Hint of smokiness and milder flavor than pepperoni, chorizo is typically seasoned with vinegar, smoked paprika, and chili peppers to give deep brick red color.
Whether chorizo is served as the main course or used as crispy, flavored addition, there are endless possibilities with this humble sausage. Thanks to its distinct, spicy flavor, this dish adds many flavors to various foods and makes everything delicious and unique.
What do you eat with chorizo? From soup to tapas, chorizo can be served with many different dishes. This Spanish sausage pairs wonderfully with corn soup, eggs, lime, fish, chicken, and vegetables.
Widely used in Spanish cuisine in stews and tastes good with seafood for additional protein, especially clams, calamari, monkfish, mussels and shrimp. However, avoid delicate or oily fish including halibut, scallops, and sardines.
Chorizo pairs better with some dishes than others due to its unique taste. Some foods amplify their spicy, fatty nature, while others cut through it and allow for subtler flavors.
Whether you are making tapas, breakfast burritos, wraps, paella, or soups, understand the food and drink pairing that best suits with smoky and spicy flavor.
So what pairs perfectly with chorizo? This article answers frequently asked questions about what to eat with chorizo so that you get the pairings correct every time.
What does chorizo sausage go with?
Chorizo is a spicy pork sausage heavily seasoned with paprika, therefore it can be spicy and sweet. Due to its bold and strong flavor, it can be overwhelming to find the best food and drink pairing.
Use these recommended ingredients to accentuate chorizo in delicious recipes.
- Fruits: apples, lime, oranges
- Herbs and Spices: bay leaf, chili, red pepper flakes, thyme, cilantro, turmeric
- Legumes: beans
- Vegetables: roasted bell peppers, garlic, kale, onions, paprika, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
- Meat: chicken, beef, pork
- Seafood: clams, monkfish, codfish, salmon, prawns, tuna, shrimp
- Stock: chicken
- Cheese: manchego, cheddar, mozzarella, oaxaca, pepper jack, havarti, cream cheese
- Wine: Menica, Navarra, Malbec, Syrah, Pinotage
How do you eat chorizo by itself?
Generally, chorizo comes as ground or whole sausage in casing, and must be cooked before eating. However, depending on how it is prepared or if it is cured, serving may vary.
For cured chorizo, simply slice it up and eat by itself or with other charcuterie board accouterments. Cured chorizo doesn’t require cooking, but any semi-cured or raw varieties, must be cooked beforehand.
Cut any casting; if it has any, then fry it in a hot, dry pan. Ensure that the chorizo is cooked through and all the fat has rendered out before serving.
Be aware the uncooked chorizo is softer to the touch and when cooked, releases a delicious and spicy red oil that is often used in recipes to deepen the flavor.
What flavor goes well with chorizo?
Thanks to its recognizable flavors, chorizo covers anything from spicy to fatty pairings.
It perfectly complements with bitter, earthy, and sweet flavors. Adding citrusy flavors such as lime or orange cuts directly through chorizo’s fattiness.
Go in with a little bit of paprika or pepper flakes to give the dish some heat. Some bell peppers, apples, sweet potatoes balance chorizo’s smokiness, giving it a sweet, refreshing flavor.
Here are classic flavor combinations that go well with chorizo:
- chorizo + clam broth + herbs + monkfish
- chorizo + eggs + lime + cilantro + queso fresco
- chorizo + shrimp + chicken + olive oil + garlic
- chorizo + black beans + white rice + sweet potato + salsa verde
- chorizo + red wine + potatoes + red pepper + black olives + olive oil
- chorizo + shrimp + clams + turmeric
Eat With Chorizo: Conclusion
Chorizo makes any dish fun and fiery because it is packed with spices and cured pork that are ideal for breakfast, lunch, dinner in Mexican or Spanish cuisine. The sausage tastes good on its own, but even better when paired with other dishes.
Depending on how it is prepared, fully cured chorizo can be eaten as it is and does not need heated. However, semi-cured or raw chorizo must be cooked properly to prevent from food poisoning.
Due to its spicy nature, be selective with the pairings, always go for dishes that complement the complex flavors without necessarily overpowering them. Whether chorizo is added to soup or tapas, consider fulfilling and delicious ingredients such as corn soup, eggs, lime, fish, chicken, and vegetables.
Generally, in paella and stews, chicken or seafood is added with chorizo to give flavor to the dish. Avoid any delicate or oily seafood such as halibut, scallops, and sardines, which can destroy the flavor and texture of the dish completely.
If you are fond of making a meals with chorizo, use these flavor combinations. Play around with ingredients to serve with chorizo to accomplish filling and memorable dish to enjoy at anytime.