Cured Meat & Seafood pairing guide
What goes with Chorizo?
Spanish chorizo goes best with Manchego, membrillo, Marcona almonds, olives and roasted peppers. Smoky paprika pork belongs with Spanish cheese and salty snacks.
The 3 best pairings for Chorizo
- #1
Manchego
Cheese
The Spanish pairing. Nutty sheep's milk against smoke and paprika.
- #2
Membrillo
Spreads, Jams & Honey
Sweetness against smoke and salt.
- #3
Marcona Almonds
Nuts & Seeds
Salt and fat, and both are Spanish staples.
The perfect Chorizo bite
One from each job on the board: something sweet, something crunchy, something salty or briny, and a drink.
All 20 pairings, ranked by type
excellent great good. Each list starts with the strongest matches. Stars show how well backed a pairing is: a named top pick, explained on both ingredient pages, or part of a proven combination.
Something sweet (1)Something crunchy (4)Something salty or briny (8)Another cheese (7)
Something sweet 1
Fruit, jam and honey balance salt and richness.
- 1
Membrillo Top pick
Sweetness against smoke and salt.
Something crunchy 4
Crackers, bread and nuts carry it and add texture.
- 1
Marcona Almonds Top pick
Salt and fat, and both are Spanish staples.
- 2
Plantain Chips Great
Fat and paprika against a plain starchy crunch.
- 3
Tostada Rounds Great
Fat and paprika against sweet corn is a very old pairing.
- 4
Olive Oil Crackers Good
Something salty or briny 8
Cured meat, olives and pickles bring salt and acid.
- 1
Manzanilla Olives Excellent
Paprika and fat cut by acid and salt.
- 2
Pickled Jalapeños Excellent
Paprika and pork fat against vinegar. The Mexican plate in two items.
- 3
Fuet Good
- 4
Salchichón Good
Another cheese 7
Cheeses that sit well next to it on the same board.
- 1
Manchego Top pick
The Spanish pairing. Nutty sheep's milk against smoke and paprika.
- 2
Mahón Excellent
Spanish cheeses whose own paprika rind or smoke echoes the sausage.
- 3
Idiazábal Excellent
Spanish cheeses whose own paprika rind or smoke echoes the sausage.
- 4
Pepper Jack Excellent
Paprika, pork fat and chili. The board's whole Tex-Mex corner in two items.
3 more cheese options
Drinks that go with Chorizo
- RoséPaprika and pork fat; rosé's acid handles the spice.
- MalbecPaprika, garlic and pork fat: the asado match.
- Margarita / tequilaLime and agave cut spicy, salty Mexican flavors.
- Kombucha (ginger or plain)Tangy and fizzy; it handles funk, smoke and pickles the way Riesling does.
- Hard CiderSpanish reds, or Asturian cider for the acid.
Skip these with Chorizo
delicate-fresh-cheese
Combinations with Chorizo
-
Perfect Pair · What grows together goes together
Chorizo + Manchego
The Spanish tapas pair: smoky paprika pork and nutty sheep's cheese.
-
Trio · What grows together goes together
Manchego + Chorizo + Marcona Almonds
A tapas bar in three bites: nutty, smoky and salty-crunchy.
-
Quartet · What grows together goes together
The Spanish Four
Nutty cheese, smoky pork, sweet quince and salty almonds. Every Spanish tapas flavor on one cracker.
Chorizo pairing questions
Spanish or Mexican chorizo for a board?
Spanish: it's cured and sliceable. Mexican chorizo is raw and must be cooked.
What wine goes with chorizo?
Rioja, Malbec or dry rosé.
Free printable
Get the Charcuterie Cheat Sheet
How much to buy for any guest count, the build order, fridge timing and pairing rules on two printable pages. Plus the Lab Report: one pairing that works and why, and new printables the day they land.