Chorizo-Filled Dates Wrapped in Bacon

This easy and super pop-pop-popular tapa has only three ingredients and takes only a couple of minutes to throw together.

Sometimes the Spanish chorizo can be difficult to find. I found it at Cost Plus World Market.

Chorizo-Filled Dates Wrapped in Bacon

Spanish chorizo sausage, casing removed
14 Medjool dates, pitted
7 slices thick-cut bacon, halved crosswise

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Make an incision on one side of each date and remove the pit. Discard the pits and set aside the pitted dates.

Cut the chorizo sausage into 14 little sticks about twice the size of the pits you removed.

Tuck a chorizo stick into each date and pinch the dates closed. Wrap a half strip of bacon around each date and secure with a toothpick.

Place all the dates on a rack set over a roasting pan. Place the pan in the oven and slowly roast the dates for 12 minutes. This lower temperature slow roast lets the bacon cook slowly at first and as a result it shrinks less.

Increase the oven to 400 degrees and continue to roast the dates for 8 to 10 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Let cool slightly before serving.

Makes 14