Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Side view of paella topped with green peas and lemon slices.

Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Paella is made with rice, tender chicken thighs and smoky chorizo. It's an easy, one pan meal that deserves a place in your dinner rotation!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Spanish

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 511kcal

Author Danielle Wolter

Equipment

1 Paella pan

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut in large chunks
8 ounces Spanish chorizo sliced (substitute smoked sausage)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 red pepper sliced
¼ cup dry white wine
1-15 ounce can diced tomatoes drained
pinch saffron
1 teaspoon smoked paprika leave out if chorizo contains paprika
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups bomba rice substitute arborio
4 ½ cups chicken broth
1 cup peas
Fresh lemon slices for serving
Fresh chopped parsley optional for serving

Instructions

Heat a 15" paella pan on a grill over medium heat (about 300°F degrees) and brown the chorizo for about 3-5 minutes, until caramelized around the edges.
Add the olive oil to the pan along with the onions, red pepper and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened and browning around the edges.
Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes, until mostly evaporated.
Stir in the tomatoes, paprika, saffron, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer.
Add the chicken, broth and rice and stir to distribute the rice evenly. Bring to a simmer.
Simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes, until liquid has absorbed and a crust has formed on the bottom of the pan. (I keep the grill lid closed to give the paella a slightly smoky flavor and to keep the heat more even for cooking).
Add the peas halfway through cooking and lightly press them into the mixture. Don't stir or disturb the cooking of the rice or the crust will not form. (Use a spatula to peek underneath to see if the crust has formed).
Remove from heat and serve immediately while hot. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice before serving.

Notes

If the Spanish chorizo has smoked paprika in it, eliminate the added paprika from the recipe.

You can substitute other types of paprika, but the paella won't have quite the smoky flavor.

I used a 15" paella pan but I was cooking the paella on a large grill. If you don’t have a large cooking surface, you can use a smaller paella pan (10-12”) and just half the recipe. You can also use a cast iron skillet.

If necessary, you can use arborio rice in place of bomba rice. The texture won't be quite the same, but it's still good.

If using unsalted chicken broth, adjust the salt to 2-3 teaspoons, or to taste.

Ensure the heat on the grill isn't too high or the socarrat will burn.

Don't stir or disturb the cooking of the rice or the crust will not form. You can use a spatula to peek underneath to see if it has become crusty underneath.

Nutrition