What Is Chorizo sausage and How Can I Use It?

Chorizo sausage rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 72 recipes to cook with it.

What is chorizo sausage?

Chorizo sausage is a versatile ingredient that can be used in many delicious recipes. This fresh sausage, typically made from pork, adds a bold and spicy flavor to any dish. Before using chorizo in a recipe, it's essential to cook it thoroughly to ensure it's safe to eat.

One popular way to enjoy chorizo is to substitute ground beef or pork in dishes like tacos, chili, or spaghetti sauce. The sausage can also be sliced and added to omelets or frittatas for a flavorful breakfast.

Chorizo can be cooked and served on a skewer for savory appetizers and side vegetables like bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. It's also a great addition to soups and stews, adding a depth of flavor to the broth.

When using chorizo in recipes, it's essential to consider the spice level of the sausage. Some chorizo can be very spicy, so adjust the amount used or pair it with milder ingredients to balance the flavors.

Chorizo sausage is a delicious and adaptable ingredient that can add a bold and spicy flavor to many different dishes. Chorizo can be a fresh sausage, which must be cooked before eating.

Chorizo can be eaten as is (sliced or in a sandwich), barbecued, fried, or simmered in apple cider or other strong alcoholic beverages such as aguardiente. It also can be used as a partial replacement for ground beef or pork.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find chorizo sausage: Chorizo sausage is usually found in the asian section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Chorizo sausage is a member of the Sausages and Luncheon Meats US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

香肠

British (UK) term

Chorizo sausage

en français

chorizo

en español

chorizo

How much does chorizo sausage weigh?

Related

Sausages and Luncheon Meats

Recipes using chorizo sausage

There are 72 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Chorizo Sausages with Pickled Mushrooms & Romesco Sauce

Grilled chorizo sausages are topped with refreshing picked mushrooms and nutty, flavorful romesco sauce.

Chrissy's Eggs & Chorizo Omelette

Eggs and chorizo unite in a soft, family-style omelette with sautéed onion, half-and-half cream, and a hint of oregano. A quick Mexican breakfast built for sharing.

Beets, Chorizo & Pomegranate Braise with Cilantro Salsa

This delicious and well-balanced one pot meal will for sure satisfy everyone around the dinner table with all the yumminess and goodness.

Portuguese Green Soup

Caldo verde, the classic Portuguese green soup with kale, chorizo, and potatoes mashed right in the pot. Simple, hearty, and rustic with just a handful of ingredients and big flavor.

Grilled Chorizo Pizza

Grilled pizza is absolutely flavorful, grilling develops the smokey flavor, and crispy texture on both toppings and crust. This pizza is spread with tomato sauce, topped with Chorizo slices, sweet bell pepper rings and mozzarella cheese. Enjoy the different yummy flavors and layers of the textures all in one bite.

Chorizo & Black Olive Pizza

Recipe made by the ambassador for Olives from Spain José Pizarro. Spain is the largest producer of olives in the world. The four main varieties of Spanish table olive available from major supermarkets in the UK are: Manzanilla, Gordal, Hojiblanca and Cacereña. Spanish table olives can be served in a different number of ways including: whole, pitted, stuffed with one or more ingredients such as pimento, onion, tuna, anchovy, salmon, almond, etc. It is a healthy seasonal ingredient, with the Spanish olive harvest running from September-March.

Spring Cabbage with Bacon & Chorizo

for fans of spring cabbage and typical combinations..

Southwest Breakfast Wraps

Quick, easy and yummy wraps are perfect for any meal during the day. It fills you up and it tastes delicious.

Spanish Baked Eggs

Spanish style eggs flavored with Chorizo and harissa, tomatoes, roasted red peppers and green olives. Bursts of flavor in every bite.

Huevos Con Chorizo

Eggs with Chorizo sausage, wrapped in a tortilla and topped with bubbly cheese and salsa.

Sorrel Soup with Chorizo

I cook sorrel soup every spring year by year because of the unique sour flavor. I usually make it on the base of long simmered veal bones. This spring the process of cooking was shortened by using Spanish chorizo. No regret.

Beef & Sausage Chili

From recipe request: posted by SuzieQue, Great American Recipe Cards, Great Beef Dishes Card # 91 Grp 6.

