Spanish Chicken & Chorizo Rice
Easy one-pan Spanish chicken and rice made with onions, capsicum, chorizo, and a simple seasoning with a smoky kick! A satisfying dinner idea full of bold flavours. Use spicy chorizo if you like a bit of extra spice!
Inspired by The Mediterranean Dish Cookbook
Serves 4
Effort: Easy/ Moderate
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Gluten free option
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup medium grain rice
4 boneless chicken thighs
Olive oil
2 Chorizo sausage, sliced - see hints & tips for GF
1 large green capsicum, chopped
1 medium red onion peeled, chopped
2 garlic cloves peeled, crushed
1.5 tbsp paella seasoning - The Spice People
2 large ripe tomato, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups chicken broth
1 lemon
fresh parsley
Instructions
Pat the chicken dry and season with the spice rub, salt & pepper. Heat a skillet (one with a lid) with 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Carefully add the chicken and brown deeply on both sides. Remove the chicken and set it aside on.
In the same pan, add the chorizo. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly until the chorizo has nicely browned.
Add the green peppers, onions, garlic and paella seasoning. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes. Adding a splash of water if the bottom of the skillet is browning too much (we want nice crusty brown bits not black!)
Now add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth, stir through.
Stir the rice into the cooking liquid. Cook uncovered over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken and its juices on top of the rice. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and cook the rice and chicken together for 20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. Stirring only once half way through.
Turn the heat off, but leave the pan covered and undisturbed for 10 more minutes (see hints & tips). Serve with lemon wedges and fresh chopped parsley.
Hints & tips
Chicken - Chicken thighs are used in this recipe as they are fattier and hold more moisture. Feel free to swap to chicken breast if you prefer - slice into strips and brown as per step one.
Rice - Once cooked, leave the Spanish chicken and rice in the pan covered, undisturbed for 10 minutes or so. The rice needs time to rest, and allowing the time means that the starch will set and the moisture can evenly distribute so you don't end up with a gluey mess.
Long grain rice would also work in this recipe.
Chorizo - We used mild smokey chorizo in this recipe. Swap for a spicier sausage if you prefer more of a kick. Make sure your chorizo is gluten free if you or a family member are intolerant.
Serving suggestion - This dish is a one pan wonder, no need to add anything, if you don’t feel like it. However, any fresh greens and a little parmesan would be a good side dish to accompany it.
Portion size - Serves 4 or 2 with leftovers.
Storage - Store in the fridge for 3 days. Suitable for freezing - make sure the rice is piping hot when reheated.
