I’ve made chorizo tacos before, and they were good, but I feel I’ve learned so much since then about authentic tacos. There is a small Mexican restaurant near where I work that has your typical Americanized Mexican cuisine. We’ve all been there. The number one is the Speedy Gonzalez, right? Typical enchiladas, burritos and tacos. The tacos come with cheese and sour cream on hard or flour shells. Nothing wrong with that, it is plenty good.

I am fortunate that I have a friend and colleague from Mexico who goes to lunch with me sometimes. He gets special treatment when we go to this little restaurant. Maybe because he’s super nice, maybe because he speaks Spanish or maybe because he’s from Mexico. Makes no difference to me, because he opened my eyes to off the menu delicacies. When they come to me to order, I just say, “What he said.” Pointing to my friend.

Everyone has had Carnitas, Pollo, Carne Asada and even Chorizo but how about Al Pastor, Tripa, Lengua and Cabeza. I won’t get into what a couple of those are made of, but they are good. My friend would often get a mix of two like Carne Asada mixed with Chorizo. Oh, my! These tacos are simple. Protein, two corn tortillas (my friend says that is the only way, no flour), cilantro and white onion. Add a splash of fresh lime juice and that is all you need.

My wife ain’t eatin’ “head” or “gut” so at my home Chorizo is adventurous enough. Just to make it a little less extravagant, we mix with some seasoned, grilled chicken. Add some refried black beans and some low sodium yellow rice and we are good to go.

I’ve tried a number of different types of Chorizo. Local, organic from where we get our CSA. Different brands from the super market. I finally settled on Ole Mexican brand. It comes in six little containers totaling 16 oz. It works out that we only need three for my wife and I. That leaves three more for leftovers. I settled on this brand because it matches the texture and flavor of the little restaurant near work. It is spicy and smokey and when cooked right it gets crispy and delicious.

The beans and rice as sides is awesome. We like most everything from Amy’s brand, but especially the black beans, regular and refried. We go with the low sodium rice because everything else has so much flavor, you won’t need the extra salt.

The spice rub for the chicken is just standard mix that you can make and keep ready. I like it spicy but you can cut back on the cayenne or crushed red pepper if you are a fan of heat.

Give these a try, and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Ingredients

• 8 oz Ole Mexican Chorizo Sausage
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Corn tortillas
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 white onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Spice Rub

• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp Mexican oregano
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp cayenne powder
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper

Sides

1. Amy’s Organic Vegetarian Refried Black Beans  (or your favorite)
2. 8 oz Vigo Low Sodium Yellow Rice  (or your favorite)
3. Mateo’s Gourmet Salsa   (or your favorite)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix spice rub ingredients. Place in a air tight container and set aside.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then place in a large zip top bag. Add enough spice rub to coat the chicken. Shack the bag until evenly coated across the thighs. Set aside.
3. In a small pot, add the refried beans and slowly warm. You can also use the microwave, which does not take away from flavor or texture of the beans.
4. This particular yellow rice takes about 20 minutes. Follow the directions. Keep covered and warm.
5. Heat a small non-stick pan over high heat. Add chorizo, and break up a bit and flatten to cover the pan. Reduce heat to medium-high. Allow to render. When the bottom is brown, toss and continue to cook until crispy and cooked through. Reduce to low until ready to serve.
6. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan (or large pan) over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs, flip every few minutes until cooked through. Set on cutting board to cool. Chop when ready to serve.
7. Wrap the corn tortillas in a paper towel and microwave for 35-40 seconds, until warmed through. You can also warm on a large pan over medium heat or wrap in foil and warm in the oven.
8. Here is how I eat this meal. Take four tortillas (two per taco) and add a a few tablespoons of chicken. Top the chicken with a few tablespoons of chorizo. Next add white onions, cilantro and a wedge of sliced lime. Add some rice topped with salsa and beans topped with onion (we add Mexican cheese mix or Cotija to the beans as well).
9. Squeeze the lime over the tacos and enjoy!