Choripan is an Argentinian sausage sandwich, my version uses Spanish cooking chorizo and is served with chimichurri sauce and a quick salsa.
Argentinian chorizo is very different to Spanish chorizo, however, it is difficult to find in Europe but this Spanish-inspired variant makes for a cracking sandwich!
Argentine Chorizo Sausage Sandwich
I have a huge thing for sausages, I love them, they are magic!
Whether they are on a sausage and egg sandwich for breakfast, a sausage & mash pie, sausage salad or sausage curry, they are one of my food crushes.
I've even got a homemade breakfast sausage recipe and a Cumberland sausage recipe.
Choripan is a choriz sausage sandwich recipe from Argentina, it is typically grilled over an open flame. This version takes the ideas behind this Argentinian street food recipe and adapts it to European ingredients and kitchens.
I'm not a "fan" of ordering speciality ingredients online, so rather than trying to source South American Chorizo I use Spanish cooking chorizo.
Sticking with traditional toppings it is served with homemade chimichurri sauce and a quick salsa. It is all served on a crusty baguette that I fry off in the oils from the fried chorizo sausage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Argentinian and Spanish Chorizo?
The main difference between the two is that Spanish chorizo is cured and South American, including Argentine chorizo, is not cured.
Argentinian chorizo also features red wine in the meat mix. This recipe uses Spanish cooking chorizo which is not smoked and must be cooked before it is eaten.
No, it is not authentic, but it tastes fantastic and it works really well!
Can I use smoked chorizo?
I would not use shelf-stable smoked chorizo in this recipe, because it does not have the right moisture levels and does not result in a pleasant texture for a sausage sandwich.
Where can I get cooking chorizo?
Many of the UK's major supermarkets sell cooking chorizo, I've found it in Tesco, M&S, Morrisons and Sainsbury fairly easily.
Can I make chimichurri in advance?
Yes, chimichurri could last up to 5 days in the fridge if stored correctly in an airtight container. However, I think it is best made and eaten fresh or at most a day old.
Can I make the salsa in advance?
Again yes, it is at its best fresh, but making it a few hours or up to a day in advance is fine.
Do I have to fry the baguette in the chorizo oil?
No, but you are missing out on a load of flavour if you don't. If you want to skip this step you can toast the cut baguette instead, this will prevent the bread from becoming too soggy when you add the filling.
Serving Suggestions
This choripan sandwich is a hearty old munch and I love to serve flavours with chips of some description.
In these photographs, I've served them with some frozen French fries cooked in an air fryer.
But you could just as easily cook some air fryer chips or even some sweet potato fries.
Oh, yeah... beer, this sandwich rocks even more with an ice-cold beer on the side!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 30cm or 12" frying pan.
- Kitchen tongs.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife and a bread knife.
- Mixing bowls.
Choripan Argentinian Chorizo Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Small Baguette 225g or 8oz
- 4 Small Cooking Chorizo Sausage 200g or 7oz Total
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
For the Salsa:
- 1 Medium Tomato 125g
- 3 Spring Onions
- 1 Red Chilli Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Sherry Vinegar
- Pinch of Sugar
For the Chimichurri Sauce:
- 1 Large Garlic Clove
- 15 g Fresh Parsley ¼ Packed Cup
- 15 g Fresh Oregano Around ¼ Cup unpacked leaves
- 35 ml Olive Oil 2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Cup
- 1 tablespoon Sherry Vinegar
- ½ tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Cut the tomato into 8 wedges, remove the seeds and discard them, then chop the flesh into a 5mm (¼") dice and toss them into a mixing bowl.
- Thinly slice the spring onions and add them to the tomatoes.
- Thinly slice the chilli pepper and add it to the bowl.
- Add the salt, olive oil, sherry vinegar and sugar for the salsa, mix to combine and set aside.
- Bash the garlic clove for the chimichurri sauce with the side of a knife, peel off the paper, roughly chop it and then mash it to a paste.
- Place the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper on top of the garlic and chop it all together until it is fairly finely minced. Transfer this to a mixing bowl.
- Add the chilli flakes, olive oil, and sherry vinegar to the chopped herbs mix. Give it a taste, tweak the seasoning, and set aside.
- Cut the baguette in half lengthways, then split each half, taking care not to cut it all the way through.
- Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium heat, add the oil and the sausages and cook them for 8-10 minutes, rolling them around so that they cook evenly.
- Remove the sausages from the pan and turn the heat up to high. Split the chorizo down the middle and return them to the pan, cut side down and fry them until they crisp up.
- Set the sausages aside, add the split baguettes, cut side down, and toast them in the oils from the sausages. The best way to do this is to drain off half of the oil in the pan, fry one baguette, add the remaining oil and repeat.
- Build your sandwich, I start with the salsa on the base, followed by the sausages and then the chimichurri.