The crowd goes wild anywhere you take these Chorizo-Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Dates. They're a bit tedious to assemble but simple and naturally gluten free. Make them in advance then it's just a quick run under the broiler and watch these morsels disappear.
I serve this to my bacon-loving friends. They love the combination of sweet dates, spicy chorizo and salty bacon year round. Since these are a Spanish tapa I would make Seafood Paella with chorizo because you can never have too much chorizo in one meal. For dessert Crema Catalana is the Spanish version of creme brulee.
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Ingredients for Chorizo Stuffed Dates
If you keep whole dates in your pantry, plus bacon and chorizo in the freezer, you can make this appetizer without a special trip to the store. That's a bonus tip right there!
- Whole dates - Unlike baking dates that are sold in blocks, I see whole dates in plastic tubs in or near the produce section.
- Raw, gluten free chorizo sausage - Raw and cured chorizo are two different ingredients. Where I live we have a good variety of locally made raw, gluten free sausage. Shout out to Spolumbo's Deli in Calgary, we love their chorizo.
- Bacon - I like thick bacon so it doesn't tear as easily when I'm wrapping it around the dates.
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Instructions: Food Safety Tip
- Work smart and start by taking out all the dates and toothpicks you will need to make 48 pieces.
- Set everything on a large cutting board or baking sheet. Once you start with the raw sausage and bacon you won't need to touch anything else.
Substitutions
Chorizo - Substitute your favourite sausage if you can't find chorizo. Another option is to use mild Italian or other pork sausage and add smoked paprika.
Bacon - Pancetta, an Italian version of bacon, is salt-cured but not smoked. Like bacon it needs to be cooked so would be a reasonable substitute for this recipe.
Tools
Keep your kitchen stocked with toothpicks and skewers in various lengths to avoid driving around to buy them at the last minute. This can be crazy-making. Then, make a point of making things on picks and sticks just for fun!
Storage
These can be assembled 1 day in advance and stored in the fridge in an air tight container. They can also be frozen, uncooked, for up to 1 month.
Top Tip: Collect and Categorize Recipes
Don't leave the Google search until the night before you need to take an appetizer to a party. Create a system for saving your favourites and have enough for different seasons and themes. These bacon-wrapped dates can be cooked under the broiler or on a barbecue. Having a large collection of recipes makes it easy to find just the right one for the occasion.
Chorizo-Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Ingredients
- 48 whole, pitted dates
- 1 gluten free chorizo sausage raw (about 5 oz)
- 16 bacon slices
Instructions
- Choose dates that have held their shape. Pull each whole date open along the line where it was cut and set it on a cutting board. Some will be whole and some will be in 2 pieces.
- Remove the casing from the sausage. Pinch off tiny pieces of chorizo small enough to fill a date.
- Working with at least 12 dates at a time, fill each date with chorizo and push the date together. Set aside on a plate. Continue the process until all the dates are filled.
- Before cutting ALL the bacon strips into thirds check the length by cutting once piece. Make sure it wraps around the date with enough overlap to secure a toothpick. Cut remaining bacon.
- Set out about 50 toothpicks.
- Wrap bacon around each date and secure with a toothpick. Makes about 48.
- Can be prepared a day in advance or frozen.
COOKING
- Turn on broiler. Line a large baking pan with foil and put a baking rack on it. (Parchment tends to burn so I prefer foil.)
- Place bacon wrapped dates on rack and cook under broiler for 4-5 minutes. Turn when browned and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes. Remove the first ones to brown if needed letting the others finish cooking.
- Serve hot. If cooked ahead of time reheat in 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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More Tapas Recipes
Plan your next culinary adventure exploring the flavours of Spain. For an authentic Spanish Tapas Party serve this homemade Prosecco Berry Sangria.
Steshni Corea
I know some friends who would love this!