Can You Eat Chorizo Raw or Does it Need to Be Cooked?

Q: Can you eat chorizo raw or does it need to be cooked?

A: Yes, in most cases chorizo shouldn’t be eaten raw it needs to be cooked before eating. In very few cases chorizo is cured (you’ll find it in the cheese or deli case) and doesn’t need to be cooked. If you purchase it whole and from the meat case there is a high chance you will need to cook it first. Always check the label and if in doubt ask the butcher.

What is chorizo?

Chorizo is a pork sausage which is heavily seasoned and originates from the Iberian Peninsula (now Spain and Portugal) but today is most commonly placed in one of two categories, Spanish or Mexican.

Different types of chorizo

Spanish

Spanish chorizo is cured or hard sausage that is a vibrant red colour due to the large amounts of smoked paprika that packs a spicy punch! It is cured for at least four to six weeks before being eaten so doesn’t need to be cooked. In Australia, the leaner varieties are generally sold in thin slices in the deli and cheese section of your local supermarket and the fattier sausages that are used to add flavour to cooked dishes are found in large slices or cured sausages. Cured chorizo is a great addition to tapas, paella and cheese boards.

Mexican

Mexican chorizo is very different to the Spanish variation, the meat is ground not chopped and it is fresh. Most commonly found in the meat section of your supermarket uncooked chorizo is soft to touch and when cooked releases a bright red oil from the red peppers in the Mexican sausage. You must cook this variety of chorizo before eating it, remove the outer wrapper or skin before cooking. It is a great addition to burritos, tacos and burgers.

Where to buy chorizo

You can buy chorizo from your local supermarket or delicatessen in whole sausage, thin slices and slithers. It will generally be more expensive to buy from a butcher but it will most likely be a better quality product.

Peppercorn Butcher's Classic Chorizo Sausages 450g $7.00

Don Chorizo $7.50

How to cook and eat chorizo

Here are a couple of our favourite recipes featuring chorizo.

Chicken and Chorizo Rice

Cooked in the rice cooker, this dinner is easy AND delicious! Get the full recipe.

Baked rabbit & chorizo rice

Give your menu a makeover with this cracker dinner. Get the full recipe.

Warm Beet, Chorizo & Pear Salad

Transform seasonal root veg into something spectacular. Get the full recipe.

Lottie Dalziel

Lottie Dalziel, is a 4AM riser and coffee-addict who lives and breathes all things food. When she isn't reading up on the latest trends in sustainability or discovering ways to upcycle almost anything, you can find her by the beach, cooking up a storm or adding to her abundant (some would say out of control) plant collection.