Chorizo Mac and Cheese

Baked macaroni with a sauce of cheddar and pepper jack cheese and Mexican chorizo.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated March 02, 2022
Elise Bauer
Chorizo Mac and Cheese
Elise Bauer

Mexican chorizo has been one of our family's food staples for as long as I can remember.

It's spicy, soft, and usually some crazy vibrant orange red color from the chili the meat is mixed with.

There's almost always some in the fridge; my mother typically uses this sausage to mix in with scrambled eggs for breakfast.

This week we tried our hand at a chorizo version of mac and cheese. (As if regular mac and cheese wasn't good enough, hah!)

Aye aye aye, this turned out great! Spicy, creamy, cheesy.

I tossed some pieces of avocado over mine for kicks which worked well to balance the spiciness of the chorizo, but it's fine on its own. Assuming you like heat.

Do you use Mexican chorizo in your cooking? If so, what do you do with it? Please let us know in the comments.

Chorizo Mac and Cheese

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Total Time 60 mins
Servings 4 servings

We used El Mexicano brand chorizo for this recipe, as it is very soft, almost like a pâté. It integrates with the sauce better than other styles of Mexican chorizo.

This recipe makes a small casserole, you can easily double the ingredients for a large casserole.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups elbow macaroni

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

  • 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)

  • 4 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese (about 1 cup)

  • 6 ounces Mexican chorizo

  • 1/2 cup minced red onion

  • 2 tablespoons flour

  • 2 teaspoons lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

  • 1 tablespoon butter

Method

  1. Mix the cornstarch with the 2 cheeses in a bowl:

    and set aside. The cornstarch will help prevent the cheese sauce from getting too stringy.

  2. Heat the milk:

    Put the milk into a small saucepan and heat until steamy. Keep warm while you are preparing the recipe, do not let boil.

  3. Cook the macaroni pasta:

    Put 2 quarts of water, salted with 1 Tbsp salt, into a large pot and heat to a boil. Once the water is at a full boil, add the macaroni to the pot. Return to a boil, and cook, uncovered, for about 2 minutes less than the macaroni package specifies, so that it is al dente, cooked, but still firm to the bite.

  4. Cook the chorizo and onion:

    While the water is heating and the macaroni cooking, prepare the chorizo cheese sauce.

    Remove chorizo from its casing and put into a medium thick-bottomed saucepan on medium high heat. When the chorizo begins to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium. Cook the chorizo, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer

    Add the minced red onion and cook the mixture until the onions soften, about 3-4 minutes.

  5. Drain macaroni, preheat oven:

    When the macaroni is cooked, but still a bit firm, drain it and set aside. Preheat oven to 375°.

  6. Make the chorizo cheese sauce:

    Add the flour to the pot with the chorizo and mix well. Everything will clump up. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot, for 2 minutes.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer

    Add the hot milk a tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly. When all the milk has been added, heat the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 minutes.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer

    Mix the grated cheese into the chorizo milk sauce.

  7. Add the cooked macaroni to the chorizo cheese sauce. Stir in the lime juice.
    Elise Bauer
  8. Bake:

    Pour the macaroni and cheese into a small casserole dish. Make sure the top is level. Dust the top with the breadcrumbs, then dot with the butter. Bake until the breadcrumbs are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer

    If you want, serve with chopped avocados, crema fresca, and chopped fresh cilantro.

Links:

Green Chile Mac and Cheese here on Simply Recipes

Colombian-style Mac and Cheese, with Chorizo - from My Colombian Recipes

Chipotle Mac and Cheese with Bacon - from Homesick Texan

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
605 Calories
39g Fat
33g Carbs
31g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 605
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 50%
Saturated Fat 19g 96%
Cholesterol 101mg 34%
Sodium 956mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 31g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 511mg 39%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 397mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.