What Is Chorizo Made of and How Do You Cook With It? We Have Answers (2024)

Chorizo has become ubiquitous in American recipes and restaurants, but many of us have wondered "Exactly what is chorizo made of?" As it turns out, the answer isn’t so simple. It originated in the Iberian peninsula as a pork-based sausage, but chorizo has evolved into several distinct styles of artisanal meat, and not all are created equal or can be enjoyed in the same way.

Once you know what you’re buying, ordering, or working with, you can enjoy every style of chorizo to its maximum potential. Our expert slices through the confusion and gets to the meat of the matter with explanations of what chorizo is made of, its different types, and the best ways to cook each of them. Of course, there are recipes, too.

What Is Chorizo?

“Chorizo is a type of Iberian embutido [essentially, a preserved meatloaf], first created in Spain and Portugal,” explains chorizo-maker Jaime Fernández. “It’s an air-cured meat product that uses pork shoulder and spices to create a preserved, edible link that can be eaten without having to cook [it].”

How It's Made and What It's Made of

Making chorizo is an artisanal process—created long before refrigeration existed—for preserving meat from a slaughtered pig. Today's process is very close to the original, yet just a bit more refined and streamlined for modern production and consumption. In contrast to generations ago, chorizo is now made year-round, not just in cold weather when dry winds create ideal conditions for curing meat.

“Chorizo is made by grinding pork shoulder with salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and pimentón [a smoked paprika from Spain], and stuffing it into a natural pork casing,” explains Fernández. “The links are then hung and naturally air-dried for 35 to 38 days. At that point, the links are typically stored in a wine cellar.”

Types of Chorizo

The most popular types of chorizo available to American consumers are Spanish and Mexican, but you may find specialty shops that carry Portuguese, Colombian, and Brazilian styles as well.

Iberian Styles

“What sets Spanish chorizo apart is the use of pimentón, or paprika,” explains Fernández. “In Spain, it is common to use up to three variations of pimentón—sweet, hot, and smoked bittersweet.” Another distinctive characteristic of Spanish chorizo is that it's cured, so it doesn’t need to be cooked to enjoy it.

Portuguese chorizo (known as chourico) is seasoned with garlic peppers and red wine (and much less paprika). It’s also almost always smoked, as opposed to the Spanish type, and must be cooked.

Latin American Styles

Mexican, Colombian, and Brazilian chorizo evolved as a result of Spanish colonization in the 16th century. Today, each country boasts its distinctive style with several regional variations:

• Mexican chorizo uses vinegar and chili pepper, which adds a tangy, spicy kick to the ground pork.
• Colombian chorizo is typically ground pork combined with vinegar, garlic, and paprika for a savory flavor.
• Brazilian chorizo has a flavor similar to the Portuguese style. It's commonly smoked to serve in dishes like empanadas and feijoada, a traditional Brazilian black bean stew.

“Latin American chorizo is a fresh link that must be grilled before eating,” says Fernández. They can also be cooked as crumbles for use in tacos and sauces, or cooked with potatoes or eggs.

How to Cook Chorizo

Chorizo Recipes

Many recipes that specifically call for chorizo highlight the sausage’s bold flavors, while other recipes can accommodate a swap with a different sausage. If a recipe calls for a distinctive type of chorizo, be sure you buy the right one:

• Cured (Spanish-style) chorizo can’t be grilled or crumbled like fresh chorizo, and doesn't have to be cooked.
• Fresh (Mexican-style) chorizo won’t provide the right texture for recipes that call for cured chorizo, and it must be cooked.

With the differences between Spanish- and Mexican-style chorizo in mind, try one or more of these Real Simple recipes.

Spicy Chorizo-and-Pinto Bean Chili

Need a winning chili recipe for an upcoming cook-off? Use this one to bring home the prize! Spicy Mexican chorizo and pinto beans make a tasty duo in this chili that calls out for fun toppings like creamy avocado chunks and crisp red cabbage shreds.

Chickpea and Chorizo Salad

Meat in a salad is always a good idea. This one uses Spanish-style chorizo for a charcuterie-style appetizer that works just as well in a weekday lunchbox as it does in a chic spread at a co*cktail party.

Shrimp and Chorizo Skillet Supper

Shrimp and Spanish-style chorizo are a natural pairing, and their flavors meld so well in this one-skillet meal with chickpeas and arugula. Serve with crusty bread for a complete 30-minute meal.

Smoky Fish Chowder

One of the best things about cooking with chorizo is that, with just a few ingredients, dishes can range from homey and humble to elegant and company-worthy. This one-pot fish dinner relies on Spanish-style chorizo for flavor and texture, resulting in an elevated at-home dinner.

Shrimp Linguine With Chorizo

You really can’t go wrong with any pasta-and-pork combo, and Spanish chorizo does its job here. Chopped cured sausage adds a wonderful texture when crisped in a pan, and its natural fats coat this dish's linguine and shrimp with flavor.