Spanish Chorizo Cooked in Cider
– Chorizo A La Sidra –
Chorizo cooked in cider (Chorizo a la sidra) is a classic tapas dish found all over Spain, but it’s no surprise that this dish hails from within the heart of the Spanish cider region, the beautiful Asturias region!
Made in just 20 mins and with only 4 easy-to-find ingredients, chorizo cooked in cider is a perfect tapas when you want to impress. It’s super easy to make and the results are nothing short of spectacular.
Spanish Tapas Recipe | Chorizo Recipe | Authentic Recipe | Spanish Chorizo | Austrias Recipe | Asturias | Easy Tapas Ideas | 30-Minute Recipe
Serving:
4 people (tapas)
Ready in:
20 minutes
Skill level:
Super easy
Serve with:
Fresh bread
About This Recipe
After working on several cooking projects over the years, there is a common theme that begins to become apparent: the fewer the ingredients, the richer and more flavorsome the dish becomes.
This rings especially true with Japanese cuisine (sashimi being one fine example), Thai cuisine, and more importantly, Spanish cuisine.
Chorizo cooked in cider (Chorizo a la sidra) is one such example. With just 4 ingredients, this dish is a classic tapas that is utterly incredible, and best of all, it takes less than 20 minutes to make!
What you’ll need to make Chorizo cooked in cider
Makes tapas for 4 people
- 17 oz. (500 grams) of fresh chorizo, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup of apple cider (Hard apple cider from Asturias or non-carbonated cider is the best)
- 2-3 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
Equipment needed
- 1 large 8-inch frying pan
Asturias cider – Sidra de Asturias/Sidra d’Asturies
The Asturias region is famous for many culinary delights, and one of the most exciting is the Asturian cider (sidra de Asturias). Asturian cider is considered an integral part of the region’s culture and gastronomy and even has its own registered and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).
Asturian cider uses a traditional method of fermentation and processing the apple juice, resulting in a cider that is refreshing and slightly tart, with an alcohol content of around 5%. While Asturian cider dates back to around the 8th century, nowadays it is one of the region’s most recognized exports with around 60,000,000 liters of cider produced each year.
Why cider is so good for cooking
Visit any of the local sidrerias (cider bars) throughout the Asturias region and you’ll see a traditional Spanish ritual of throwing the cider: pouring it from the bottle above the server’s head and into a glass at waist height.
Poured from a height until the glass is around a quarter full, the cloudy cider gathers enough agitation to release the delicate flavors of the hard apple cider, and there’s no carbonation required. For this reason, Asturian cider is ideal for cooking and simmering chorizo in for 10-15 minutes which is more than enough to infuse the delicious flavors of the cider with the smokey and spiced chorizo.
Types of Spanish chorizo
There are 7 different types of chorizo in Spain all hailing from different regions around the country. All types of Spanish chorizo are made from pork meat and get their flavor and bright red coloring from pimentón (smoked paprika), which is added during the stuffing process.
Of the 7 types, there are 3 main differences between Spanish chorizo.
Spanish soft chorizo (chorizo fresco):
This fresh, raw sausage is typically made from pork meat, pork fat, paprika, crushed red pepper, and garlic and must be cooked before eating.
Semi-cured Spanish chorizo (semicurado):
This is a fresh sausage that has been fermented and in some cases, the meat is smoked, but not dried out completely. The fermentation process adds acidity and prolongs the shelf life of the chorizo.
Cured Spanish chorizo (curado):
This type of chorizo is what is most commonly served as thinly sliced pieces, usually as a tapas. The meat is cured, or fermented, and dried until hard, and has a long shelf life.
For this recipe, the best chorizo to use is the fresh chorizo as the fresh meat will be able to soak up the flavors better. Alternatively, using semi-cured chorizo can work, but will require less cooking time. Avoid using cured chorizo as it will dry out quickly once cooked and become very hard and chewy.
How to cook chorizo in cider (step-by-step)
- In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat.
- Add the chorizo pieces to the pan. Fry for around 5 minutes or until the pieces start to brown slightly.
- Next, add the cider and bay leaves, and gently toss the chorizo to coat in the juices. On a medium heat, simmer for around 15 minutes or until the cider begins to turn thicker, almost to a thick syrup consistency.
- Spoon into a bowl, and serve with some fresh bread.
Have you made this recipe?
tag @thespanishradish or scan the nametag
and don’t forget to hashtag it #thespanishradish
👇👇👇 SCAN ME 👇👇👇
Want something for dinner?
Check out our main meal recipes
Chicken and Chorizo Stew
Easy one-pot recipe
Spanish Vegetable Pisto
Easy one-pot recipe!
Chicken with cider infused chorizo empanadas
Ideal tapas party recipe!
Spanish Seafood Stew
Suquet de pescado/Suquet de Peix
Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole
One-Pot Recipe | Vegan | Made in an hour
Spanish fideua with seafood
Fideuà de Marisco Recipe
Chorizo Cooked in Cider - Chorizo A La Sidra
Equipment
- 1 8-inch frying pan
Ingredients
- 17 Oz. 500 grams of fresh chorizo, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup of apple cider Hard apple cider from Asturias or non-carbonated cider is the best
- 2-3 bay leaves fresh or dried
Instructions
- In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat.1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- Add the chorizo pieces to the pan. Fry for around 5 minutes or until the pieces start to brown slightly.17 Oz. 500 grams of fresh chorizo, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Next, add the cider and bay leaves, and gently toss the chorizo to coat in the juices. On a medium heat, simmer for around 15 minutes or until the cider begins to turn thicker, almost to a thick syrup consistency.1 cup of apple cider, 2-3 bay leaves
- Spoon into a bowl, and serve with some fresh bread.
Nutrition
Chorizo Cooked in Cider – Tips and FAQs
Where is Chorizo a la Sidra from?
This recipe hails from the Basque Country in Northern Spain.
How long does it take to make this recipe?
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
What is the best way to cook chorizo?
Cook your chorizo slowly over a medium heat and allow plenty of time for the chorizo sausage to release its flavor and absorb the cider flavors.
How do you know if chorizo is cooked?
Fresh chorizo will be a bright red color when raw and will turn brown once cooked thoroughly. When making this recipe, it is worth adding the paprika at the last minute so you can gauge the color of your chorizo.
Should you peel chorizo before cooking?
This depends on the type of chorizo you are cooking. Fresh chorizo (as used in this recipe) should not be peeled. It can be cooked in its sausage form or cut into small pieces with the skin intact. Other varieties of chorizo can be peeled as they are already cooked.
What is Spanish Cider?
Sidra as it is known in Spain is a form of apple cider that does not rely on carbonation to become fizzy. Spanish cider is mostly from the Asturias region of Spain.