Chorizo al Vino

Chorizo al vino is a classic Spanish tapas dish where slices of chorizo are cooked in red wine, helping enhance the flavors.

I love shared dishes - from Cajun crab dip to pepperoni bread to cheddar cheese fondue.

But if you like to have multiple shared dishes, tapas are your go-to. Tapas are well-known in Spain and simply mean's "small portion of food."

And while there are plenty of tapas that are popular, one of the most well known is this chorizo al vino or chorizo in red wine.

And no this isn't Mexican chorizo that us Americans are most familiar with. Mexican chorizo uses fresh pork and is made with vinegar and chiles while Spanish chorizo has garlic and paprika and is smoked.

There is cured, semi-cured and fresh. Since you pan-fry the chorizo, I recommend semi-cured or fresh.

The recipe itself is very simple. You just cook the chorizo in some wine and serve with bread. This is why the wine is super important. You've got to be willing to drink it if you "eat" with it.

Jump to:

• Ingredient Notes
• Step-by-Step Photos
• FAQs
• Equipment
• Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
• Other Appetizer Recipes
• Chorizo al Vino

Ingredient Notes

• Chorizo - you want semi-cured or fresh chorizo so you can finish cooking it in the pan.
• Olive oil - adds some flavor but is also used to cook the chorizo.
• Red wine - you want a quality dry wine that you are willing to drink. Since this is a Spanish dish, I like to use a local wine like Rioja, but Malbec or Syrah work great too.
• Garlic - fresh garlic complements the garlic flavor already in the chorizo.
• Bay leaves - very traditional Spanish ingredient which adds a subtle bitterness that keeps the dish from feeling too heavy.
• Parsley - adds some freshness and color.
• Bread - you want a good rustic bread like a French baguette.

Step-by-Step Photos

Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.

Fry the chorizo in the large skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side. Add the wine, garlic and bay leaves, bringing to a boil.

Reduce heat to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with some bread.

FAQs

Equipment

The equipment you use is important to how the recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:

• Skillet/Dutch oven - you want something large enough to all of the ingredients.
• Spoon - you want a good wooden spoon to stir everything together.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Use fresh or semi-cured Spanish chorizo if possible. Keep in mind fresh doesn't slice perfect but tastes great.
• Just flip the chorizo once when cooking as you want to get a nice char on it.
• Use a quality red wine you are willing to drink like Rioja or Malbec.
• Toast the bread to add some additional texture.

Other Appetizer Recipes

If you’ve tried this chorizo al vino or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.