Choripán is what Argentinians eat at football matches, political rallies, and on the side of the highway. It is also the first course at every asado, served on crusty bread with chimichurri while the main cuts cook.
Chori-pán. Chorizo in bread. Two ingredients, one sauce, endless national affection. La Boca in Buenos Aires has vendors grilling them at eight in the morning. Rural roadside stalls between Pampas towns serve them out of 44-gallon drums converted into grills. Football stadiums across the country smell of them on game day.
Making choripán in Sydney requires one thing that is non-negotiable: real chorizo criollo. Not Spanish dry-cured chorizo. Not the pink Hungarian kind. Fresh, raw Argentinian-style sausage with pork, beef, paprika, garlic, wine, and fennel. You can get this in Sydney. We'll tell you where.
The rest of the recipe is a matter of fire discipline and good bread.
Theo's Cecinas Butchery in Fairfield West is the gold standard. Carnes Latinas in Hurlstone Park and Spanish Portuguese Butchery in Petersham both also stock proper chorizo criollo. Achura in Brookvale also carries it. If a butcher tries to sell you Spanish dry-cured chorizo instead, that is the wrong sausage — politely walk out.
Alternative: have us cater with empanadas if sourcing chorizo feels like a lot.
Ingredients
For the choripán
- 4 chorizo criollo (fresh Argentinian sausages, not Spanish cured)
- 4 crusty bread rolls or 1 baguette cut into 4 sections
- Chimichurri (store-bought or made from scratch)
- Optional: salsa criolla (diced tomato, onion, capsicum)
Equipment
- Wood or charcoal grill, ideally a parrilla
- Or a heavy cast iron pan if cooking indoors
- Sharp knife for butterflying the chorizos
Method
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Prepare the fire.
Build a medium wood or charcoal fire and let it settle into white-ashed embers. You want gentle indirect heat, not raging flames. Chorizo criollo has a high fat content and will flare up badly if cooked too hot. If using a pan indoors, medium heat is right.
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Do not prick the chorizos.
The internet will tell you to prick sausages with a fork to stop them bursting. For chorizo criollo, ignore this advice. The juices and fat are the best part. Prick and you lose them. Cook slower instead.
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Grill the chorizos whole.
Place the chorizos on the grill perpendicular to the bars. Cook slowly, turning every few minutes, for 15 to 18 minutes total. The skin should be browned and blistered, the fat rendered but not dry. If they flare up, move them to a cooler part of the grill.
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Butterfly them.
Take the chorizos off the grill. Let them rest for two minutes, then slice each one lengthwise to open it up like a book. Do not cut all the way through. This is the traditional choripán format. Put the butterflied chorizos back on the grill cut-side down for one minute to crisp the inside.
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Toast the bread.
While the chorizos finish, slice the bread rolls lengthwise and toast them cut-side down on the grill or in the pan for 30 to 45 seconds. You want warm and slightly crispy, not heavily toasted.
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Assemble.
Place a butterflied chorizo inside each toasted roll, cut side up. Spoon chimichurri generously down the centre. Add salsa criolla if using. Serve immediately with paper napkins, not plates. This is a hands-on food.
Chef's notes.
Don't rush the fire. Chorizo criollo on high heat splits the skin and loses the juices. Medium indirect heat, 15 to 18 minutes, is how it should be cooked.
Choose the bread wisely. You need something with crust. A soft white burger bun turns to mush. A baguette or sourdough roll holds its shape against the meat and the sauce.
Chimichurri is not optional. It is the sauce that defines the sandwich. Without it, you are eating a sausage in bread. With it, you are eating choripán.
Make it the starter. At an asado, choripán is served as the first course while the larger cuts continue to cook. Plan for 1 chorizo per 2 guests as an appetiser portion, or 1 per person if it is the main.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use regular pork sausages instead of chorizo criollo?
No. Chorizo criollo has a specific seasoning profile (paprika, garlic, white wine, fennel, sometimes ají molido) that defines the dish. Plain pork sausages produce a different sandwich that is closer to a hot dog than a choripán.
What is the difference between chorizo criollo and Spanish chorizo?
Chorizo criollo is fresh and raw, made to be grilled. Spanish chorizo (like the red stick you slice for tapas) is dry-cured, aged, and eaten without cooking. Using the wrong one makes a completely different sandwich. For choripán you need the fresh criollo version.
Can I cook choripán indoors?
Yes. A heavy cast iron pan on medium heat delivers good results, though you lose the smoke. The key is the same: slow enough heat that the fat renders without the skin splitting. About 18 to 20 minutes turning regularly.
What bread works best?
A crusty baguette or French-style roll is the traditional choice. Sourdough rolls work well too. Avoid soft burger buns, brioche, or panini-style bread — they cannot hold up to the juices and chimichurri.
Is choripán only an asado starter or can it be a meal?
Both. At an asado it is the first course. As street food and at football matches it is the entire meal, usually served with a beer. For a quick lunch, one choripán with salad is a proper meal.
Empanadas, also great street food.
Our Carnivore empanada is the empanada version of choripán: grass-fed brisket, onion, garlic, red capsicum in classic half-moon pastry. Ready from frozen in 22 minutes.