Chorizo Al Vino Tinto Recipe- Spanish Chorizo In Red Wine

This chorizo al vino tinto recipe is a classic tapas recipe for Spanish chorizo in red wine. It’s common at tapas bars in Spain and easy to make at home with only 6 ingredients. I learned to make this dish when we lived in Spain and now make it when we do tapas nights. 

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Recipe Stats

6 Ingredients – 30 Minutes – Mediterranean Diet – Spanish Recipe

What Is Chorizo Al Vino Tinto

Also known as chorizo con vino, at its most basic, this is a recipe for chorizo and wine. Although it can also be made with white wine, I prefer this version with red wine, called vino tinto in Spanish.

There is something about the fattiness and the spiciness of the chorizo and the flavor of red wine that goes so well together. It’s often served tapas-style at bars in Spain, normally alongside crusty bread to sop up all the juices. Being a lover of all things pork, this is easily one of Eric’s favorite snacks in Spain.

We make this recipe a lot living in Ireland. We even served it for some picky-eating cousins for New Year’s Day. I couldn’t believe they took every last crumb of bread to sop up every last drop of red wine and garlic sauce to finish the dish off.

Check out these posts about eating Spanish tapas when traveling in Spain:

The Best Tapas In Sevilla

The Best Tapas In Malaga

How To Eat Tapas In Granada

Cooking With Spanish Chorizo

There is a difference between Spanish chorizo and Mexican chorizo. Most Americans are familiar with Mexican-style chorizo, which is more like a spicy ground pork. Although it is prepared in a casing, most cooks remove the casing and cook the seasoned pork from the inside. 

Spanish chorizo is a bit different. It comes in a few varieties including fresh chorizo, semi-cured, and cured chorizo. Cured chorizo is eaten as is, like prosciutto or mortadella, and resembles a pepperoni more than Italian sausage.

Fresh or semi-cured are used for cooking. They are bright red in color because they are seasoned with paprika and other spices. You can tell the difference between fresh, cooking chorizo, and cured or semi-cured. Cured or semi-cured chorizo looks hard, and sometimes has white flour dusted on the outside. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated in the same way as fresh chorizon.

When making Spanish chorizo tapas, though, the fresh version is required. The more dried or cured versions are impossible to cook. The fresh version is red, soft to the touch, and is in the refrigerated section of the super market.

Check out some of our other Spanish tapas recipes:

Chorizo A La Sidra – Chorizo With Spanish Cider

Spanish Garlic Mushrooms – Champinones Al Ajillo

Classic Pimientos de Padron – Spanish Blistered Peppers

Chorizo Tapas

Tapas with chorizo are popular around Spain. Most of these dishes are served warm and are often cooked in red or white wine, or even cider, which is popular in the North of Spain.

When we lived in Spain, we lived in Catalonia. Catalan cuisine differs from what you find in Northern Spain in the Basque Country or in Southern Spain, in cities like Seville or Malaga. Tapas are quite common in other areas of Spain, which have regional cuisine.

In Catalonia, you can find tapas in cities like Barcelona, but it’s not traditional or typical. That’s why when we traveled around Spain and found chorizo tapas we liked, I learned to recreate them at home.

Chorizo tapas recipes are easy to make at home, in particular, because chorizo cooks quickly and easily. In the end, the chorizo al vino into takes a little more time than other similar recipes only to cook off the red wine and ensure the sauce is a little thicker.

Ingredients For Chorizo In Red Wine

There isn’t a super complicated list of ingredients other than chorizo and red wine, but it’s important to know what kind of chorizo and what kind of wine. Plus, there are a few additional key ingredients that are used in many Spanish recipes. 

You should use fresh chorizo, although semi-cured can work. It’s not my preference. Any dry red wine will work, but I tend to use a Tempranillo or a bottle of Rioja. Mostly that’s because we drink a lot of Rioja at home. A habit from living in Spain. 

Other ingredients are mostly staples of Spanish cooking. This includes olive oil, garlic, and a bay leaf. A bay leaf adds a depth of flavor to a dish, almost earthy, and is commonly used in Spanish soups and stews. 

I like to slice the garlic so that it is big enough to see in the final dish. It makes it that much more yummy when served with slices of bread. If you want the flavor of the garlic, without the chunks, use a garlic press.

Ingredients For Chorizo In Red Wine:

• Fresh chorizo, sliced
• Dry, Spanish red wine
• Spanish olive oil
• Garlic, peeled and sliced or minced
• bay leaf
• parsley for garnish

Looking for more Spanish recipes? Check out our roundup of some of the Best Spanish Dessert Recipes.

How To Make Chorizo Al Vino Tino

To make this chorizo vino tino recipe, start by slicing the chorizo into bite-sized pieces. Place a frying pan or saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add the chorizo and cook for 3-5 minutes searing the chorizo until it starts to brown on both sides. They don’t need to be cooked all the way through although they probably are once they are seared.

Add the olive oil and use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits of chorizo from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and allow it to soak up the flavor of the oil and chorizo.

Although with most recipes I add the garlic to the oil first, for chorizo in red wine, I swap the order. This turns the garlic a lovely deep red color without it browning like it would in the oil alone.

Cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes and add the wine and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to a simmer and slowly cook for 20-25 minutes. It is ready when the wine becomes slightly thickened.

Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro before serving.

Serving Chorizo Al Vino

Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread as a snack or as part of a tapas night. If making for a tapas party, you can make it ahead earlier in the day or the night before.

Just reheat on the stovetop or place in a small oven-safe dish to warm before serving. I will serve it normally with a large spoon, but if hosting a group, try using toothpicks.

Whenever I make a Spanish chorizo recipe for guests, I will make them an hour or two ahead of time and place them in the baking dish I plan on serving them in.

I place them in the oven without turning the oven on. Then, when guests arrive, I will turn the oven on and slowly bring the chorizo up to a warm temperature.

I will often pick up bake-at-home bread to serve with the chorizo tapas. I will place the bread alongside the tapas in the oven. Slice up the bread when it’s ready and serve it warm alongside the chorizo. It makes the perfect accompaniment to soak up all of the garlicky red wine sauce.

Another way to offset the richness of the sauce is to serve these alongside Canarian potatoes.

FAQs – Spanish Chorizo In Red Wine