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Ever since I came to Canada, a sausage in a bun paired with poutine has been a staple lunch or snack for me. I always get excited when I see a food truck, and this combo never goes out of style!
As I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Making Cooking Fun!, going out to eat can inspire you to try new recipes! While I’ve never been to Argentina myself, when I was researching Argentinian cuisine and read up on the Choripan, it instantly went straight to my bucket list to give it a go! Wow am I happy that I tried this out! While I’ll always love my North American-style sausage in a bun, this sure feels like a fancy new way to enjoy my staple!
If you’ve never explored the world of Argentinian cuisine and you’re wondering where to get started, then I think this Argentinian Choripan recipe is perfect for you! It’s the most iconic street-side food along with being pretty much a mandatory part of eating out at a sports event in the country. If you’re going to watch any sports game at home and want to create an Argentinian experience in your kitchen, then I definitely recommend you make this easy Argentinian Choripan recipe as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get all of these excellent resources to get you on your way in your cooking journey for free by signing up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll get all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox!
Don’t forget to watch the video to follow along with me as I make our delicious and super easy Argentinian chorizo in a bun! If you haven’t already, please subscribe to my YouTube and press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes go live along with my written ones! Let’s get cooking!
What Is This Argentinian Choripan Recipe?
Choripan is the Argentinian version of the American hot dog. It’s a widely popular street-side treat and it’s a staple item sold at soccer games, just like the hot dog! Now, is the Choripan an Argentinian hot dog? I personally think it is not, since a sausage in a bun is not actually a hot dog. We can say that it’s LIKE a hot dog because of the way Argentines enjoy the Choripan, but a sausage still isn’t a hot dog.
Why Make This Argentinian Choripan?
- Easy: Once you have all the components, it’s actually really easy to prepare the Argentinian Choripan Recipe! It surprised me how simple this is to whip up from start to finish, and I even made all the components fresh before assembling the sandwich!
- No need for a barbecue: Of course for best results you’d grill the chorizo and the Choripan on a barbecue, but if you’re like me and live in a condo or apartment where you can’t have a barbecue - or it’s just cold outside - then this recipe is perfect for indoors cooking! All you need is a grill pan, and I’ll show you exactly what to do!
- Meat and bread: Need I say more? I’m a big meat and bread lover, like in my Meatball Sub Sandwich or Chicken Parmesan Sandwich, you can’t go wrong with a meal where meat and bread are the stars! Sometimes, this is all I crave, and it really hits the spot!
- Colorful: Unlike your American hot dog, I really love the Choripan because it’s just so fresh, vibrant and colorful! We eat with our eyes, and I can really see why this is a staple street food or game-day food!
I Can’t Find Argentinian Chorizo!
That’s okay, I couldn’t find it either! While it’s not a perfect substitute, I’ve used a regular chorizo sausage. You don’t want to use dry sausage because that won’t work for the recipe.
If you’re able to, check out a Latin American store or a local meat vendor to see if you would have this type of chorizo available to you. That will most definitely make the recipe more authentic.
What Bread Should I use?▼
Technically you could use a hot dog bun, but using a French baguette or Italian bun will give a nice fluffiness and crunch when you grill the sandwich. Portuguese buns would also be a great option, but I’d urge you to try rustic and commercial breads until you land to your favorite combination of sausage and bread.
How do I know the Sausage is Cooked?▼
Pork sausage should be cooked to 160 F while poultry sausage should reach 165 F. I usually make use of my senses to touch and visually inspect the doneness. Once cooked, the sausage should be firm to touch and center of the thickest part of the meat should not appear raw. If slit, the juices should run clear.
Tips for the Most Delicious Argentinian Choripan!
- Be careful not to overheat the pan to prevent burning the sausages. Control the heat and turn the sausages often to ensure they cook evenly and get browned properly on each side.
- Slicing slits or scoring the sausages will help them to cook faster, more evenly and prevent them from bursting while cooking. An even, gentle heat is also essential to prevent them from bursting. For me, the heat was a tad high which resulted in some sausage bursting out of the case.
- For a crispier texture, I quite enjoy the end result of sausages that have been scored ahead of time.
- There are so many different types of sausages and breads to choose from to make your favorite choripan, so have fun experimenting.
