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Chori Pollo

Name: Chori Pollo Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 if large, 8 if small); 10 ounce package pork chorizo; 4 ounces light cream cheese or Mexican crema; 1/2 C light sour cream; 10 ounce can chopped tomatoes with green chiles, drained; 1/4 C fresh cotija cheese

(8 votes)
98 Comments7 minutes
June 2, 2023
Carole JonesJump to Recipe

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Chori Pollo is a delicious baked chicken and chorizo recipe that has all your favorite Tex-Mex flavors in one dish. Chicken breasts bake in the oven surrounded by a sauce of pork chorizo, cream cheese, and green chilis. This is the best chorizo recipe I have ever made at home and a great low-carb or keto dinner idea!

Why I Love this Chori Pollo Recipe

When I was in Dallas last month, I made a complete pig of myself when I ate at Pappasitos. That restaurant is reason enough to move to Texas. I couldn’t stop eating 🙂 Well, that was 35 days ago and I have been on a rampage for some good Tex-Mex ever since. We had a new Mexican restaurant open last week in our town, so I got all excited. My excitement was quickly replaced with disdain. Bleh…..

As a result, I became a woman on a mission. I needed to come up with a recipe to fill this Tex-Mex/Pappsitos craving, or I was going to die. Yes, die. Recipe inspiration finally struck at Wal-Mart as I stood in front of the refrigerated Latin food section. I am not one to brag, but HOLY COW!!! I am a genius! Really, just give this Chori Pollo recipe a try and you will want to nominate me to the Nobel committee. Genius, I tell you!

My Chori Pollo creation took boring old chicken breasts and turned them into flavor-packed perfection. This chicken recipe creates the most amazing pan sauce which is heaven when you serve it over some rice.

Then if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, take it to the next level and slap the chicken inside a tortilla topped with some guacamole, fresh salsa, lettuce, and a squeeze of lime juice. Chori pollo tacos for the win! Really….you are going to want to have that Nobel committee’s phone number handy.

What is Chori Pollo?

In English, chori pollo translates to chorizo chicken. There are many recipe variations but the main two ingredients are chicken and pork chorizo sausage, which includes a mixture of strong Mexican spices. In chori pollo, the chicken and spicy sausage are cooked together, giving the bland chicken a lot of flavor it wouldn’t have on its own. It can be made with either chicken breast or thigh meat.

Chori Pollo Ingredients

While the seasonings and sauce ingredients can vary from recipe to recipe, this chori pollo recipe creates a gorgeous, creamy pan sauce as it bakes. Serve it just like it is, or over some rice with a generous drizzle of that sauce.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Pork chorizo sausage
Cream cheese
Sour cream
Canned diced tomatoes with green chilis
Cotija cheese

How to Make Chori Pollo?

Oftentimes, you’ll prepare chori pollo in one pan on the stove. For this recipe, you’ll cook the chorizo and sauce on the stove, then finish the dish in the oven. I love cooking like this because it allows me to walk away from a dish as it cooks.

Cook the chorizo in a large skillet on the stove until cooked all the way through. Do not drain.
Add the tomatoes and cheese to the chorizo to create the chori pollo sauce.
Pour the sauce over the chicken into a large casserole dish and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
Serve on its own or over some steamed rice.

Chori Pollo Recipe FAQs

Can I Use Regular Pork Sausage Instead of Chorizo?

Yes, you can use regular pork sausage in this recipe and it will be completely delicious. However, it will not be chori pollo. You have to use chorizo sausage for that authentic-tasting dish in the end. Most grocery stores carry a few different varieties of chorizo in their Latin section of the refrigerated foods. And if not, don’t hesitate to ask your grocery store manager if they can order you some!

What Can I Use Instead of Cotija Cheese?

Cotija cheese is made from cow’s milk and is often called the parmesan cheese of Mexican food because it is just as salty as the classic Italian cheese. Most grocery stores have it in their Latin section of the refrigerated groceries so look there. If not, feel free to use fresh parmesan cheese instead…just not that fake stuff in the green cans, please!!

How to Pronounce Chori Pollo?

Reading how to pronounce a phrase in another language is rarely helpful. Hearing it is the only way to go. So, here is a link to the pronunciation ==> How To Pronounce Chori Pollo. If that doesn’t help, just call it chicken chorizo instead and you’ll be good to go!

How Many Carbs Are in Chori Pollo?

