Choripán

Choripán with Chimichurri

Argentina's iconic street food: a juicy grilled chorizo nestled in a crusty roll and lavished with fresh chimichurri. Simple, smoky, and essential at any asado.

Prep

20 min

Cook

15 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •700 g (1 lb 9 oz) Argentine-style chorizo sausages, fresh, uncooked; Spanish-style chorizo is cured and not a substitute
• •4 whole crusty French-style rolls or pan francés, about 15 cm / 6 in long, split lengthwise but not all the way through
• •1 large white or red onion, sliced into thick rings, for serving
• •30 g (1 oz (about ½ cup loosely packed)) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• •15 g (½ oz (about ¼ cup loosely packed)) fresh oregano leaves, or 1 tbsp dried oregano
• •4 cloves garlic, very finely minced or grated
• •60 ml (¼ cup) red wine vinegar
• •120 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• •1 tsp red pepper flakes (ají molido), adjust to taste; smoked paprika is a fair substitute
• •fine sea salt, ½, plus more to taste
• •black pepper, ¼, freshly ground
• •2 tbsp hot water, optional, to loosen the sauce if it tightens

Steps

1. 1 Make the chimichurri: combine parsley, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir in the red wine vinegar, then whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Loosen with 1–2 tbsp hot water if very thick. Cover and let rest at least 15 minutes (overnight is better) for the flavors to meld.
2. 2 Prepare the grill for medium-high direct heat, about 200–230 °C / 400–450 °F. Clean and lightly oil the grates.
3. 3 Pat the chorizos dry and place them on the grill. Cook, turning often, until the casings are well-browned and blistered and the internal temperature reads 71 °C / 160 °F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10–12 minutes. Do not prick the casings — fat and juices will escape.
4. 4 While the chorizos cook, place the split rolls cut-side down on the cooler edge of the grill for 30–60 seconds to warm and lightly toast. Remove and keep wrapped in a clean towel.
5. 5 Transfer the cooked chorizos to a board and let rest 2 minutes. Split each sausage lengthwise down the middle, opening it like a book so it lays flat.
6. 6 Tuck a split chorizo into each warmed roll. Generously spoon chimichurri over the sausage, letting some drip into the bread.
7. 7 Serve immediately, passing the sliced onion rings and extra chimichurri at the table.