Argentines compete in everything. Football, asado, who has the best dulce de leche, and obviously: who makes the biggest choripán.
Because making a 20cm (8-inch) choripán is normal. Making a 50-METER (170-foot) one is Argentine-ness level God.
Here’s the complete history of Argentina’s biggest choripán records, failed attempts, the craziness, and that time an entire city got together to make a 380-kilo (840-pound) chorizo.
Current Record: Tandil 2024
Place: Tandil, Buenos Aires Province Date: April 14, 2024 Length: 52 meters (170 feet) Chorizo weight: 380 kilos (840 pounds) Participants: 47 parrilleros, 12 butchers, 8 bakers Cooking time: 6 hours People fed: 3,200
How They Did It
It wasn’t one long chorizo. It was 104 chorizos of 50cm (20 inches) lined up.
The process:
- Day 1: Butchers prepared 380kg of meat mixture
- Day 2: Stuffed the 104 chorizos (50cm each)
- Day 3: Built 60-meter (200-foot) giant grill
- Day 4: Simultaneous cooking of all chorizos
- Day 4 (cont.): Assembly of choripán in continuous bread
The Bread
102 giant French breads of 50cm each, specially baked.
The bakers made them at an industrial bakery with special ovens. Each bread weighed 1.2kg (2.6 pounds).
The Sauces
80 liters (21 gallons) of chimichurri 60 liters (16 gallons) of salsa criolla
Prepared by 15 cooks in industrial vats.
The Challenge
It wasn’t just making the choripán. It was:
- Cooking it evenly
- Not falling apart when transporting it
- Arriving hot to 3,200 diners
- Having good flavor (not just big, but GOOD)
Verdict: They did it. The choripán was spectacular.
The Result
Guinness Record: In certification process (2026) Total cost: $18,000,000 ARS (~$18,000 USD) (sponsored by Municipality and local companies) Leftovers? NOT A PIECE. 3,200 people demolished it in 45 minutes.
Previous Records
2. Pergamino 2022 - 38 meters (125 feet)
Length: 38 meters Weight: 280 kilos (620 pounds) Participants: 2,100 people
Previous record before Tandil surpassed them.
Curiosity: Their grill broke halfway through cooking. Had to improvise with metal sheets.
3. San Antonio de Areco 2019 - 32 meters (105 feet)
Length: 32 meters Weight: 220 kilos (485 pounds)
Made during the Fiesta de la Tradición.
Anecdote: A dog stole 2 meters (6 feet) of chorizo before they assembled it. Ended up at 30 meters.
4. Villa María (Córdoba) 2017 - 28 meters (92 feet)
Length: 28 meters Weight: 185 kilos (410 pounds)
First serious record attempt in Argentina.
Problem: They didn’t have enough bread. Had to send someone to buy from 4 bakeries in an emergency.
5. La Plata 2015 - 25 meters (82 feet)
Length: 25 meters Weight: 160 kilos (350 pounds)
Made at Plaza Moreno during the Choripán Festival.
Epic fail: They ran out of chimichurri at 18 meters. The last 7 meters were choripán without chimichurri (mortal sin).
Memorable Failed Attempts
The Rosario Disaster 2018
Plan: 45 meters of choripán Result: 0 meters (total failure)
What happened:
- Made giant chorizo of 300kg
- Put it on the grill
- The grill was industrial gas
- Gas cut out after 15 minutes
- Raw chorizo, event canceled
- Everyone ate pizza
Cost of failure: $8,000,000 ARS (~$8,000 USD)
Lesson: Always have plan B with charcoal.
The Chorizo That Broke - Bahía Blanca 2020
Plan: 30 meters Result: 3 choripanes of 10 meters (doesn’t count)
What happened:
- Chorizo was too thick and heavy
- When lifting it to transfer to grill, it broke in 3
- Technically made 3 medium choripanes
- Didn’t break record
Mayor’s reaction: “Well, at least we ate well.”
The Bariloche Wind 2021
Plan: 35 meters on the lakefront Result: Flying choripán
What happened:
- Everything perfect until minute 89
- Patagonian wind of 70 km/h (43 mph)
- Lifted bread with chorizo and all
- 35 meters of choripán flying over Nahuel Huapi lake
- Zero witnesses could eat it
- Seagulls ate like queens that day
Cost: $12,000,000 ARS (~$12,000 USD) literally thrown to the wind
Alternative Records (Non-Official)
Most Expensive Choripán
La Bourgogne (Buenos Aires) - 2023 Price: $45,000 ARS (~$45 USD) per unit
What it had:
- Imported Iberian pork chorizo
- Brioche bread with gold leaf
- Black truffle oil chimichurri
- Champagne glass included
Worth it? No. But you could take a photo for Instagram.
