What Is Chorizo? How to Cook With the Spicy Sausage

Chorizo is a spicy pork sausage that adds a smoky, complex flavor to dishes ranging from traditional Spanish paella to brothy steamed mussels. This versatile meat, often found at local delis and butcher shops, is available either fresh or cured and is popular on charcuterie boards with cheeses. Whether used as the main protein in meatballs or as a flavorful addition to breakfast, chorizo pairs well with a variety of foods like eggs, seafood, and pasta. It can be enjoyed as a garnish much like crumbled bacon, enhancing the taste of soups, salads, and more.

How Chorizo Is Made

According to Intriago, chorizo is typically made by grinding or chopping pork, and sometimes beef, chicken, or vegetables, to create a meat block. From there, the meat is mixed with flavorful spices (and sometimes fresh ingredients like garlic and onion) and stuffed into casings (either animal-derived or synthetic). The chorizo can be sold raw (like other links or patties of sausage you see at the supermarket), air-dried and cured (similar to salami), or fully cooked and ready-to-heat.

Types of Chorizo

There are an endless number of chorizos on the market, each with its own cultural specificities—and all strongly flavored. Spanish- and Mexican-style chorizos are the most widely available. Other countries, including Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, and El Salvador, each have their own style that differs slightly from the rest, embracing local ingredients and spice blends reminiscent of their gastronomical culture. 

No matter where chorizo is made, the sausage started as a way to reduce waste and use each part of meat from an animal. The dry-curing process helped to preserve the sausage so it could be enjoyed year-round.

Spanish Chorizo

Intriago says Spanish-style chorizo is usually made with pork as the main ingredient and incorporates spices like garlic and smoked paprika, which is responsible for its deep rusty red color. Most Spanish chorizos are dry-cured, which means they have a much more salty and concentrated flavor—and can be sliced and eaten right out of the package, paired with crusty bread and mustard, or lightly fried for tapas.

How to Use: The smoky flavor of Spanish chorizo pairs perfectly with seafood, another regional favorite. Thin slices of the dried sausage are an aromatic addition to white wine-bathed mussels, shrimp and rice pilaf, and perfectly cooked cod fillets. Eggs and chorizo are another classic pairing.

Mexican Chorizo

Like its Spanish counterpart, Mexican-style chorizo is frequently made using pork as the main component. It tends to be a little less smoky and more spicy, thanks to the addition of vinegar and jalapeños or other hot peppers. Mexican chorizo is usually sold as a raw sausage that is meant to be fully cooked. 

How to Use: Fresh Mexican chorizo is often paired with seafood. Shrimp and grits are a classic combination. You can also use it like you would any fresh sausage—we love it with eggs or piled into tacos.

What to Look for When Buying Chorizo

Intriago is no stranger to sourcing the best ingredients for her chorizo. She shared a few things to look for when buying chorizo:

1. Seek out brands that focus on high-quality meat as the main ingredient. "When I cut into a link of chorizo, I want to be able to identify the actual pieces of meat," she says.
2. As with other foods you buy, you want to be able to pronounce the ingredients on the label.
3. This might seem contradictory, but sodium and fat levels should be relatively low. Highly processed brands tend to use fattier meats and rely less heavily on flavor boosters, like spices.
4. Sodium nitrates are part of the preserving process. Most chorizos will include them, and "all-natural" labels can be misleading. Intriago chooses chorizos where sodium nitrate is at the bottom of the ingredient list, meaning it is used as minimally as possible.