Does chorizo go bad in the fridge?
In the fridge, both unopened and opened fully cured chorizo can last for 6 months. If you want to store them longer than that, the freezer can keep your sausages safe to eat for about 12 months.
Fresh Chorizo can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 7 days when properly preserved. Cooked Chorizo has a significantly shorter shelf life since it gets rough, dry, and flavorless. Cooked Chorizo should not be kept in the refrigerator for five days unless it is fully heated before eating.
How to store chorizo. Keep chorizo in the refrigerator away from uncooked foods. Sliced chorizo should be used within a week of opening, while whole sausages can be kept for up to two weeks.
The best way is to smell and look at the unopened chorizo sausage: if the unopened chorizo sausage develops an off odor, flavor or appearance, or if mold appears, it should be discarded.
Remember that Mexican chorizo is soft, mushy, and bright red before cooking. It is also mushy after cooking, but it should not clump together. It will also turn a duller red or even a very light brown.
Storing + Serving
Keep any leftover chorizo and eggs in an airtight container. It will stay good in the fridge for up to a week. Heat it up and reuse it for other breakfast foods! You can also freeze it by storing in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and keeping it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Chorizo should be stored in the refrigerator as soon as possible after purchase or preparation. What is this? This will ensure that it is fresh and ready to eat before its expiration date. Properly stored, fresh chorizo will last up to 7 days in the fridge.
If you buy sliced and/ or vacuum packed Chorizo or Salchichon, you can expect this to last for roughly 90 days before opening. Although the Chorizo will still be edible, you will be missing out on the optimal experience.
It is recommended that you should consume Chorizo within a week after opening the package. And for short-term storage just putting it in the fridge is enough. Cured Chorizo can last for 90 days just at room temperature and at least 6 months in the fridge.
Sausage can last in the fridge for 1-4 days depending on if it is cooked or not. Sausage that is not yet cooked can last in the fridge for one to two days. Cooked sausage can last up to four days. Properly stored, sausage in the freezer can maintain its best quality for about six months.
Why has my chorizo gone white?
Typically mold is not part of UMAi Dry® process, however it can happen if the humidity in the fridge gets a bit high. White mold is not dangerous especially if the surface of the meat is already dry. You can wipe off the mold with cider vinegar after the sausage is done.
All sausages- except dry sausage - are perishable and therefore must be kept refrigerated or frozen. Uncooked fresh sausage can be stored in the refrigerator one to two days; after cooking, keep for three to four days refrigerated (40 °F or less).

Some chorizo requires cooking and if it is eaten raw you may get food poisoning. Trichinosis is a parasitic infection spread by eating raw or undercooked foods that has been associated with chorizo. Stomach cramps and nausea are some of the signs and symptoms of this condition.
Spanish chorizo, on the other hand, goes through a process of curing and fermentation. This process “cooks” the Spanish chorizo so that it's safe to eat. Mexican chorizo is raw meat that requires cooking before eating, whereas Spanish chorizo is cured meat that's not raw. Thus, it's safe to eat as is.
Chorizo is usually made from pork chunks, vinegar and spices. This represents 35 percent of the Daily Value of total fat and 43 percent of the Daily Value of saturated fat. Based on fat content alone, bacon is the healthier option.
Hard salami / chorizo
It's actually normal for cured meats like these to develop mould over time – just scrape it off and work away.
Most Spanish chorizos feature three common ingredients: pork, smoked paprika and garlic. The pork is coarsely chopped and mixed with bits of pork fat and seasonings, which vary based on the region. The mixture is then stuffed into natural casings, and the chorizos are left to cure and dry.
Mexican vs Spanish Chorizo
“Mexican style chorizo is actually raw meat that's been heavily seasoned with dry chilies and aromatic spices like cinnamon and clove. Spanish chorizo is a hard sausage that's been cured like a salami,” explains Sánchez.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers. Cooked chorizo and eggs can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.
The traditional Spanish chorizo is fermented, smoked, and cured – just slice it up and it can already be eaten and enjoyed as is! The version that Portugal has, which they call chouriço, can also be eaten raw though a popular way of preparing it is by flame-cooking slices over alcohol.
Can I freeze chorizo?
Fresh chorizo can be stored in the freezer and it doesn't matter if you have broken the seal or skin or if have cut it up prior to freezing. Freezing fresh chorizo is similar to freezing other meats. Seal your chorizo in a vacuum-sealed freezer-safe storage bag or airtight container.
Sausage will last for 3-4 days after the sell-by date expires when stored in the refrigerator. In contrast, you can also toss the sausage into the freezer on the last day or a few days before the sausage's sell-by date expires. The sausage will last for 6-8 months.
For sell-by dates that go past at home, you can continue to store the food for a short amount of time depending on what it is. Some common products are: ground meat and poultry (1 to 2 days past the date), beef (3 to 5 days past the date), eggs (3 to 5 weeks past the date).
