oil along with some cider vinegar.
We cooked the mixture in a skillet and added parboiled diced potatoes to absorb the flavorful juices as they finished cooking. Mashing some of the potatoes and mixing them into the filling made it more cohesive. A bright yet creamy puree of tomatillos, avocado, cilantro, and jalapeños complemented the richness of the filling, and chopped white onions provided pleasant crunch.
Servings: 4
Calories: 622kcal
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

Filling:

  • 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch chunks
  • salt
  • pepper

Chorizo:

  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 Tablespoon paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 Pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 Pinch ground allspice
  • 3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 8 ounces ground pork

Sauce:

  • 8 ounces tomatillos husks and stems removed, rinsed well, dried, and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 avocado halved, pitted, and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 jalapeño chile stemmed, seeded, and chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

Tacos:

  • 12 6-inch corn tortillas warmed
  • 3/4 cup white onion finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup Fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped
  • 4 Lime wedges

Instructions

Cook the potatoes:

  • Bring 4 cups water to boil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat.
  • Add potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt.
  • Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until potatoes are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Drain potatoes and set aside. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.

Make the chorizo:

  • Combine oil, chile powder, paprika, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, 3⁄4 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper in now-empty skillet.
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbling and fragrant.
  • Off heat, carefully stir in vinegar, sugar, and garlic (mixture will sputter). Let stand until steam subsides and skillet cools slightly, about 5 minutes.
  • Add pork to skillet. Mash and mix with rubber spatula until spice mixture is evenly incorporated into pork.

Incorporate the potatoes:

  • Return skillet to medium-high heat and cook, mashing and stirring until pork has broken into fine crumbles and juices are bubbling, about 3 minutes.
  • Stir in potatoes, cover, and reduce heat to low.
  • Cook until potatoes are fully softened and have soaked up most of pork juices, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
  • Off heat, using spatula, mash approximately one-eighth of potatoes.
  • Stir mixture until mashed potatoes are evenly distributed.
  • Cover and keep warm.

Make the sauce:

  • Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
  • Transfer to serving bowl.

Assemble the tacos and serve:

  • Spoon filling into center of each tortilla and serve, passing sauce, onion, cilantro, and lime wedges separately.

Notes

  • If you can purchase a good-quality Mexican-style chorizo, skip step 2 and cook the chorizo as directed in step 3.
  • The raw onion complements the soft, rich taco filling, so we do not recommend omitting it. For a spicier sauce, use two jalapeño chiles.

Nutrition

Calories: 622kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 595mg | Potassium: 1347mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1876IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 7mg