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A white bowl of steamed clams topped with herbs and red sauce sits beside a partially visible bottle of Tres Agaves organic tequila on a wooden surface.

Tequila-Steamed Clams with Salsa Borracha & Chorizo

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Briny clams, smoky chorizo, and a tequila-spiked salsa borracha come together in one fiery pan. It’s bold, brash, and built for bread-dipping.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Main Course, Seafood
Cuisine: Baja, Californian, Mexican
Calories: 317
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Clams & Chorizo
  • 1 lb Littleneck or Manila clams scrubbed
  • 4 oz Mexican chorizo crumbled
  • 2 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • ½ cup Tequila blanco
  • ½ cup Seafood stock or water
  • 1 Lime juiced
Salsa Borracha
  • 2 Dried guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 1 Dried ancho chile stemmed and seeded
  • 1 Roma tomato charred
  • 1 clove Garlic charred
  • ¼ cup Tequila blanco
  • 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Honey
  • Kosher salt to taste
To Serve
  • 4 slices Grilled sourdough
  • Chopped cilantro, as needed
  • Lime wedges, as needed

Equipment

  • Saucepan or deep sauté pan with lid
  • Griddle or grill for bread/tortillas
  • Tongs or slotted spoon
  • Blender
  • Dry skillet or comal

Method
 

Salsa Borracha
  1. Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet until aromatic and darkened slightly, about 30 seconds per side.
  2. Rehydrate in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain.
  3. Blend the chiles with charred tomato, charred garlic, tequila, vinegar, honey, and salt until smooth. Set aside.
Cook the Chorizo
  1. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
  2. Add crumbled chorizo and cook until browned and slightly crispy, 5–6 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Steam the Clams
  1. In the same pan, add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Pour in tequila and seafood stock. Bring to a simmer.
  3. Add clams, cover tightly, and steam 5–7 minutes until clams open. Discard any that stay closed.
Finish & Serve
  1. Return chorizo to the pan and stir to combine with the clams and liquid.
  2. Spoon salsa borracha over the clams. Squeeze in lime juice and finish with chopped cilantro.
  3. Serve immediately with grilled sourdough.

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 2gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gSodium: 8mgPotassium: 266mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 551IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mg

Notes

Storage: Clams are a cook-and-eat-now dish, once steamed they turn rubbery fast and shouldn't be reheated. If you have leftover broth and chorizo without the shells, that keeps in the fridge for a day and works well spooned over pasta. The salsa borracha on its own keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week.

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