Chorizo Noodle Casserole

Yummy!!! Nice and easy recipe that turns out very delicious.

Jambalaya One-Pot Meal

Super easy to make, and it tastes delicious. A perfect one-pan meal on a busy week day!

Chorizo Quiche in Cornmeal Crust

Simply Incredible!!! I have never had a quiche recipe work for me. They always end up a soupy mess and leave me frustrated and dejected. This one turned out so wonderfully and gorgeous - pretty enough for company. It tasted fantastic. I used a quiche pan instead of a 9" pie pan(as I said I never had one turn out, but it doesn't stop me from trying) ;-) If you like chorizo and want to try a quiche recipe that is totally fool proof - THIS IS THE ONE!!! Yummy!!! I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

Chorizo, Cherry Tomato & Feta Frittata

Quick and easy, amazingly delicious! Perfect for a Sunday brunch. The tomatoes keep the eggs moist and steamed fluffy.

New New Orleans Pasta

Very tasty. Just enough sauce to carry the creole flavors and meld the different types of protein together. Went a bit overboard by making our own Chorizo and homemade penne pasta. A great Creole recipe from down in New Orleans!

Mancha Manteles

Mancha Manteles, the Mexican 'tablecloth stainer,' simmers turkey and chorizo in a rich mole of ancho, pasilla, and serrano chiles, almonds, and sesame, sweetened with pineapple, apple, and banana. Sweet, smoky, and spicy.

Chili- Mexican

A no-fuss Mexican chili built on ground beef and sliced chorizo simmered with green chilis, onions, garlic, and stewed tomatoes. No beans, no complicated spice blends. The chorizo brings all the heat and flavor.

Inside Out Burger with Worcestershire Tomato Ketchup

Inside-out burger stuffs ground chuck patties with melty Swiss, smoky bacon, chorizo, and red onion, then sears and oven-finishes for a juicy bite. Served on toasted buns with homemade Worcestershire tomato ketchup.

Roast Turkey with Corn Bread-Chorizo Stuffing

Roast turkey with cornbread chorizo stuffing: juicy turkey stuffed with spicy chorizo, sweet corn, and cornbread, roasted with a turn-and-baste method that delivers crisp skin and moist meat. A Southwestern Thanksgiving showstopper.

Chicken with Rice

A hearty arroz con pollo loaded with browned chicken, chorizo sausage, saffron rice, tomatoes, and bell peppers, all baked together until the rice is fluffy and golden. Feeds a crowd of 10 with ease.

Black Bean Nachos

Open-faced black bean nachos with spicy chorizo, melted Monterey Jack, and a smoky black bean pesto thickened with ham hock. Fried flour tortillas baked into crisp wedges. Loaded restaurant-style nachos.

Mexican Pizza with Salsa

Mexican pizza topped with crumbled chorizo, garlic, Monterey Jack and Muenster cheese, fresh cilantro, and salsa on a cornmeal-dusted bread dough crust.

Paella Burgers

Paella burgers: ground chicken, chopped chorizo, and shrimp patties flavored with saffron, garlic, and pinot noir, grilled and stacked on sourdough rolls with charred onion, red pepper, and a saffron aioli.

Paella #2

Paella with shrimp, mussels, clams, chicken, chorizo, and sole in saffron rice with sherry and artichoke hearts. A loaded Spanish-style one-pan feast.

Paella a la Basquaise

Paella a la Basquaise, a Basque-style saffron rice loaded with halibut, shrimp, mussels, clams, and chorizo, layered with prosciutto and baked in an earthenware casserole. A showstopping seafood paella.

Morisqueta Con Chorizo

Morisqueta con chorizo: a rustic Mexican dry-rice dish with crumbled chorizo, sauteed onion, and fresh tomato folded through steamed rice. Five ingredients, classic Michoacan peasant food.

Pork Stew with Corn Bread Topping

Southwest pork stew with chorizo, butternut squash, and corn, baked under a sour cream cornbread crust. A hearty one-dish Mexican-inspired dinner.

Shellfish & Chicken Paella

Grilled paella with chicken thighs, lobster, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, and chorizo over curry-turmeric rice with ancho powder. A show-stopping one-platter feast.

