Sweet Potato and Chorizo Tacos with Lime Crema
Raw Mexican chorizo crumbled and crisped in its own fat, sweet potatoes roasted hot in that same rendered fat, and a cool garlicky lime crema over charred corn tortillas.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Tacos
- 1 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into an even ½ inch dice
- 12 ounces raw Mexican chorizo casings removed, NOT cured Spanish chorizo
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 small corn tortillas taco size
For the Lime Crema
- ½ cup sour cream full fat
- 1 lime zested and juiced, about 2 tablespoons juice
- 1 small clove garlic grated
- 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 to 2 teaspoons water to thin
To Serve
- ½ small red onion very thinly sliced
- cilantro leaves
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
Make the Lime Crema
- Stir the sour cream with the lime zest, lime juice, grated garlic, chopped cilantro and salt.
- Thin with water a teaspoon at a time until it pours off a spoon in a steady ribbon. Refrigerate while you cook so the garlic mellows.
Cook the Chorizo and Roast the Potatoes
- Heat the oven to 425F. Toss the diced sweet potato with the olive oil, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and salt, then spread it on a sheet pan in a single layer with space between the pieces.
- Squeeze the chorizo out of its casings into a cold skillet, set it over medium heat, and break it up with a wooden spoon as it warms. Cook 8 to 10 minutes until fully cooked through and the crumbles have crisped in their own fat.
- Tip the pan and spoon off most of the rendered fat, keeping about 1 tablespoon of it and leaving a teaspoon in the skillet with the meat.
- Roast the sweet potatoes 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point and spooning the reserved chorizo fat over them when you do. They are ready when the edges are dark and caramelized and a fork goes through easily.
Warm the Tortillas and Build
- Warm the tortillas directly over a gas flame for 20 seconds a side until they blister, or dry in the hot chorizo skillet for 30 seconds a side. Stack them in a clean kitchen towel so they steam soft.
- Fill each tortilla with roasted sweet potato and crumbled chorizo, then spoon the lime crema over the top.
- Finish with thinly sliced red onion and cilantro leaves, and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- Buy the right chorizo: Mexican chorizo is RAW, sold refrigerated near the ground meat, and it crumbles and renders. Spanish chorizo is cured and firm and will not work here.
- Even dice: a ½ inch dice cooked in a single layer is what gives caramelized edges instead of steamed mush.
- Use the rendered fat: spoon a tablespoon of it over the potatoes halfway through roasting instead of pouring it away.
- No honey in the crema: the sweet potato brings all the sweetness this taco needs.
- Char the tortillas: 20 seconds a side over a flame, then stacked in a towel to steam soft.
- Storage: potatoes and chorizo keep 4 days refrigerated, crema keeps 5 days. Never assemble ahead.