Spanish-Style Chicken & Chorizo Rice 🇪🇸 (One-Pan Recipe)

chorizo

🥗Healthier: turkey chorizo

💰Cheaper: smoked sausage

Turkey chorizo reduces fat while maintaining flavor.

chicken thighs

🥗Healthier: chicken breast

💰Cheaper: bone-in chicken thighs

Chicken breast is leaner; bone-in thighs are often cheaper.

saffron

💰Cheaper: turmeric

Turmeric provides color and flavor at a lower cost.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Vegetable oil is less expensive and neutral in flavor.

Preheat some chicken stock/broth and keep it hot for use later.

Season the chicken thighs with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.

Brown chicken on all sides in a large skillet on medium-high heat. This should take about 4-5 minutes per side.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the chorizo with the chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the chorizo begins to release its delicious paprika-infused oil. Once done, set aside the chicken thighs and chorizo for use later.

In the same pan used to cook the chorizo, sauté the diced onion and celery for 5 minutes or until golden.

Add the garlic and stir through. Cook until fragrant.

Add the pulped tomatoes and stir through. Continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the smoked paprika, crushed Ñora peppers, fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and season to taste with some salt and pepper. Give everything a mix, then add the rice and stir through.

Add the chicken and chorizo back to the pan.

Continue to stir constantly so the rice is covered in flavor, then once it begins to crackle (around 2-3 minutes), add the chicken stock. Once you have added around half of the stock, give the pan a little shake to even out the rice in the pan.

Add enough stock to cover the rice by around a thumb (1cm or half an inch).

Reduce heat to medium and simmer until you see all the chicken stock evaporate. This should take around 15-18 minutes depending on the stove top you use.

Do NOT stir the rice while it simmers.

Once the rice is cooked and there are no more bubbles of stock coming up, take the pan off the heat and cover it with some newspaper or paper kitchen towel.

Leave the rice to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: