Instant Pot Chorizo and Potato is a vibrant recipe that’s versatile enough to be served with eggs for breakfast, or accompanied by a side of greens and crusty French bread for dinner. Traditional Spanish Chorizo gets an Asian twist with the warming flavors of Indian spices such as cumin, cloves, turmeric, and red chili pepper. [Stovetop instructions also included.]
Table of Contents
Introduction
My husband’s family comes from Goa, which is a former Portuguese colony in India. One of the dishes he grew up with is Goa Sausage Chili Fry. It’s a super-simple recipe with three ingredients!
Spicy sausage, onions, and potatoes are simmered over low heat with little to no water. Most of the wonderful flavors come from the Goa sausage (also known as Choris or Chouriços de Goa), which is very spicy and tangy!
The sausages are ubiquitous all over Goa, draped like necklaces in every mom-and-pop grocery store. If you’d like to learn more about these uniquely Goan sausages, I recommend this article about Goa Sausages and their history.
My mother-in-law Grace would sneak some into her suitcase when she used to visit us in years past. Although you can buy Goa sausages here in the US, I wanted to be able to make something similar to Goa Sausage Chili Fry with easily available ingredients.
That led me to develop this recipe using Spanish chorizo. I give the Chorizo a familiar Goa Sausage flavor by adding in the spices that go into Goa sausages. There’s so much flavor in this easy and comforting dish.
Here are some Sausage Recipes you might enjoy:
– Instant Pot Penne with Sausage
– Instant Pot Jambalaya
– Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
– Instant Pot Gumbo
Tips and Substitutions
Onions
I tend to chop the onions into small pieces because my son isn’t a big fan of onions, especially when they’re sliced and in long pieces. However, if you like onions, I recommend that you thinly slice the onions.
Spices
To enhance the flavor of the chorizos and give them the flavor profile of Goa sausage, I’ve included spices that go into the traditional preparation, but you can choose to omit any or all of these spices depending on your personal tastes and the type of sausage you’re using:
Kashmiri Chili Powder
Kashmiri chili powder is a special kind of Indian chili powder that has a bright red color without being too spicy. I actually use more than is called for in the recipe, so if you like your curries on the spicy side, you can add more.
It can be found at Indian grocery stores or on amazon. If you can’t find Kashmiri chili powder, go ahead and substitute a smaller quantity of cayenne pepper.
The great thing about Indian dishes is that you can make them as mild as you like by adjusting the quantity of chili powder or substituting paprika for the chili powder. The recipe, as written, is not very spicy (by my Indian standards!)
I list the chili powder as an optional ingredient because I know some people are sensitive to spice. Some chorizos are quite spicy, so use your discretion. If you wish, you can also saute sliced jalapeno peppers or serrano peppers to the onion mixture to make the dish even spicier.
Tomato
Tomato paste isn’t part of the authentic preparation of Goa sausage and potatoes (Goa Sausage Chili Fry). However, I like the flavor and color that the tomato adds to the chorizo.
Vinegar
You can use distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or coconut vinegar. The vinegar adds a sourness that complements the spices of the chorizo. If you want to, reduce the quantity to 1 or 2 teaspoons.
Potatoes
I use Yukon gold potatoes for most of my recipes including this one. For the Instant Pot version, I cut the potatoes into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces so they don’t get overcooked. For the stovetop version, I cut the potatoes into smaller 1-inch pieces.
Chorizo
There are many different types of chorizo available in supermarkets. I’ve tried this recipe with the Mexican raw chorizo that comes in a plastic tube and with raw chorizo from the meat counter.
What happens with these types of chorizo is that they can cause the Burn Error or they disintegrate upon pressure cooking. Feel free to use them in the stovetop recipe but for the Instant Pot recipe, smoked sausage is just easier.
If you must use raw sausage, cut it into large chunks and make sure it doesn’t touch the bottom of the inner pot when pressure cooking; let it rest on top of the potatoes. At the end when you’re sauteing, be careful the sausage doesn’t stick to the bottom.
If you can’t find smoked chorizo, you can use Portuguese linguiça, Cajun andouille, or even Polish kielbasa.
One thing to keep in mind is that chorizo has a fair amount of fat. That fat gets released into the gravy and adds a lot of flavor but you can dab the surface of the finished product with a clean paper towel to remove some of that fat, if you wish.
Burn Message
This recipe was tested in a new-ish 6 quart Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus and I’ve had no issues with the dreaded Food Burn Message as long as I layer the ingredients as outlined above.
