Chorizo is a popular ingredient in many Hispanic cuisines, as well as those influenced by Spain, such as the Philippines. Many people in the United States are familiar with chorizo in Mexican cuisine, where it is a very popular taco filling. However, that is just one type of chorizo and only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this category of sausages. From smokey cured Spanish chorizo to the crumbly Mexican varieties and herbaceous grilled chorizos of South America, there is much to explore within the world of chorizos. Here we explain what chorizo is and break down the differences between each type, including how to cook and enjoy them. By the time you finish reading this, you will become a veritable expert on these types of sausages!

What Is Chorizo?

Chorizo is a type of sausage that originated in Spain and is one of many different types of Spanish sausages. Linguists believe that the word chorizo comes from the late Latin word for salted via the Portuguese word sourico. However, another word for sausage - salchicha - was also incorporated into the Castilian language (what is often referred to as the Spanish language) via Italy. In effect, there are two words - chorizo and salchicha - that both refer to sausages.

To get started, Chorizo is a regular dish made from pork and other seasonings from Spain. Later on, the Mexican also adapted it and made their own variant with a distinctive sense of taste.

In Spain, chorizo often refers to a specific type of pork sausage with many regional variations. This sausage is fermented and cured, resulting in a dry sausage that can often be eaten without cooking, almost like salami or pepperoni. Chorizo often features on charcuterie boards and is a popular tapas dish enjoyed with other small plates and wine.

Chorizo became part of local cuisines wherever the Spanish had colonies. As such, chorizos are widely enjoyed throughout Latin America and the Philippines. Certain countries, like Cuba, have continued using Spanish-style chorizos or have recreated the original recipes, while other countries have completely transformed the original chorizos into unique local styles of sausages. This means that there are dozens of different types of chorizo sausages throughout the world.

Spain and Mexico are also the two most popular types of Chorizo around the world, to the point that people often only divide Chorizo into two categories:

Spanish Chorizo: The original home of Chorizo, they mostly uphold the traditional recipe until this day.

Mexican Chorizo: Come after the Spanish one, but also have found their way of developing and making themselves unique.

What Is Chorizo Made Out Of?

The main thing about Chorizos is that they are often very spicy because the seasoning always includes chilly and pepper, which is also one of their attractive parts.

Pork is added with salt and spices such as paprika, garlic, chili pepper. All of them are stuffed in a casing to keep their shape then cured, some can leave it raw. That is the basis for any kind of  Chorizo. 

Most Spanish chorizos feature three common ingredients: pork, smoked paprika and garlic. The pork is coarsely chopped and mixed with bits of pork fat and seasonings, which vary based on the region. The mixture is then stuffed into natural casings, and the chorizos are left to cure and dry. One of the main distinctions between different types of Spanish chorizos is their spiciness. Longer, thinner chorizos tend to be spicier while short, fat chorizos are traditionally spicy.

Many types of chorizo outside of Spain also incorporate paprika, but it may not necessarily be Spanish smoked paprika, which would be expensive to import. In some countries, annatto seed is used to give the sausages a reddish color similar to the original Spanish variety. Some Latin American cuisines, especially Mexican, use local chiles for color and flavor, making for spicier chorizo. Mexican chorizos also feature vinegar in the meat mixture to give them a bright, tangy flavor. This was done to mimic the white wine used in some versions of Spanish chorizo.

In the US, Mexican chorizo is typically the most widely available. Less expensive brands of Mexican chorizo are often made from finely ground and seasoned organ meat (spleen is a popular choice) and put into plastic casings from which you squeeze out the filling before cooking.

Latin American chorizos are traditionally made with pork, but an ever-increasing variety of meats and even plant-based options are now popular. In much of South America, chorizo has become a catch-all term for any coarse sausage. These largely vary in size, shape, coarseness and the proportions of the ingredients, but many feature pork, garlic and paprika. Some may feature some additional ingredients, like herbs or local spices. Some South American chorizos stray quite a bit from the original Spanish recipe. In Argentina, for instance, many chorizos are pale in color and feature no paprika, more closely resembling Italian fresh sausages than Spanish chorizo.