What to make with Chorizo & Sweet Potatoes
Why they work together
Sweet potato's natural sweetness is a good counterweight to chorizo's heavy paprika spice and salt, softening the chorizo's intensity while picking up its red-orange, garlicky fat as it cooks. It's a modern pairing that applies the same chorizo-and-starchy-vegetable logic found in Spanish cooking to a sweeter base.
How to combine them
Brown the chorizo first to render its spiced fat, then roast or sauté cubed sweet potato in that same fat so it caramelizes and takes on the chorizo's color and spice. Stir the browned chorizo back in near the end so it keeps its texture rather than dissolving into the sweet potato.
Classic dishes featuring both
American
- Chorizo and sweet potato hash — Diced sweet potato and browned chorizo are pan-fried together into a hearty breakfast hash.
- Chorizo-stuffed sweet potatoes — Baked sweet potatoes are split and filled with browned chorizo and toppings.
- Roasted sweet potato and chorizo salad — Roasted sweet potato and crisped chorizo are tossed with greens and a citrus dressing.
Mexican
- Roasted sweet potato and chorizo tacos — Roasted sweet potato cubes and browned chorizo are tucked into tortillas with onion and lime.
- Chorizo and sweet potato skillet with black beans — Cubed sweet potato, browned chorizo, and black beans are sautéed together in one pan.
Spanish
- Sweet potato and chorizo soup — Pureed sweet potato forms a soup base finished with crisped, browned chorizo on top.
- Sweet potato and chorizo empanadas — A filling of diced sweet potato and chorizo is baked inside a pastry turnover.
Take it further
- Sweet potato chorizo gratin — Layer thin sweet potato slices with browned chorizo and bake in cream until set, trading the loose hash or stuffed-potato format for a rich, sliceable baked dish.
- Chorizo sweet potato quesadillas — Fold browned chorizo and roasted sweet potato with melted cheese into a tortilla and griddle until crisp, a handheld format instead of a bowl or taco.
- Chorizo sweet potato shepherd's pie — Top a chorizo and black bean filling with mashed sweet potato and bake until the top browns, a casserole format instead of a pastry turnover.
- Chorizo sweet potato croquettes — Mash cooked sweet potato with browned chorizo, shape into small cylinders, bread, and fry until crisp outside and molten within -- a handheld fried format instead of a gratin or pie.
- Charred chorizo sweet potato skewers — Thread parboiled sweet potato chunks and chorizo slices onto skewers and grill over direct heat until both pick up char, instead of pan-frying or baking them indoors.
Common additions
- Black Beans — Stirred in for added heartiness and a creamy contrast to the spiced chorizo.
- Lime — A squeeze over the finished dish brightens the richness of the chorizo fat.
- Eggs — A fried or scrambled egg on top turns the hash into a full breakfast.