Dominican Blood Sausage (Morcilla)
Pork blood sausage seasoned with garlic, bitter orange and culantro, gently poached until set, then sliced and fried until the edges turn crisp. A rich, savory side that goes straight onto the plate next to mangú or boiled yuca.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Clean the casings
Turn the casings inside out under running water and scrape gently with the back of a knife to remove any fat clinging to the inside. Rub them with the cut limes and the vinegar, then rinse several times until the water runs clear and they no longer smell strongly.
- 2 lengths pork casings
- 2 limes
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
✅ Done when: the casings look pale and feel clean, with only a faint lime smell
Build the sofrito
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, pepper and scallion, and cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until soft but not browned. Stir in the oregano and set aside to cool.
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 pepper
- 1 scallion
- 1 tsp oregano
✅ Done when: the vegetables are soft and translucent, with no raw bite left
Mix the filling
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Stuff and tie
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Poach gently
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Cool before slicing
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Fry and serve
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Clean the casings
Turn the casings inside out under running water and scrape gently with the back of a knife to remove any fat clinging to the inside. Rub them with the cut limes and the vinegar, then rinse several times until the water runs clear and they no longer smell strongly.
- 2 lengths pork casings
- 2 limes
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
✅ Done when: the casings look pale and feel clean, with only a faint lime smell
Build the sofrito
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, pepper and scallion, and cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until soft but not browned. Stir in the oregano and set aside to cool.
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 pepper
- 1 scallion
- 1 tsp oregano
✅ Done when: the vegetables are soft and translucent, with no raw bite left
Mix the filling
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Stuff and tie
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Poach gently
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Cool before slicing
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Fry and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Blood sausage traveled to the island with Spanish colonizers, who had their own tradition of using every part of a slaughtered pig. On Dominican farms, that habit merged with African culinary knowledge brought by enslaved cooks, who were often skilled at turning humble cuts and offal into something deeply flavorful.
Morcilla became a fixture of the matanza, the day a family or community slaughters a pig, when nothing goes to waste. Seasoned with the herbs and bitter orange found in dooryard gardens, it was cooked that same day and shared among neighbors.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It turns a humble, perishable part of the pig into a rich, herb-scented sausage that gets even better once sliced and fried, with crisp edges against a soft, savory center.
💡 Fun Fact
In many Dominican households, making morcilla is still tied to the matanza, the traditional pig slaughter day that brings families together to cook and share the whole animal.
Across the Dominican Republic, especially rural campo kitchens
18.49°N, -69.93°W
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