This chicken chilindron recipe is an easy Spanish chicken stew from the north of Spain. It combines chicken with red pepper, garlic, and even a bit of ham for an impressive and easy must-try meal.
I first saw chicken chilindron being served at traditional Madrid lunch restaurants. I soon learned that it’s a popular Spanish chicken stew that comes from the north of Spain — Basque Country, Navarra, and Aragon all claim to be the home of this simple dish.
Like many Spanish stews, the preparation is quick and simple, but the flavor is complex and delicious. Chicken chilindron has become one of my go-to weeknight recipes, and I make sure to make enough for leftovers the next day.
If you love Spanish flavors (think garlic, paprika, white wine, and jamón) and quick and easy meals, this chicken chilindron recipe is for you.
Key Ingredients
Key Ingredients: Onion, ham, garlic, red pepper, tomate, bay leaf, olive oil, white wine, paprika, salt, pepper, chicken.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Chicken: I use thighs, which I prefer for their great flavor and cheap price, but use what you’d like. You’ll want to use about 1/2 lb (250g) of chicken per person. Other chilindron recipes don’t use chicken at all, and instead, opt for lamb.
- Ham: Use a good quality cured ham, such as Spanish jamón Serrano or Italian prosciutto. If you can’t find cured ham or don’t eat pork, simply omit it.
- Peppers: The peppers are what give this dish its unique sauce. My recipe calls for red bell pepper, but many use a mix of red and green. Whatever you have available is fine!
Chicken Chilindron Recipe: Step by Step
This recipe is so simple and easy — especially when you have all of your ingredients prepared in advance! Start by browning the chicken on both sides in a bit of olive oil (I like to use a cast iron or stainless steel pan for this).
Remove and add the garlic and ham to the same pan. Sauté for about a minute — careful not to burn the garlic! Then add in the bell pepper and onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes.
Then, add the bay leaf, paprika and tomato and cook down for about five minutes.
Next, add the white wine, turn up the heat, and cook until the wine reduces (a couple of minutes more). Add the chicken back to the pan and slowly cook for about 30 minutes. Enjoy family-style or plate separately — enjoy!
Recipe Tips & FAQs
- Make sure to cook the peppers and onions long enough to become tender and slightly caramelized. This will enhance the flavor of the dish.
- If the stew needs a bit more sauce at the end, you can add a bit of chicken broth. But the chicken should release enough juice while cooking to not need much.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving one-pan meals like this one family-style with a few side dishes. You can serve this with a simple salad like the ensalada mixta, and some simple roasted potatoes or white rice. Since this stew is so delicious, it doesn’t need much to accompany it!
More Spanish Chicken Stew Recipes
If you love the idea of this Spanish chicken stew, check out these other recipes!
- Chicken and Chorizo Stew: This simple stew combines chicken with smokey Spanish chorizo for a hearty meal.
- Chicken with Mushrooms: A quick and yummy meal to serve with rice, potatoes, or even pasta.
- Chicken with Almond Sauce: This traditional Spanish chicken dish uses almonds for a delicious sauce.
- Chicken in Garlic Sauce: My mother-in-law’s go-to chicken dinner!
Hungry for MORE recipes? Sign up for my free weekly newsletter and receive a new Spanish recipe once a week! Join today and get my FREE Spanish ingredient essentials guide!
Chicken Chilindron Recipe
Ingredients
- 6-8 chicken thighs Season with salt and pepper. You can substitute drumsticks or other parts as you prefer. Use about 1/2 lb (250g) of chicken per person.
- 4 cloves of garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- 1.75 oz Serrano ham (50g), diced. You can substitute any other cured ham, such as prosciutto.
- 1 onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips. You can sub green or yellow bell pepper if you prefer.
- 2 juicy tomatoes medium sized. You can sub 1/2 cup (120 g) of canned diced tomato or passata.
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
- 1/2 cup white wine (120 ml).
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put a heavy pan over medium heat and cover the bottom with olive oil. Once hot, add the seasoned chicken and brown on both sides. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Reserve the chicken to the side.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add the garlic and ham to the pan. Sauté for one minute, making sure the garlic doesn't stick or burn.
- Add the red pepper, onion, and a pinch of salt to the pan. Sauté for about 10 minutes, until tender and starting to caramelize.
- Add the bay leaf, tomato, and sweet paprika. Stir and cook everything together for about five minutes.
- Add the white wine, turn up the heat, and reduce to a thick sauce. It should take about two-three minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook at a slow simmer for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
- Taste your chicken chilindron for salt and pepper and then serve either family-style or individually plated.
Notes
- As with most stews, the flavor gets even better over time. Enjoy after a couple of hours or even the next day for a real treat!
- If the stew needs a bit more sauce at the end, you can add a bit of chicken broth. But the chicken should release enough juice while cooking to not need much.
Nutrition
What do you think? Easy, right?! I hope my favorite Spanish chicken stew makes your dinner table soon!
Lynn
So delicious and so easy! I made double the sauce as we love our sauce. And for Candy – it’s also perfect for a 30 degree celsius Australian summer evening!!! Definitely on permanent rotation here.
Mary Ann Fusco
Just made it without the ham and instead halved both sweet and smoked paprika and it was delicious! So glad that I have leftovers!!!
Mary Ann Fusco
Could you use chorizo to replace ham or is it better to leave it out?
Lauren Aloise
You can, though depending on the chorizo it could taste very strongly of chorizo — which is fine if you love chorizo!
Marie
This turned out to be a rich, very flavorful dish. Yummy! A definite keeper.
Candy
This is delicious. I made this for dinner tonight and it is the perfect dish for a snowy minus 10 Canadian evening. I left out the ham and used smoked paprika, purchased at Atarazanas market in Malaga last winter. I will make it again.