Chori Pollo
Best Chicken Chorizo – Chori Pollo is an easy one-pan recipe that features Mexican pork sausage cooked with peppers and tender chicken in adobo seasoning, all covered with melty cheese. This deliciously bold and spicy dish is ready to serve with Mexican-inspired sides in 30 minutes!
Why We Love Chori Pollo
Chori Pollo (or choripollo) is a simple zesty Mexican restaurant dish you can easily make at home!
Here we’re sharing a skillet recipe inspired by my favorite local Mexican joint’s Chori Pollo. It includes sizzling chorizo, sautéed peppers and onions, and quick pan-fried chicken cutlets. Then sprinkle shredded Monterey Jack cheese over the top and finish with fresh scallions and cilantro. The combination of textures and flavors is irresistible!
This Mexican main dish is simple to pull together in one large pan, and can be eaten with classic Mexican side dishes like beans and rice, or as a lower carb (keto) dish on its own. Either way, it’s ready to serve in only 30 minutes for a fun and delicious dinner any night of the week!
Ingredients You Need
- Mexican chorizo sausage – a spicy pork sausage
- Bell peppers – any color, seeded and thinly sliced
- Sweet onion – sliced thin
- Chicken cutlets – boneless and skinless
- Adobo seasoning – store-bought or try our delicious homemade adobo spice blend
- Cheese – shredded Monterey jack
- Fresh green onions and cilantro – sliced to garnish the choripollo
How to Make Chicken Chorizo
Peel and slice the onion into ¼ inch strips. Seed and slice the bell peppers into ¼ inch strips. Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with adobo seasoning.
Set a large 14-inch cast-iron skillet (or sauté pan) over medium heat. Set a holding plate to the side of the skillet. Add the chorizo to the skillet, then stir and brown until the chorizo is cooked through, 3-5 minutes.
Carefully scoop the chorizo from the skillet and place it on the holding plate. Leave the grease from the chorizo in the skillet. Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet if the chorizo you bought is not very greasy.
Add the sliced peppers and onions to the hot skillet. Stir and sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften the vegetables. While the veggies are cooking, sprinkle them with adobo seasoning. Move the peppers and onions to the hold plate.
Place the chicken cutlets in the hot skillet in a single layer. If needed, work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken for approximately 3 minutes per side.
Get the Complete (Printable) Chori Pollo Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Once all the chicken is cooked through, scoop the sautéed vegetables and chorizo over the top of the chicken.
Shake the skillet to allow the veggies and chorizo to work down into the chicken. Sizzle for another 1-2 minutes.
Then sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.
Finish the dish with fresh chopped cilantro and scallions. Serve warm!
Recipe Variations
Here we use spicy Mexican sausage. However, feel free to use mild and smoky Spanish pork sausage instead. You can even swap for your favorite “plain” pork or chicken sausage.
Using thinly sliced or pounded chicken breasts is popular in most recipes for chicken with chorizo. But you can certainly substitute with cubed pieces of chicken breast!
Also consider swapping with cubes pieces of chicken thighs; they are more meaty and rich-tasting. Chunks of choripollo are great to use in tacos, burritos, and nachos.
I’ve shown this in the photos with a simple heavy sprinkle of shredded Monterey jack cheese. However, at restaurants, sometimes warm queso dip is poured over the top. We have several amazing queso recipes here on the site… Our Queso Blanco or perfectly basic homemade queso is great for this recipe!
Or you can buy your favorite pre-made queso dip and simply warm it up and pour cheese sauce over the top at the end.
Serving Suggestions
Spicy, meaty, and ooey-gooey melty choripollo is fabulous with your favorite Mexican-inspired side dishes. A fluffy bed of rice is the perfect carb-a-licious pairing… Try our easy recipes for arroz verde (green rice) or amarillo (yellow rice), or Spanish rice (red rice).
Looking for low-carb? You’ll love this easy cauliflower rice recipe!
We also can’t get enough classic sides like Mexican potatoes (papas bravas), street corn salad, or even a simple pot of savory black beans. Bring a few different sides to the table with chori pollo for an extra hearty meal to feed a crowd!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chorizo is a spiced ground pork sausage commonly used in Latin American recipes. Mexican-style chorizo includes spicy chile peppers. Spanish versions usually are made with paprika and garlic, so they are flavorful without being spicy.
This recipe for chicken with chorizo makes excellent leftovers to include in your weekly meal plan! Cool the dish completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store leftover choripollo in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Looking for More Easy Skillet Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Skillet Enchiladas
- Skillet Taco Calzone
- Mexican Chicken Fried Rice
- One-Pot Shrimp Black Bean Rice Skillet
- Chicken with Peppers and Onions
Chori Pollo (Chicken Chorizo)
Ingredients
- 7 ounces Mexican chorizo
- 2 bell peppers any color, sliced thin
- 1 sweet onion sliced thin
- 1 ½ – 2 pounds chicken cutlets
- 2 teaspoons adobo seasoning
- 8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese or hot queso dip!
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Peel and slice the onion into ¼ inch strips. Seed and slice the bell peppers into ¼ inch strips. Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with adobo seasoning.
- Set a large 14-inch cast-iron skillet (or sauté pan) over medium heat. Set a holding plate to the side of the skillet. Add the chorizo to the skillet, then stir and brown until the chorizo is cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Carefully scoop the chorizo out of the skillet and place it on the holding plate. Leave the grease from the chorizo in the skillet. If the chorizo you bought is not very greasy, add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet.
- Add the sliced peppers and onions to the hot skillet. Stir and sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften the vegetables. While the veggies are cooking, sprinkle them with adobo seasoning. Move the peppers and onions to the hold plate.
- Place the chicken cutlets in the hot skillet in a single layer. If needed, work in batches, to not overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken for approximately 3 minutes per side.
- Once all the chicken is cooked through, scoop the sautéed vegetables and chorizo over the top of the chicken. Shake the skillet to allow the veggies and chorizo to work down into the chicken. Sizzle for another 1-2 minutes.
- Then sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top followed by fresh chopped cilantro and scallions. Serve warm!