If you are eating a low-carb or keto diet, chori pollo is an amazing recipe because it only has 4 grams of carbohydrates in each serving. That includes one whole chicken breast and the creamy chorizo sauce as well. It’s a large serving of delicious protein for a very low carb count.

What is Chori Made Of?

Chori is the word for chorizo sausage. Classic chorizo is made with pork, but you can also find it made with chicken, organ meat, or plant-based meat substitutes. As far as seasonings, that is dependent on where the chori is made. Generally, it is seasoned with garlic, smoked paprika, chilis, annatto seed, and either white wine or vinegar. All of these ingredients make for an amazing chicken recipe!

Can You Freeze Chori Pollo?

Yes, chori pollo makes a great freezer meal. To do so, you’ll prepare the chorizo sauce from the recipe, then assemble the dish in a heavy-duty aluminum pan with a lid. Using these disposable pans frees up your good pans for whatever else you need them for. Do not bake the dish as directed in the recipe. Instead, cover with plastic wrap, then the foil lid. Mark the lid with directions for baking, the name of the recipe, and the date. To prepare the dish, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 2-3 days then follow the baking directions as listed in the recipe below.

How to Store Chori Pollo?

If you are lucky enough to have some leftover chori pollo, package up the chicken into airtight containers while the leftovers are still warm. Allowing the leftovers to cool before putting them in the fridge allows bacteria the chance to grow and no one wants potential food poisoning! Store your leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days, or in the freezer for 3 months. Leftovers make great chori pollo tacos or burritos! In fact, this is one of those magic recipes that is actually more delicious on day two than it was on day one!

What to Serve with Chori Pollo?

Honestly, just think of your favorite Mexican side dishes and you will be good to go! Listed below are my favorite recipes to serve with chori pollo:

Cilantro Lime Rice is absolutely perfect with this recipe because a delicious pan sauce forms as the chicken bakes. Just drizzle it over the rice!
Homemade Flour Tortillas make the perfect vehicle for mopping up the sauce and juices off your plate or scooping up some chori pollo into one.
Mexican Barley Salad is a healthy, flavor-packed salad that is completely delicious with this chicken. The crunchy pieces of fresh jicama are my favorite!
Tomatillo Avacado Ranch Dressing with a simple green salad makes the perfect healthy pairing.

Looking For More Great Mexican Recipes?

Pork Carnitas Recipe — Authentic Pork Carnitas

Homemade Flour Tortillas — Authentic Pork Carnitas

Chori Pollo Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 8 reviews

Print Recipe

This chicken casserole is an amazing chorizo recipe! A creamy, cheese sauce with the cooked pork chorizo bakes with the chicken for a low carb dinner recipe

Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

6–8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 if large, 8 if small)
10 ounce package pork chorizo
4 ounces light cream cheese or Mexican crema
1/2 C light sour cream
10 ounce can chopped tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1/4 C fresh cotija cheese

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass pan with nonstick spray. Lay down the chicken evenly in the pan.
In a large skillet, brown the chorizo over medium-high heat for about 7-8 minutes. Add the drained tomatoes, cream cheese, and sour cream and mix until it is all blended.
Spread the chorizo mixture over the chicken breasts, sprinkle on the cotija cheese and bake, uncovered for about 45 minutes depending on the size of your chicken breasts. There will be enough pan juices to serve over some rice if desired. Or slice the chicken and serve it inside a tortilla topped with your favorite toppings.

Author: Carole Jones
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 breast
Calories: 392
Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 792 mg
Fat: 20 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 48 g
Cholesterol: 161 mg

Carole Jones

Carole Jones is an Arizona-based cookbook author & food blogger. She's authored The 30 Minute Cooking From Frozen Cookbook and the self-published Take 5: Chicken e-cookbook. For the past 15 years, Carole has shared her culinary adventures cooking and baking for her six brutally honest children here on My Kitchen Escapades. Hot, crusty bread is Carole's love language, but her two adorable grandchildren are a close second. Yes, second. Don't judge.

98 comments

I don’t know anything about Chorizo Sausage. The only thing I could find was Ole Mexican Foods Chorizo Sausage. It is 16oz. (More than you stated but I can fix that.) . It has 6 links in the package. It says to remove casing before cooking. Is that the way you do it? Is it crumbly like hamburger meat. Or do you slice it and cook it like that?

You remove the casing and cook it like ground beef. Good luck Maxine!

Has anyone tried to add veggies in it while it cooks? We were going to grill red peppers and onions as a side, but now it is raining and we are thinking of slicing the peppers and onions and adding them on top of the chicken? Does this sound doable or will the added moisture mess it up?