Tingal Poblana

Tingal Poblana with slow-simmered shredded pork and beef, chorizo, tomatillos, chipotle, oregano, and marjoram. A rich Mexican stew from Puebla served as a bowl or scooped into warm tortillas.

Quiche in a Green Chile Shell

Crustless quiche in a green chile shell with chorizo sausage, Monterey Jack cheese, and a five-egg custard. Whole green chiles line the pie plate as a gluten-free, low-carb crust alternative with built-in Southwestern heat.

Pueblana Tinga

Pueblan tinga, a smoky Mexican stew of shredded pork or chicken with charred tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, chorizo, and warm spices. Serve over rice or stuffed into bolillos.

Clam Stew with Shiitakes, Cinzano, Chorizo

Littleneck clams steamed with sliced chorizo, shiitake mushrooms, sweet vermouth, white wine, and tomato sauce. Served with garlic-thyme toasted baguette for soaking up every drop of that broth.

Mexican Patties

Mexican meatball patties stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese, mixed with chorizo, green chiles, and crushed pretzel crumbs, baked inside bell pepper quarters.

Chorizo Bread

A savory quick bread studded with spicy chorizo, cream cheese, Parmesan, and fennel seeds. Slice it warm from the oven for a rich, tender loaf that pairs with soups, stews, or stands on its own.

Chorizo Habanero

If you want to try these recipes but don't want the heat, just eliminate the habaneros from the sauce mixture. You will still have a delicious red bell pepper sauce.

Melrose Avenue Spring Rolls

Crispy spring rolls filled with chorizo, Chinese mushrooms, rice sticks, cabbage, and bean sprouts in an oyster-sesame sauce. Double-fried for extra crunch and served wrapped in lettuce leaves.

Portuguese-American Stuffing

Portuguese-American turkey stuffing with chorizo sausage, turkey giblets, and soaked bread. A bold, meaty stuffing with garlic, paprika, and parsley for a 12-pound holiday bird.

Spanish Burgers with Manchego & Chorizo Hash Browns

Juicy ground sirloin burgers seasoned with smoked paprika and garlic, topped with melted Manchego and roasted red pepper paste. Served alongside crispy chorizo hash browns.

Texas Breakfast Tacos

Flour tortillas loaded with spicy chorizo, soft scrambled eggs, bell pepper, and melty colby-Jack cheese, baked golden and served with guacamole and fresh salsa. Weekend breakfast, Texas-style.

Catalan Rice

Saffron-scented rice loaded with chorizo, pork, squid, and clams, studded with almonds, pine nuts, and artichoke hearts. A Catalan spin on paella that feeds a hungry table of six.

Big Batch Paella Salad

Saffron-infused rice tossed with smoky chorizo, sweet peppers, and fresh coriander. This crowd-sized paella salad feeds 12 and travels beautifully to potlucks and cookouts.

Chorizo & Cheese Bread

Spicy chorizo, smoky chipotles, and melted Cotija and Manchego cheeses broiled on crusty French bread. This open-faced Mexican bread makes game day or weeknight snacking seriously addictive.

Paella Stuffed Red Snapper

Whole red snapper stuffed with saffron paella rice, chorizo, shrimp, and toasted almonds, then basted in lime butter. A showstopping Spanish-inspired seafood centerpiece.

Caldo Verde

Caldo Verde: Portuguese green soup with kale, chorizo, white beans, potatoes, turnips, and smoked ham in chicken broth. One pot, one hour, and even better the next day.

Chorizo Burger

Juicy grilled sirloin-chorizo patties topped with caramelized onions, saffron-roasted red pepper ranch sauce, and shaved Manchego cheese. This is the burger upgrade your backyard has been begging for.

Chicken Acapulco

Mexican-spiced chicken braised with chorizo sausage, vegetables, and raisins in tomato-chili broth. A hearty one-pot dinner garnished with fresh orange slices that bring out the sweetness.

Amazing Seafood, Chicken, & Sausage Paella

Amazing Seafood, Chicken, and Sausage Paella recipe

Spanish Chick Pea Soup

Rustic Spanish chickpea soup with chorizo, ham hock, carrots, and tomato sauce simmered in chicken broth. Hearty, smoky, and on the table in just 30 minutes.

All 72 recipes