Authentic Argentinian Choripán Recipe

I’m a huge fan of South American food, the flavors speak to me and meat on the grill is an everyday occurrence throughout most of the region. Along with this to die for picanha, and the over the top provoleta burger, this authentic Argentinian choripán recipe is packed with flavor that you won’t soon forget.

These are great sandwiches to make any time of year, but I especially love them during tailgate season. They’re easy to make and certainly different from the ever popular hot wings, or smoked buffalo chicken dip you might be accustomed to at the game.

In fact, you’d be very hard pressed to go to a soccer match in Argentina without seeing dozens of choripán vendors on the streets. Choripán is as much of a soccer tradition as it is a street food. If you’ve checked out my San Diego style street tacos recipe, you know I’m all about some easy to eat, full of flavor street food.

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Is Choripán a Hotdog?

At first glance, choripán does resemble a hot dog. And like a classic coney dog in American stadiums, you’ll find this sausage sandwich at virtually any sporting event in Argentina.

Is one better than the other? You judge, they both have very unique and distinctive flavors. They’re both super easy to make and both are always a hit with the crowds. In short however, choripán is not a hot dog at all. So what is choripán…..

What Is Choripán?

Choripán is a combination of the words chorizo (sausage) and pan (bread). The sandwich is served on a French baguette cut into roughly six inch sections, then lengthwise like a hot dog bun. 

The crusty bread is covered in a decent portion of authentic chimichurri sauce before being topped with a grilled chorizo; butterflied for extra char and flavor of course.

The sandwich is then topped with more chimichurri and salsa. There are of course variations to this, more on that later.

What Toppings Go on Choripán?

Chimichurri is the clear favorite and obvious choice for this decadent choripán recipe. The bright flavors from the fresh herbs in chimichurri are the perfect match for the slightly spicy charred chorizo.

It’s also common to see salsa criolla added to the mix. If you’re not familiar with salsa criolla, it’s similar to pico. The finely chopped tomato and onion certainly remind you of pico, but the addition of olive oil makes it more like a relish.

The sweetness from the salsa, combined with the freshness of the chimichurri and the bold spicy sausage is like a symphony of flavors in every bit.

Where To Buy Argentinian Chorizo

If you have a local latin market, I always recommend trying those first. When I lived in Southern California there were great latin markets on every corner, that’s not the case where I live now.

If you don’t have a local place, you can get great Argentinian chorizo online from places like Wild Fork Foods or Meat N’ Bones in Florida or La Tienda in Virginia.

About the Ingredients:

• Chorizo: I highly recommend Argentinian chorizo for this choripán recipe. It’s slightly different from the mass marketed chorizo from, say, Johnsonville. Johnsonville chorizo is excellent, but it’s not the authentic chorizo used for choripán.
• Chimichurri: Homemade is best, make it yourself— please! I’ve tasted numerous kinds of store bought chimichurri in a jar, none of them are as good as the fresh homemade stuff.
• Tomatoes: I prefer a sweeter variety of heirloom tomato for this recipe. The sweetness is a great balance for the rest of the ingredients.

How To Make An Authentic Choripán

Serves: 5 | Prep Time: 5 Mins | Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 lb Argentinian Chorizo
1-2 french baguette(s), cut into chorizo length pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chimichurri

For The Salsa
1 large tomato, diced
1 small sweet onion, diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar

Step 1: Light grill and set up for direct medium high heat.

Step 2: While the grill is preheating, mix together the tomato, onion, olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Set aside at room temperature.

Step 3: Place the chorizo on the grill over direct heat, turning them often in order to get a nice char on the outside. Then, remove from the grill.

Step 4: Butterfly the chorizo by making a cut running the length of the link. Then spread the link open, exposing the inside of the sausage. Slice the baguette pieces open like a hot dog bun, and drizzle the inside of the bread with olive oil.

Step 5: Place the chorizo and bread cut side down on the grill. Char the inside of the chorizo and lightly brown the bread. Flip the chorizo and dress with some chimichurri while they finish cooking.

Step 6: Remove the bread and chorizo from the grill, and assemble sandwiches with chimichurri, and salsa. Serve hot.