Great question Susan. I worry about the added liquid and that your veggies will end up mushy. I would sauté them on the stove separately

Thanks. You are probably right. I am trying to be lazy, but this looks so good and I don’t want to mess it up. 🙂

Sorry was a bit lost is this with precooked Chicken breast or raw ??

Hey Sam! You should use raw chicken. Good luck!

Made this last night, loved it!! I used a bag of boneless chicken thighs from HEB’s frozen section, thawed and seasoned first with Mrs. Dash and some Tony Chachere’s. While the chorizo cooked, I mixed 1/2 a cup of cottage cheese with a tablespoon of lemon juice in place of the sour cream, since I didn’t have any. This recipe was so quick and easy and the meat was quite tender and bursting with flavor. I love how the recipe and servings can vary based on: slicing of the meat, the type of tomato/green chilies used (mild, regular, chipotle), adding garlic or cilantro, subbing or adding Mexican blend or Pepperjack cheese for the Pamesan. I can see adding a layer of tortilla chips somewhere in there before cooking or for a healthier version, some riced cauliflower. I might serve as burritos or inside a taco shell. You can even slice up the chicken & add drained whole corn and black beans and serve as a casserole. Maybe even after adding corn/beans, cook as directed for 30 minutes and then pour some cornbread batter on top and finish cooking for a Chorizo Chicken Cornbread!! The sky is the limit. I will make this many times over. Thanks for sharing.

Hey Mea! Thank you for sharing your tips and suggestions

Made this dish for my family but cut it in half (only two adults and a picky little toddler.) I found it to be delicious. But a word of caution to anyone else who decides to cut it in half, do NOT cut the sauce ingredients in half. You’ll want all that extra delicious sauce for your meat and starches!

Thanks for your tip Tiffany!

This sounds so yummy and can’t wait to make it but I do have one question. There are two kinds of Chorizo that I use for different purposes so curious, do you use the one the stays more chunky or the type that pretty much becomes more like a thick liquid when heated? My brother and I always fight over which type is better!!!

Either will work just fine Marina! I used the looser type because I wanted it to be part of the sauce better.

I made this for dinner tonight, with only small modifications to keep it lower carb. I used spicy chorizo and replaced the tomatoes with some chopped jalapeños from a jar (because that’s what I had). I also cut the chicken breast a little thinner and only baked it 35 minutes. I had the chorizo already fried, so I just warmed it with the other toppings in the microwave until it was easy to stir/mix thoroughly. I was glad the topping stayed on the chicken and the juices in the pan ran clear because it was easy to pull the chicken out without eating the juice (since we don’t like chicken juice for whatever reason.) Overall, I’ll be making this again! It was so good.

I’m glad you made it work for you Rachel!

[…] This Chorizo Chicken Bake recipe brought to you by: My Kitchen Escapades. […]

Has anyone ever made this recipe with bone in chicken thighs? I normally use thighs in place of breasts in recipes. Much more juicy and flavorful. And I would love to make this using thighs. I’m thinking par bake the thighs to crisp up the skin, then pour the chorizo mixture on top and finish baking. But any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Hey Shellice! I love using thighs for the same reason you do. I don’t think skin on the meat will work even if you crisp them first. I would use either skinless thighs or boneless, skinless thighs.

Yes. I was thinking that also. But maybe if I made the chicken as a separate component? It would no longer be like a casserole, but I was more interested in your chorizo sauce. Sounds amazing! Put cream cheese in anything and I’m game. I’m making it tonight for dinner with warm flour tortillas. I will leave feedback on how it turns out. I don’t like to comment when I stray too much from someone’s recipe on their blog. Most people don’t respond well to that, but you’ve been really receptive to other posts with substitutions. And that’s a breath of fresh air let me tell ya.

Hi I was just curious to know do you season the chicken or just follow the recipe as is??? I am use to seasoning with different spices so I’m just wondering lol

Hi Aria! I created the recipe just as I wrote it 🙂

I know you posted this recipe a while ago, but I have to comment! Twice a week DH is in charge of dinner (he’s the one who found this recipe) and he surprised me with this one night. WOW. I *love* this! He’s made it multiple times – even our picky eater loves it. We’ve added baby potatoes to the recipe, just throw them in with everything else and bake. I would totally nominate you for a Nobel prize! 🙂

Thanks for the laugh Mari! I’m so glad it is such a hit and I love the idea of adding potatoes. I will definitely give that a try next time.

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