However, some Instant Pots are just finicky, so be on the lookout for the Burn error. As a precaution you can add an extra 1/4 cup of water and then just thicken the Instant Pot chorizo at the end, in Saute mode.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Chorizo and Potato – Ingredients
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Sausage
- Water
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Oil
- Tomato paste
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Optional: Chili powder
More details in the recipe card at the bottom of this post
How to Make Chorizo and Potato in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute Mode.
- Saute onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Stir in spices and deglaze.
- Add water, potatoes, and chorizo.
- Pressure cook.
- Release pressure.
- Reduce to thicken.
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute Onion, Garlic and Ginger
- Once the Instant Pot has pre-heated, add oil and allow the oil to heat up.
- Stir in onions, garlic, and ginger and saute till onions are soft, about 1 to 2 minutes
- Select Cancel.
Stir in Spices and Deglaze
- Stir in black pepper, cumin, cloves, turmeric, cinnamon, chili powder (if using), and salt.
- Deglaze, if necessary, with a tablespoon or two of water.
Add Water, Potatoes and Chorizo
- Stir in water and vinegar.
- Add potatoes, sausage, and tomato paste, don’t stir.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 7 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘7′ (7 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 7 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 7 minutes (00:07).
- Press ‘Start’.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Reduce to Thicken
- Stir the chorizo and potato.
- If there’s too much liquid, select Saute mode and let the mixture thicken to desired consistency, stirring frequently.
- Transfer to a serving dish. Serve with eggs, rice, or crusty French bread.
Stovetop Directions for Chorizo and Potato
To make this recipe on the stovetop:
- Saute the onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Stir in spices and tomato paste.
- Stir in water and vinegar.
- Layer the chorizo over the onion mixture and layer the potatoes over the chorizo.
- Lower heat, cover and simmer till potatoes are well done, adding water as needed.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Instant Pot Chorizo and Potato
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups onion chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp ginger minced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne pepper (to taste)
- 1 1/4 tsp salt or to taste!
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 11 oz. smoked sausage chorizo, linguica, or andouille
- 1 ¼ cup Yukon gold potatoes cubed into 1 ½ inch pieces
- ½ cup water (1/4 cup for stovetop recipe)
Instructions
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instructions
- Select Saute and allow the Instant Pot to heat up. Once the inner pot has heated up, add oil.
- Stir in onion, garlic, and ginger and saute the onion mixture until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Press Cancel. The spices in the next step will cook in the residual heat.
- Stir in black pepper, cumin, cloves, turmeric, cinnamon, chili powder (if using), and salt.
- Stir the spices with the onion mixture for about 30 seconds. Deglaze with a small amount of water if you find that the spices are burning.
- Stir in the water and vinegar.
- Layer potatoes, chorizo and tomato paste. Don't stir. This will help you avoid the Burn Message.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 7 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release of pressure (QR). [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Open the lid.
- If there's excess liquid, select Saute mode. Heat through until thickened to your liking, stirring frequently, about 2 to 5 minutes. Use a splatter screen to prevent splatter.
- Press Cancel.
- Serve with crusty French bread, with eggs, or over basmati rice.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
- Stir in onion, garlic, and ginger and saute the onion mixture until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Deglaze as needed.
- Stir in black pepper, cumin, cloves, turmeric, cinnamon, chili powder (if using), and salt. Saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant, making sure the spices don't burn.
- Stir in the tomato paste and saute for 30 seconds. Deglaze with a couple of tablespoons of water.
- Add vinegar and ¼ cup water. Layer the chorizo over the onion mixture and layer the potatoes over the chorizo.
- Lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Stir occasionally and add more water as needed.
- The end result will be a thick gravy with creamy potatoes.
- Serve with crusty French bread, eggs, or basmati rice.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onion, minced garlic, etc.
- The recipe calls for smoked sausage. If using raw sausage, break it into big chunks and make sure they don’t touch the bottom.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips. You don’t want to miss any!
Nutrition
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
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Lizzie Knight
Please use grams what is 11/2 cups?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Lizzie, I’m sorry but I always measure by the cup! I would say about 225 grams or so.
sunil de silva
Wonderful dish! Added a few more veggies. Thank you so much for your recipes
Paint the Kitchen Red
Awesome, Sunil – glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know and it’s my pleasure to share my recipes with y’all.
Mary Beth
This was a pretty darn tasty take on sausage and potatoes. We made it with Andouille. My husband wants to try it with eggs next time. What would be a good condiment to have with it?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Mary Beth – I’m so glad you were one of the first to try the recipe! It is delicious with eggs, and I really don’t think you need a condiment as there’s so much flavor in the sauce. But I think a cilantro chutney would be nice or maybe a Sriracha mayo – see my recipe in this post: https://www.paintthekitchenred.com/instant-pot-banh-mi-vietnamese-sandwich/