Basically, sausages are meat products. So, they are sure to perish sooner or later. Usually, if you keep sausages in the refrigerator, they will remain good for one or two days after their expiry date. However, if you store them in the freezer, they will remain great for as long as needed.
To maximize the shelf life of opened dry chorizo sausage, place the opened package inside a resealable plastic bag or wrap tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. How long does opened dry chorizo sausage last in the fridge? Opened dry chorizo sausage will maintain best quality for about 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
The U. S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) advises: Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods.
Chorizo made with fresh meat must be cooked before eating. Don't forget to peel off the outer wrapping, or 'skin', before you fry, grill, or roast the slices of sausage.
Cook through: How long should you cook chorizo? Grill the chorizo links until they reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which typically takes about 15-20 minutes. Use tongs to rotate the sausages every few minutes, so they become an appealing golden brown shade on all sides.
Tip. Alternatively, use the defrost function on your microwave and thaw the chorizo by weight. It usually takes 6 to 8 minutes per to thaw 1 pound of chorizo.
What It Is. Dried chorizo is an intensely seasoned, hard Spanish pork sausage (not to be confused with Mexican fresh chorizo). It's flavored with pimenton (smoked paprika), garlic, and salt and comes in sweet and spicy varieties. The flavors in this sausage tend to be really intense.
How long is chorizo good after sell by date?
Properly stored, fresh chorizo will last up to 7 days in the fridge. The shelf life of cooked chorizo is greatly diminished, as it will become dry and tough and lose its flavor.
How Long Do Chorizo Slices Last? Once purchased chorizo slices should be kept in the fridge. They usually have a use-by date of a week or two but should be consumed within a few days once the packet has been opened. Alternatively, you can freeze chorizo slices if you don't think you'll them up.
If you buy sliced and/ or vacuum packed Chorizo or Salchichon, you can expect this to last for roughly 90 days before opening. Although the Chorizo will still be edible, you will be missing out on the optimal experience.
Typically mold is not part of UMAi Dry® process, however it can happen if the humidity in the fridge gets a bit high. White mold is not dangerous especially if the surface of the meat is already dry. You can wipe off the mold with cider vinegar after the sausage is done.
Sell-By Date
Stores use this date to know when to remove products from shelves. You can eat food after the sell-by date. For example, dairy products are good for 1 week after the sell-by date. Eggs are safe for 3 to 5 weeks after the sell-by date.
If your chorizo is still in original packaging and casing, it will last 2 weeks in the fridge. However, if the chorizo has been sliced into or the casing has been opened in any way, this reduces the time it will maintain in the fridge to about 1 week or 7 days.
For sell-by dates that go past at home, you can continue to store the food for a short amount of time depending on what it is. Some common products are: ground meat and poultry (1 to 2 days past the date), beef (3 to 5 days past the date), eggs (3 to 5 weeks past the date).
Some chorizo requires cooking and if it is eaten raw you may get food poisoning. Trichinosis is a parasitic infection spread by eating raw or undercooked foods that has been associated with chorizo. Stomach cramps and nausea are some of the signs and symptoms of this condition.
Sausage can last in the fridge for 1-4 days depending on if it is cooked or not. Sausage that is not yet cooked can last in the fridge for one to two days. Cooked sausage can last up to four days. Properly stored, sausage in the freezer can maintain its best quality for about six months.
Chorizo is a popular pork sausage often accompanying a hearty breakfast meal. There are two kinds of pork chorizo: Mexican and Spanish. Mexican chorizo is generally packaged raw and must be cooked before you eat it. Spanish chorizo is made safe to eat through a curing process, so you don't need to cook it.
What's the difference between Mexican chorizo and Spanish chorizo?
Mexican vs Spanish Chorizo
“Mexican style chorizo is actually raw meat that's been heavily seasoned with dry chilies and aromatic spices like cinnamon and clove. Spanish chorizo is a hard sausage that's been cured like a salami,” explains Sánchez.
The U. S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) advises: Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods.
Chorizo made with fresh meat must be cooked before eating. Don't forget to peel off the outer wrapping, or 'skin', before you fry, grill, or roast the slices of sausage.
1. Hard salami / chorizo. It's actually normal for cured meats like these to develop mould over time – just scrape it off and work away.
Fresh chorizo can be stored in the freezer and it doesn't matter if you have broken the seal or skin or if have cut it up prior to freezing. Freezing fresh chorizo is similar to freezing other meats. Seal your chorizo in a vacuum-sealed freezer-safe storage bag or airtight container.
Don't worry; it's supposed to be there! It is a penicillin-based mold similar to the white mold you will find on a fine cheese like a French Brie or Camembert. It's a natural part of the fermentation process of producing artisanal salumi, and the salami mold has its own flavor and flora.