Cornbread Chorizo Stuffing is the unique, delicious side dish you’ve been looking for to spice up your holiday dinner. With a nice balance of sweet and heat, people will be coming back for a second scoop.

A white bowl filled with chorizo stuffing made with cornbread and tart cherries, with a blue and white napkin alongside the bowl.

Last year was the first year in a long time where I didn’t make Thanksgiving dinner, or at least have a big part in making it. Due to some medical issues, we ordered our dinner from a local gourmet grocery store. It was easy and actually super delicious.

But this year, I’m feeling better and I’m ready to cook! For sure, we will be having a bourbon turkey and gravy from scratch.

And of course we have to have a nice Thanksgiving salad. And probably pumpkin creme brulee for dessert. And then it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without my husband’s grandma’s old fashioned dressing.

But I love stuffing (I usually call it stuffing even when I don’t stuff it into the bird) so much, that a lot of years, I’ll make two different kinds.

Usually, the second variety involves cornbread and something spicy, and this cornbread chorizo stuffing recipe fits the bill on both fronts.

With a nice balance of sweet and heat, it’s a really unique Thanksgiving side dish that will have people coming back for a second scoop.

A white bowl filled with chorizo cornbread stuffing made with tart cherries, with a blue and white napkin alongside the bowl.

What you’ll need for this chorizo stuffing recipe:

  • chorizo – more on this below!
  • cornbread – you will need 1 pound (about 6 cups, chopped) of store-bought cornbread or homemade cornbread for this chorizo cornbread stuffing.
  • frozen tart cherries – more on this below, too!
  • eggs – this helps bind the chorizo stuffing together.
  • onion – adds savory notes to this dish to keep it from being too sweet.
  • butter – because it makes everything better.
  • salt and pepper – always!
  • parsley – to add some green freshness to this otherwise brown dish.

What kind of chorizo should I use for chorizo cornbread stuffing?

In the United States, there are generally two types of chorizo found at the grocery store, and they are very different.

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Spanish chorizo is usually made with cured pork and seasoned with smoked paprika. It is generally sold as a long, dried sausage appropriate for slicing, and is often sold near other charcuterie meats. This is NOT what we want for this chorizo stuffing recipe.

Mexican chorizo is usually made with fresh ground pork seasoned with chiles, and that’s what we’re using for this chorizo cornbread stuffing! It’s also great in my cornbread breakfast casserole.

Mexican chorizo is usually sold in links about the size of bratwursts, with the other fresh sausages. At some stores, it can also be found loose.

We need loose ground chorizo for this cornbread chorizo stuffing recipe, so if you find it sold in sausage casings, no worries – just cut the casings open and take the meat out (discard the casings). Or, if you can find it loose, that’s even easier!

A white bowl filled with chorizo stuffing made with cornbread and white cherries, with a blue and white napkin alongside the bowl.

Do I have to use cherries?

I live in Michigan, one of the cherry capitals of the world. If I have a chance to add cherries to a dish, I probably will. Pickled tart cherries are the star of my jarcuterie, and I stand by that decision.

I love tart cherries because their flavor is equal parts tart, bright and sweet. They are rarely available fresh, so they are most commonly sold frozen (frozen even work for Black Forest cupcakes!).

I love the tart, sweet counterpoint they add to the spicy sausage in this chorizo stuffing recipe. But if you can’t find tart cherries, what should you do?

Well, option #1 is that you can simply omit them from this chorizo cornbread stuffing. But I prefer option #2, which is using fresh or frozen cranberries instead.

Buy an extra bag when you’re making your cranberry tart pie for dessert, and you can add cranberries to this chorizo cornbread stuffing, too! Actually, buy two extra bags so you can make cranberry sauce muffins, as well.

A white bowl filled with chorizo stuffing made with cornbread and white cherries, with a spoon digging into the stuffing.

Cornbread Chorizo Stuffing

Cornbread Chorizo Stuffing is the unique, delicious side dish you've been looking for to spice up your holiday dinner. With a nice balance of sweet and heat, people will be coming back for a second scoop.
4.6 from 5 ratings

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • ¾ pound ground chorizo
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil if needed
  • 1 small yellow onion chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 pound store-bought or homemade cornbread cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
  • 1 cup frozen tart cherries
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted 4 tablespoons

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In large skillet over medium-high heat, cook chorizo 6 to 8 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally and breaking up chorizo with side of spoon. Using slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to small bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon chorizo drippings in skillet, or, if there are no drippings, add olive oil to skillet and return to medium heat.
  • Add onion, salt and pepper to skillet. Cook 4 to 6 minutes or until onion is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. 
  • Meanwhile, place eggs in large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add cornbread, cherries, parsley, butter, chorizo and onion to bowl; gently toss until well combined (cornbread will crumble).
  • Transfer mixture to prepare baking dish. Transfer to oven and bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • No tart cherries? Feel free to use either fresh or dried cranberries.
Calories: 413kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 115mg, Sodium: 734mg, Potassium: 155mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 728IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 92mg, Iron: 2mg
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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