Chorizo recipes

Chorizo is a strongly seasoned Spanish sausage flavoured with paprika and garlic, that works well both fresh and cured in many dishes. Even a small amount gives stews and sauces a deep, smoky flavour, and its own fat makes a great cooking fat for the rest of the ingredients.

In these recipes chorizo is often paired with beans, tomato and pasta – classics include chorizo stew, chorizo sauce and a chorizo omelette. Always fry the chorizo first in a hot pan without extra oil, so the fat melts and the flavour spreads through the pan before you add anything else.

You can lighten the dish by using only half the chorizo the recipe calls for and topping up with beans or lentils, since the sausage's flavour still carries through the whole dish. Ruokaboksi picks recipes where chorizo is easy to swap for a plant-based alternative if you want a lighter or vegan version.

Store chorizo tightly sealed in the fridge, and use an opened pack within a few days for the best flavour.