Easy Mexican Fried Rice with Chorizo ​​and Pickled Jalapeños

This Mexican version of fried rice was inspired, surprisingly, by a dish from an Italian steakhouse. For my birthday dinner at Be.Steak.A in Campbell, California, I skimmed past the pasta and bistecca to order what looked like a rogue menu item: fried rice mixed with fennel sausage, pickled Calabrian chiles, and Pecorino Romano. It arrived loaded with warm spices, tangy heat, and just enough cheese to add a slightly funky flavor and glue the grains together. I loved it. Not just the flavors, but the whole idea of ​​taking an Asian stir-fry framework and reconstructing it with flavors that fall outside the usual expectations. I also knew I couldn’t afford to go back every time I wanted to eat it again.

So I recreated the dish at home, using the Mexican-American flavors and ingredients I know best, the ones that live in my kitchen every day. I swapped the Italian sausage for chorizo, swapped the Calabrian chiles for pickled jalapeños (plus a little of their invigorating pickling liquid), and drizzled everything with cotija instead of Pecorino. The result is something I now cook every week because it relies on ingredients I almost always have on hand and works with whatever produce I have available. It is also based on a technique that I like in Italian, Asian, And Mexican cooking: Add ingredients in small quantities to a very hot pan so they char, caramelize and create layers of flavor.

Start with Char

If there’s a Mexican analogue to wok hei – the blast of the wok – it’s the blistered, flame-kissed edges of carne asada and cebollitas grilled directly over coals. Cebollitas – scallions with extra-plump bulbs – char beautifully, becoming smoky, flavorful and slightly sweet. For this recipe, I cut the bulbs into petal-shaped pieces and sear them alongside the cabbage; the cabbage softens and chars while the onions blacken around the edges, giving the fried rice a dose of fiery flavor right off the bat. Cebollitas are available at most Latin grocers, but if you can’t find them, regular green onions will do, although the larger cebollita bulbs add a more varied texture and bite.

Cooking chorizo

I love using Mexican chorizo ​​in this fried rice because it brings built-in seasoning and a deep, meaty weight to the dish. Its warm spices and rich fat do the heavy lifting, so you don’t need to dip into pantry spices to create flavor. Be sure to use fresh Mexican chorizo, the bulk raw ground meat type, not dried Spanish chorizo. Tube versions found in many supermarkets will work in a pinch, but they tend to be watery and don’t brown as easily. If possible, buy chorizo ​​from the butcher counter of a Latin American grocery store: it’s crispier and generally tastes brighter and more porky. The rendered fat becomes the backing for the stir-fry, flavoring the rice with warm spices and meaty flavor. Get the chorizo ​​as crispy as possible: it’s the main source of crunch in an otherwise soft and chewy dish.

Add a hot and sour element

Pickled jalapeños are the backbone of this fried rice. They balance the richness of the pork and cheese with a vinegary brightness and gentle heat that wakes up the whole dish. The real secret weapon is the marinade liquid itself, infused with the flavor of chiles and spices. A tablespoon is enough to accentuate the other flavors of the dish without overpowering them. If you have other pickled peppers on hand, feel free to experiment: just adjust the amount if you’re using something hotter, like habanero. A squeeze of lime at the end also plays well with the tangy and spicy profile.

Not only is this dish delicious, it comes together in less than 30 minutes and is easy to customize with whatever ingredients you have on hand.