With crispy chorizo, peas and Manchego cheese, this chorizo risotto combines the flavors of Italy and Spain in one comforting dish.

I'm a big fan of chorizo and look for anyway to use it - from chorizo tacos to chorizo al vino to a chorizo quiche.
But until recently I had never thought of adding chorizo to risotto. Needless to say, I've been missing out and so have you if you haven't tried it!
Why This Recipe Works
- Flavorful - If you love chorizo, you'll love this dish as you not only get chorizo in every bite but the liquid releases from the chorizo when cooking and soaks into the rice.
- Textural Contrast -The crispy and slightly crunchy texture of the chorizo contrasts beautifully with the creamy and smooth consistency of risotto.
- Comforting - Cheese, pork and rice are a combination that is hard to top.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
- Chorizo - Choose a good quality chorizo sausage with a balance of smokiness, spiciness, and rich flavors. You can use either Spanish chorizo (cured, ready-to-eat) or Mexican chorizo (raw, needs to be cooked). I prefer dried with this recipe.
- Aromatics - Shallots and garlic are used to build the flavor base of risotto. Sauté them in butter and olive oil until they're translucent before adding the rice.
- Arborio rice - Arborio rice is the classic choice for risotto due to its high starch content, which contributes to the creamy texture.
- Tomato paste - Adds a rich tomato flavor that complements the chorizo and wine.
- Wine - It lends flavor and some acidity to the dish, which can help balance out some of the richness.
- Chicken stock - Use quality low-sodium chicken stock so you can control the amount of salt in the dish.
- Peas - Adds a pop of color and some vegetables to the dish.
- Cheese - Manchego cheese is a popular Spanish cheese made from sheep's milk, specifically from the Manchega breed of sheep in the La Mancha region of Spain. It has a distinctive taste that sets it apart from other cheeses.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can replace some of the ingredients in this chorizo risotto. Some variations include:
- If you're trying to replicate the spiciness and smokiness of chorizo, consider using a spicy sausage as a substitute. Italian spicy sausage or another type of smoked or spicy sausage can work well.
- Arborio rice is most common, but other short-grain rice like Carnaroli, Vialone, Nano, and Baldo work as well.
- I personally prefer chicken stock for flavor, but vegetable stock works too.
- While I like to use Manchego cheese, you can substitute with Parmesan.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Cook the chorizo and shallots for 5 minutes in a large pan with olive oil and butter. Add the garlic, cooking for another minute.
Stir in the rice and tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Deglaze with red wine and simmer until most of the wine has been absorbed.
Add hot chicken stock 1 cup at a time, stirring rice and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before you add more.
Once the rice is tender add in the peas and cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
FAQs
Use only Italian short-grain rice varieties such as Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone, Nano, and Baldo.
In the US, Arobrio rice is the most common you'll find. Short-grain rice has a high starch content and tends to absorb less liquid which is perfect for this risotto.
No! If you rinse the rise, you rinse the starch off which is key to creating a quality risotto.
Risotto is traditionally made with Arborio rice which has high rice gluten content, but it's not the same thing as the gluten that would bother you.
Because of this, 95% of the time you are safe to consume risotto if you have a gluten allergy. Where the 5% comes into play is if the broth/stock you use has traces of gluten in it. So just read the ingredients of your stock before using.
Yes, you can use either Spanish chorizo (cured, ready-to-eat) or Mexican chorizo (raw, needs to be cooked) for chorizo risotto. Both types have distinct flavors, so choose based on your preference. I mentioned before but I prefer Spanish chorizo in part for its taste and texture.
You can place the risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Or if you have some leftovers, use them to make these risotto cakes!
The best way to reheat chorizo risotto is to place with a saucepan with a small amount of stock or water. Add about ¼ cup of liquid per cup of risotto. Heat over medium-low heat until warmed through.
You can also microwave by adding to a microwave-safe dish with 1-2 tablespoon of water or stock to each cup of risotto. Heat on 50% power in 1-2 minute intervals, stirring between each until warmed through.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the chorizo risotto recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Skillet/Dutch oven - You want something large enough to be able to cook the rice.
- Wooden spoon - Used to mix together the ingredients.
- Chef's knife - You want a quality knife to cut the chorizo, shallots and garlic.
- Cheese grater - Needed to grate blocks of cheese.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Toast/cook the rice in butter/oil so it absorbs the stock slowly without becoming soggy.
- Use quality dry red wine to deglaze the pan. You want a wine you'd be willing to drink as it adds flavor and acidity to the risotto.
- Use hot stock so when you add to the rice it won't cool everything down and mess up the cooking process.
- Slowly add the stock and wait until it is absorbed before adding more which allows the rice to create that creamy starch you expect from risotto.
- Stir the risotto often enough, but don’t stir so much your arm gets tired. It should be just enough to keep the risotto from burning.
- Keep at a medium simmer throughout cooking, otherwise your chorizo risotto with take forever.
- Cook until al dente. Risotto should have some body and bite to it and not be too mushy or starchy.
- Wait until rice is finished cooking before stirring in the rest of the ingredients.
Similar Recipes
If you’ve tried this chorizo risotto recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. This chicken and pumpkin risotto is great as well! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Chorizo Risotto
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb dried chorizo, diced
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ⅔ cup dry red wine
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup freshly grated Manchego cheese, plus extra for serving
- kosher salt + black pepper for taste
Instructions
- Heat butter and olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chorizo and shallots, cooking for 5 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add rice and tomato paste and stir to coat, cooking for another minute.
- Deglaze the pan with the red wine, and simmer over low heat until almost all of the wine has been absorbed. Add chicken stock that is simmering 1 cup at a time, stirring the rice constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more.
- Once the rice is tender, add the peas and cheese. Taste and if needed add salt and pepper. Serve with some cheese on top.
Notes
-
- Toast/cook the rice in butter/oil so it absorbs the stock slowly without becoming soggy.
-
- Use quality dry red wine to deglaze the pan. You want a wine you'd be willing to drink as it adds flavor and acidity to the risotto.
-
- Use hot stock so when you add to the rice it won't cool everything down and mess up the cooking process.
-
- Slowly add the stock and wait until it is absorbed before adding more which allows the rice to create that creamy starch you expect from risotto.
-
- Stir the risotto often enough, but don’t stir so much your arm gets tired. It should be just enough to keep the risotto from burning.
-
- Keep at a medium simmer throughout cooking, otherwise your risotto with take forever.
-
- Cook until al dente. Risotto should have some body and bite to it and not be too mushy or starchy.
-
- Wait until rice is finished cooking before stirring in the rest of the ingredients.
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