This delicious Spanish chicken and rice with chorizo is a great weeknight recipe that comes together quickly. This one pan meal is ready to eat in under an hour. You'll love the colors and flavors in this easy dinner recipe!
If you love Spanish rice dishes, I highly recommend trying these recipes for seafood rice (arroz caldoso) and prawn and chorizo paella for dinner!
Introduction
Chicken is one of those meats that everyone has eaten countless times in their life, and I thought I had tried every possible version of a simple chicken dinner until I stumbled across this amazing dish.
It's not just that the chicken is cooked to juicy perfection, or that the chorizo and Spanish spice rub give the meal a warm and cozy flavor, it's also the delicious rice. Cooking the rice in the pan along with the chorizo and spices imparts a full, meaty flavor to the rice—it's not a side dish, it's the main event!
Ingredients
You're probably excited to start cooking this mouthwatering chicken and chorizo rice--but let me explain the key ingredients before you get cooking!
- Chicken: I used chicken thighs with the skin on.
- Chorizo: Either fresh or semi-cured chorizo will be great in this recipe!
- Rice: Unlike other Spanish rice dishes that take short-grain rice, I used medium-grain rice in this recipe.
- Spices: I use a mixture of salt, coriander, cayenne, paprika, cumin, and bay leaves to season the chicken, which brings a lot of flavor to the table! A garnish of fresh cilantro adds a little brightness to the dish, which is delicious.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Chicken & Chorizo Rice
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Soak the rice in a bowl of water for 15 minutes, then drain it. (image 1)
- Mix the spices for the rub together in a small bowl. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel and rub the spice mixture onto the meat, making sure to get some under the skin. (image 2)
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken and brown on all sides; it should take about 2 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate. (image 3)
- Add the chorizo to the same pan and fry until it's golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently. (image 4)
- Add the green pepper and onion and cook for another 5 minutes. (image 5)
- Dump in the garlic, tomato, tomato paste, peas, and bay leaves and cook for 2 minutes. (image 6)
- Add the rice to the pan, then place the browned chicken on top. Pour in the chicken broth. (image 7)
- Cover and simmer until the rice absorbs the liquid and the chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. (image 8)
- Allow the chicken and chorizo rice to rest off the heat for 10 minutes, then garnish with lemon slices and fresh cilantro. (image 9)
- Serve the chicken and chorizo rice hot and enjoy this taste of Spain! (image 10)
Recipe FAQs
I recommend using a medium-grain rice for this chicken and chorizo dish. This is unlike some other Spanish rice dishes, which need a short-grain rice like Bomba.
Yes, either raw or semi-cured chorizo will work great in this recipe. Keep in mind that raw chorizo, especially Mexican chorizo, can be spicier than the Spanish variety, so you may want to decrease the cayenne in the spice rub.
You can chop the vegetables and even brown the chicken in advance; then refrigerate everything until you're ready to start cooking. Although leftovers do reheat nicely, this tastes better when it's freshly made!
Serve
I like serving this chicken and chorizo rice alongside a leafy salad like this quick and tasty Spanish ensalada mixta. Other salads like this colorful lentil salad or this winter salad with orange and pomegranate would be delicious with this, too. Enjoy a slice of tarta de Santiago for dessert if you're craving something sweet!
Expert Tips
- Make sure to pat the chicken dry with paper towel to help the skin crisp when it's browned, and rub some spices under the skin for extra flavor.
- Either fresh or semi-cured chorizo works beautifully in this recipe.
- Let the dish rest for 10 minutes off the heat before serving. This allows the juices in the chicken to redistribute, making it juicier.
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Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Rice
Ingredients
For the Spice Mixture
- 2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Rice
- 1 ½ cups medium grain white rice uncooked
- 2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 6 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
- 10 ounces fresh or semi-cured chorizo roughly chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large tomato diced
- 1 cup fresh peas
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups chicken broth
For the Garnish
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- ½ cup torn cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Cover the rice with water and soak it for 15 minutes, then drain and set it aside.
- Combine the spices for the rub in a small bowl. Pat the chicken try with a paper towel and rub the spice mix on, making sure to get some under the skin.
- Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides; roughly 2 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate. It won't be fully cooked at this point.
- Add the chorizo to the same pan and fry for 8-10 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Stir frequently to prevent burning or sticking.
- Add the green pepper and onion to the chorizo, and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato, tomato paste, peas and bay leaves and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the garlic is aromatic.
- Add the rice to the pan, and then place the browned chicken thighs on top. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium, and simmer covered until the liquid is absorbed by the rice and the chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes to allow the chicken and rice to rest.
- Garnish the rice with torn fresh cilantro leaves and lemon slices. Enjoy while it's hot!
Notes
- Make sure to pat the chicken dry with paper towel to help the skin crisp when it's browned, and rub some spices under the skin for extra flavor.
- Either fresh or semi-cured chorizo works beautifully in this recipe.
- Let the dish rest for 10 minutes off the heat before serving. This allows the juices in the chicken to redistribute, making it juicier.
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Michelle
Fresh cilantro is used in Spanish cooking? Interesting. I can’t wait to try this.
chelsea Wallis
I am making this now and wasnt sure when to add the chorizo back in. So I just put it in with the chicken. Hope thats right! =)
Lauren Aloise
Yes! Thank you!
Jefferey Lackman
A great recipe. I went off recipe to accommodate what I had on hand but this very much reminds me of good meals in Spain.