Smallest Choripán
Miniature Fair (CABA) - 2022 Size: 3 centimeters long (1.2 inches)
Details:
- Chorizo thickness of a pinky finger
- Miniature sourdough bread
- Chimichurri in eyedropper
- Eaten in 2 bites
Why did it exist? Culinary art. Nobody knows.
Spiciest Choripán
Ají Festival (Salta) - 2025 Scoville: 2,500,000 (level “death by pleasure”)
Challenge: Eat it complete without drinking water. Winners: 0 out of 47 attempts Ambulances called: 3
Fastest Choripán to Prepare
Cart “El Relámpago” (Liniers) - Continuous record Time: 2 minutes 18 seconds (from order to delivery)
Secret:
- Pre-cooked chorizos at 80%
- Pre-heated bread
- Chimichurri in dispenser
- Japanese production system applied to choripán
Crazy Record Facts
How Much Chorizo is Needed for a Record?
General rule: 7 kilos of chorizo per meter (15 pounds per 3 feet)
Why: A parrillero chorizo weighs ~350g. You need 2 per meter (overlap). 2 x 350g = 700g x 10 (for 10 meters) = 7kg.
So:
- 10 meters = 70kg chorizo
- 25 meters = 175kg
- 50 meters = 350kg
- 100 meters (future?) = 700kg
The Cost of Breaking the Record
Ingredients (50 meters):
- Chorizo: $2,800,000 (380kg at $7,500/kg)
- Bread: $900,000 (102 giant breads)
- Chimichurri: $450,000 (80L)
- Charcoal: $320,000
- Total food: $4,470,000
Logistics:
- Giant grill: $2,500,000 (construction)
- Staff: $1,800,000
- Security/permits: $900,000
- Marketing: $1,200,000
- Total logistics: $6,400,000
TOTAL COST: $10,870,000 ARS (~$11,000 USD)
Conclusion: Breaking a choripán record costs as much as a brand new car.
Next Goal: 100 Meters (330 feet)
There are rumors that Luján is planning a 100-meter choripán for October 2026 during the Choripán Festival.
Challenges:
- Would need 700kg of chorizo
- 110-meter long grill
- 6,500 people to eat it
- Estimated budget: $25,000,000 ARS (~$25,000 USD)
Success probability: 60%
Why it could fail:
- Monstrous logistics
- Unpredictable weather
- Coordination of 100+ people simultaneously
Why it could work:
- Argentines are stubborn
- If Tandil made 52m, Luján wants 100m
- National pride is at stake
Comparison with International Records
Longest Hot Dog (USA)
Record: 203 meters (666 feet) - 2012, Illinois Weight: 900 kg
Advantage: They made it with pre-cooked sausages. Cheating.
Our record (52m): REAL chorizo, made from scratch, grilled as God intended.
Verdict: Our 52 meters are worth more than their 203.
Longest Pizza (Italy)
Record: 1,930 meters (6,332 feet) - 2017, Naples Participants: 250 pizza makers
Impressive: Yes. Relevant to us: No. Pizza is easy. Choripán is art.
Can You Do It at Home?
Home record: 3 meters (10 feet) - (I tried it, documented on TikTok)
What you need:
- 21kg of chorizo
- 6 large French breads
- Family grill + 3 stoves with griddles
- 5 hours of your life
- Infinite patience
Result: It worked. Fed 45 people at a birthday.
Would I do it again? Yes. It was epic.
Conclusion
Argentines don’t do things halfway. If we’re going to make choripán, we make the BIGGEST IN THE WORLD.
Current record: Tandil, 52 meters Next challenge: Luján, 100 meters (2026) Dream record: 200 meters (someday)
Final truth: It doesn’t matter if it measures 20cm or 50 meters. If it’s well made, with good chorizo, fresh bread and homemade chimichurri, it’s the best choripán in the world.
But making a 52-meter one is VERY good for the national ego.
Long live choripán. Long live Argentina. And someone tell Tandil that Luján is coming for the record.