Low Fat Mexican Chorizo

Mexican chorizo is one of my favourite breakfast proteins, but it’s tricky to find in the UK and usually high in fat. Unlike the cured Spanish variety, Mexican chorizo is a fresh sausage packed with punchy spices. This version delivers the flavour, but with a lot less fat and a lot more protein.

I started making this after finding 5% fat outdoor-bred minced pork from M&S on Ocado.

It’s great scrambled with eggs in omlets, breakfast tacos, or in a breakfast sandwich. I usually cook a portion on day one with eggs, then shape the rest into single-serving patties that make it easy to break up later or reheat whole.

Ingredients (8 servings):

• 500g lean minced pork (5% fat)
• 1.5 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ancho chile powder 
• 1 tsp cayenne (optional – skip if you don’t like spice)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano (or sub regular oregano)
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Mix everything together in a bowl until well combined.
2. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours, or ideally overnight, to let the flavours develop.
3. Divide into 8 portions.
4. Cook however you like. I usually Sauté a portion or two with eggs then form the rest into patties to eat for the next few days.

Make it 40/40/20

To hit a 40% protein / 40% carbs / 20% fat split:

Make an egg, potato scramble or omelette with 1 serving of chorizo, three egg whites (90g), one egg, ¼ tsp olive oil and 150g boiled potatoes.

Make breakfast tacos, scramble together 1 serving of chorizo, three egg whites (90g), one egg, and ¼ tsp olive oil. Served divided into 3 warm corn tortillas with your favourite salsa.

Make a breakfast sandwich, in a pan, fry together 1 serving of chorizo, three egg whites (90g), one egg, and ¼ tsp olive oil. Pile it into an english muffin.

Make it 30/50/20

To hit a 30% protein / 50% carbs / 20% fat split:

Make an egg, potato scramble or omelette with 1 serving of chorizo, three egg whites (90g), one egg, ¼ tsp olive oil and 250g boiled potatoes.

Make breakfast tacos, scramble together 1 serving of chorizo, three egg whites (90g), one egg, and ¼ tsp olive oil. Served divided into 5 warm corn tortillas with your favourite salsa.

Make a breakfast sandwich, layer a chorizo patty with one egg in an english muffin. If you don't mind adding a little extra fat, it's great with a slice of 50% reduced fat cheddar.

Notes

• This recipe keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days. Patties freeze well, too—just defrost overnight.
• If you can't find ancho chili powder, or you want to experiment, you can try other chili powders with slightly sweet profiles like guajillo, chipotle or just "mild chili powder" if you can't find anything else.
• Don't eat pork? I've also made it with lean turkey and chicken mince.
• Great in tacos, bowls, breakfast sandwiches, or crumbled into beans or scrambled eggs.