This is our easy chorizo stuffing recipe made with day old bread. We talk about How Long to Cook Chorizo too so you can make ahead of time to serve with turkey for the best Thanksgiving side dish your guests will ask for again and again.
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Our family likes to try something new every year. Turkey can get Booooooring at Christmas time so tweaking our side dishes is what makes our family meal fun. Last year we thought to add some spice to an otherwise mild dish and stuffing with chorizo is now a family fave!!
Below we focus on cubing the bread ourselves. I do like to use a loaf of French bread and leave the end of the bag open overnight. Next day I slice off and discard the ends, cube slices in large bite size pieces and go from there.
There are two types of “breading” you can choose from when making stuffing (aka dressing). If you prefer the grainier type you can make our Jiffy Cornbread Dressing and fold in your cooked chorizo before baking.
Ingredient Notes
You are going to want to start off with a roll of Mexican chorizo sausage. It is spicy and comes in two types. Spanish chorizo is already smoked/cooked and isn’t what you want. Instead pick up some Mexican style which comes raw and seasoned heavily.
Onions diced are expected to be added for taste and texture, typically white or yellow are used, but of course optional.
Minced fresh garlic is key to add a lot of flavor and it is so healthy for you too so why wouldn’t you?
Your cubed bread should be on the more dry side so most often people will use a day old loaf to get that texture or French bread left out overnight works too. You’ll want equal sized pieces that are large bite size pieces as they will shrink as they bake.
To moisten it all you want chicken broth instead of just plain water to add more flavor. And as for the seasonings I don’t feel like you need a lot. Sometimes I will add parsley, oregano, thyme and salt.
Should you take casing off chorizo?
Yes, you want to cook it in a pan and break it up as you would ground beef so first you should slice the outside and peel that off. It is like what is on the outside of brats and easy to peel off once perforated.
Can you make chorizo stuffing with Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix?
You can. If you would prefer to make this as easy as possible you can pick up a bag of this ready made (herbed is best) and prepare as directed below. This is what we used as a base for our Pepperidge Farm Sausage Stuffing which is similar but not as spicy.
Should you bake stuffing inside a turkey?
I suggest that you do NOT do that. I explain How to Bake Stuffing Outside the Turkey here and below. There are a few reasons why I say you should bake separately in a casserole dish instead but the texture is top of the list (I don’t like mushy).
How Long to Cook Chorizo Stuffing in Oven
In the oven it will need to bake for about 20 minutes however you need to saute the meat and vegetables together in a pan first. That initial step will take about 10 miinutes so a total of 30 you would need start to finish or so.
How to Make Chorizo Stuffing Ahead of Time
My recommendation for preparing this ahead of time would be to make in the morning EXCEPT for the broth (add that when you are about to bake it). So basically brown the meat with onions, combine with everything else other than the liquid. Stir together in a bowl, cover, and keep in the fridge.
When ready to bake add your broth and gently fold together to wet and make moist. Pour this into your dish and then put into your preheated oven to cook later that evening with the rest of your meal to save you time.
Chorizo Stuffing Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pan
- 1 Bowl
- 1 9×9 pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound chorizo, casing removed
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 tbsp garlic, minced
- 4 cups bread, day old, cubed into large bite size pieces, or used bagged pepperidge stuffing breading, or cube a baked pan of cooled cornbread
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large skillet over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil. Once hot, add the chorizo sausage (removed from casing), breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Cook until it's browned and cooked through, usually about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the diced onion to the skillet with the chorizo. Saute until the onion is translucent, around 3-4 minutes. Then add the minced garlic, cooking for an additional minute until fragrant.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chorizo mixture with the cubed day-old bread. Mix well to combine. Pour in the chicken broth gradually, gently folding together as you pour, ensuring the bread absorbs the liquid.
- Add the chopped parsley, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly to distribute the seasonings evenly.
- Transfer the stuffing mixture into a greased 9×9 inch baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crispy. Once done, remove from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving.
What to Make with Leftover Stuffing
Ok so almost always I will use what is left the next day to make our Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf. Instead of using the boxed mix it is even better to use this!! Adds so much flavor and makes it even more moist. And sometimes I will make Chicken and Stuffing Crockpot with it too.