Tools Needed to Make Argentinian Sausage in a Bun
Ingredients Needed for Argentinian Choripan
We’ve got three components to make the Argentinian Choripan recipe:
- Chorizo
- Chimichurri
- Salsa criolla
To get all the details for ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later, the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD is at the bottom of this post! For details on the toppings, be sure to check out their respective recipe pages. You can easily scale the recipe based on how many sandwiches you’re looking to make. By default, this recipe will make 2 sandwiches.
For the Choripan
- Chorizo sausage
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Bread
- Chimichurri
- Salsa criolla
For the Chimichurri
- Onion
- Italian parsley
- Garlic-Infused Oil
- Ground oregano
- Red wine vinegar
- salt
For the Salsa Criolla
- Red pepper
- Poblano pepper
- Tomatoes
- White onion
- Olive oil
- Ground oregano
- Red wine vinegar
- salt
How to Make Argentinian Choripan
For the Salsa Criolla
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix really well. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.
For the Chimichurri
If using garlic oil, add together salt, garlic oil, red wine vinegar, and parsley in a bowl.
Mix well.
If using olive oil and chopped garlic, add your garlic after adding the other ingredients.
Cooking the Chorizo
Heat a grill pan on medium heat and while it preheats, make shallow slits on the sausage.
Once the pan is hot, brush with olive oil and then add the sausage.
Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes while turning every 2-4 minutes. Cook until the sausage is cooked throughout and lightly browned outside.
Once cooked set the sausage aside and cut the buns in half, making sure to not cut all the way. Place the buns on the warm pan and toast each side.
Assembling the Argentinian Choripan
To assemble, place the sausage in the bun, top with chimichurri and salsa.
Enjoy!
What to Serve with This Argentinian Choripan Recipe
These are quite hefty sandwiches, so they can easily be enjoyed on their own! However, if you want to create a true game-day experience, here are some sides that would pair perfectly with your Argentinian chorizo sandwich:
- Air Fryer Cajun Wedges
- Restaurant-Style French Fries
- Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo
- Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
- Deep Fried Crispy Mozzarella Balls
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
Choripan vs. the Argentine Pancho
If you've been searching for an Argentina hot dog, there are really two street-side treats to know. The pancho is the true Argentinian hot dog — a soft roll with a thin wiener, loaded up with condiments like mayonnaise, yellow mustard and relish. The choripan is its bigger, bolder cousin: a fresh chorizo criollo — typically made from pork or a pork-and-beef blend — tucked into a crusty roll and dressed with chimichurri and salsa criolla instead. One thing to watch for: don't confuse the fresh sausage with Spanish chorizo, which is dry-cured and won't work here, as I mentioned earlier. Whether it's from a cart outside a sporting event in Buenos Aires or your own kitchen on game day, both are fantastic — but for me, the choripan's fresh, punchy flavors win every single time.
Equipment Notes, Storage and a Few Extra Tips
A few more practical pointers to nail your choripan at home:
- No grill pan? A large nonstick skillet works just as well here — cook the sausages over the same gentle heat for the full 10-15 mins, turning them with tongs or a spatula every 2-4 minutes.
- Take the sausages out of the fridge a few minutes ahead so they're closer to room temperature — they'll cook more evenly and are less likely to burst.
- Cooking for a crowd? Work in batches rather than crowding the pan, and keep the cooked sausages covered — even a small pot lid over a plate does the trick — while the next round cooks.
- Slice it like a vendor: many Argentine vendors slice the sausages lengthwise (butterfly or "mariposa" style) after cooking so every bite gets maximum topping contact — feel free to try it!
- Salsa criolla tips: use a large bowl so you can mix the onion, peppers and tomato evenly, season with salt — kosher salt is great here — and let it chill for the full 30 minutes. The recipe's own swap of a green bell pepper plus a pinch of cayenne stands in nicely for the poblano, and a good extra-virgin olive oil gives the brightest flavor. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.
- Chimichurri swaps: the quantities are all in tablespoons, so it scales easily — 4 tbsp each of red wine vinegar and garlic oil. Sherry or white wine vinegar are the recipe's own alternatives, and a small squeeze of lemon juice on the finished sandwich brightens everything up.
- Assembly: be generous! A generous amount of salsa criolla and a good spoonful of chimichurri are what make the choripan.
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