Chicken And Chorizo Rice

Chicken and Chorizo Rice is a cozy and satisfying one-pan meal that everyone loves. Featuring tender chicken thighs, perfectly cooked rice, spinach, and smoky chorizo bits throughout, this easy-to-make dish is bursting with Spanish flavours. 

Purists will shudder, but you can think of this chicken with chorizo and rice dish as a cheater paella of sorts. Though I absolutely adore making and eating a more authentic paella, I return to this dish time and again when I need a quick-fix of one of my favourite dishes on the planet.

A traditional paella is not difficult to pull off at all, but it does require more time, and a lot more attention to the ingredients. This weeknight-friendlier version does not call for homemade broth, grated fresh tomatoes, hard-to-find bomba rice, or expensive saffron. Yet thanks to the Spanish chorizo sausage and smoked paprika, it has layers of flavour that are just as intoxicatingly delicious. Friends, this is a winner.

Reasons To Love This Recipe

• Sublime, unique flavours.
• One pan meal=easy cleanup.
• Comes together in just under an hour.
• Delicious and comforting all year round.
• A fabulous dish for entertaining.
• Holds up incredibly well for leftovers.

Key Ingredients And Substitutions

Though this dish is bursting with flavour, you will be happy to know it does not call for a lot of ingredients.

• Chicken thighs – For maximum flavour and super tender meat, here we are using bone-skin, skin-on chicken thighs. If you prefer to use bone-less, skinless thighs, you will have to reduce the oven cooking time so the meat doesn’t dry out. Ditto for chicken breasts.

• Rice – A long grain rice, such as Jasmine or Basmati rice, works really well here. If you use a medium-grain rice such as arborio, you will need to add at least 1/2 cup more liquid. I have not tried this recipe with brown rice but I imagine it could work as long as you are using bone-in thighs which will not dry out with the longer cooking time. You will also need to add more liquid.
• Cured Spanish chorizo sausage – This recipe calls for Spanish dry-cured chorizo sausage that is sold in vacuum packages and can be eaten uncooked. Chorizo sausage is typically made from pork and seasoned heavily pimentón (smoked paprika), garlic, and salt. Do your best to seek it out but if you can’t find it, check out the section below for other sausage options.
• Onion and garlic – We use a good amount of onion and minced garlic to add incredible flavour to the dish.
• Chopped baby spinach – Adding a green to this dish is easy and makes it a little more nutritious. You can also use chopped kale or Swiss chard.
• Smoked paprika – Smoked paprika, also known as pimenton, is the magic spice of Spain. Made with peppers that are smoked, dried, and ground into powder, it adds an intense red colour and smoky flavour to dishes. You can use sweet or hot smoked paprika.
• Low-sodium chicken broth – In a pinch, you could use water but chicken broth will give the dish a lot more flavour. If you opt for water, make sure to add a few more pinches of salt and smoked paprika.
• Sliced lemon and lemon wedges – Thin lemon slices infuse citrus bright flavours to the dish while it bakes. And don’t forget to serve the finished dish with lemon wedges. A drizzle of fresh lemon juice helps cut through the richness of the dish and make it taste more complex and interesting.

Recipe Variations

• Use shrimp: Swap the chicken for shrimp for an even quicker, lighter version. Simply stir in the shrimp during the last 10 minutes of oven cooking time.
• Make it vegetarian. For a delicious vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and a vegan chorizo sausage.
• Add more veggies. Canned artichoke hearts would be a great addition to this dish. Other veggies you can add are red pepper, mushrooms, and peas.
• Use another sausage. This paella-style dish relies heavily on the unique cured chorizo sausage flavours. However, if you can’t find it, you can use another cooked, richly-spiced sausage such as Andouille or even a Kielbasa.

How To Make Chicken With Chorizo And Rice

For this recipe, we start cooking everything on the stovetop in an ovenproof pan. The dish then finishes cooking in the oven so the rice cooks evenly, the chicken becomes meltingly tender, and the edges develop delightful crispy bits that everyone will fight over.

I like to crisp up the chorizo in the pan before cooking the chicken. This is so the chicken will cook in the flavourful oil and juices released by the chorizo.

Cook the chorizo and chicken. Season the chicken and set aside. In a large skillet, cook the chorizo, transfer to a small plate. Add a little oil to the skillet and cook the chicken thighs on both sides until golden. Transfer to another plate and set aside.

Sauté the vegetables, rice and spinach. Cook the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt until softened. Stir in the rice and smoked paprika, tossing to coat all the rice grains in oil (add a drizzle more olive oil if necessary). Add the chorizo and chopped spinach, tossing to combine.

Add the liquid. Pour in the broth and give everything a good stir, scraping up any browned bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Add the chicken and lemon. Nestle in the chicken, skin side up, along with any juices that accumulated in the pan and bring to a boil. Top with lemon slices, cover the pan and transfer to the oven.

Bake in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the rice and chicken are fully cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed. Taste the rice. If it seems undercooked, drizzle with a 1/2 cup more broth, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

To finish and serve. Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit, covered, for about 5-7 minutes before uncovering. Use a fork to fluff and stir the rice and garnish with chopped parsley, if using. Serve warm, with more lemon wedges alongside.

Where Can I buy Spanish Dry-Cured Chorizo?

Though Spanish dry-cured chorizo has become more popular in North America in recent years, it can still be a little tricky to find a good one.

Check your local European delis, or well stocked supermarkets. You can also order it from Spanish online stores. Keep in mind, a chorizo sausage imported from Spain, will likely taste the best so try and seek those out.

Serving Suggestions

This one-pot dish includes greens, protein and starch so you can easily serve it all on its own. That said, my kids love when I serve it with salty slices of avocado.

A coleslaw salad, or a green arugula salad dressed simply with olive oil and sherry vinegar would also be fabulous accompaniments.

Storing Suggestions

• Storage: Let the leftovers cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: Thaw frozen leftovers overnight in the refrigerator. Heat a small amount of chicken broth or water in a skillet over medium heat. Add the desired amount of leftovers and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5-7 minutes.

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If you give this Chicken and Chorizo Rice recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!