Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Stew

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Spanish chicken and chorizo stew with chickpeas, peppers, and tomatoes, a spicy stew easy to make and always delicious!

I am really into stews of any kind. As a born and raised Romanian, I can almost say I grew up on stews, any kind, from the humble Romanian potato stew to vegetable stews, richer pork stews or Romanian/Hungarian-style paprikash. Today’s chicken and chorizo stew is not Romanian at all, but soooo delicious!

So good, you will end up making it again and again, at least I did cook this several times in a very short period of time.

And why not? The dish is rich without being calorie laden, it’s spicy and aromatic, the meat is soft and comforting and the chickpeas make everything complete. No words about the sausage, it just makes everything better, even when used in such small quantity.

What do you need?

Chicken:

• Boneless skinless thighs.
• They are so easy to work with! I have nothing against thighs with their bones in, but when the bone is out, you can cook a dish faster and you can actually cut the thighs into smaller chunks.

• And thighs are always my favorite! I like breasts as well, but let’s face it, thighs just taste better and when using them the risk of eating overcooked, dry meat decreases considerably.
• However, if you cannot get hold of boneless thighs, you can use thighs and drumsticks with the bone in. Just remember, that they will probably need to cook a little longer, so make sure to check that they are cooked through.

Chorizo:

• You can use either Spanish or Mexican chorizo.
• There is a difference between the two sorts and it is usually recommended not to use them interchangeably. However, in this case it will not matter that much, the dish will be delicious either way.
• If you buy it in Germany, you will find the dried (Spanish) one most everywhere.
• There is another sort of chorizo to be found here (sometimes, mostly in summer during the grill season), which is raw and which is meant to be grilled before eating. That is the sort you can see in the image showing the ingredients above.
• It is not called Mexican, but I assume that this particular raw sausage is the closest to the Mexican sort you can find in Germany, at least in our (very rural) region. You could use that kind of sausage to make these delicious Mexican tostadas or the choripan as well. Soooo gooood!
• If you make the dish using Spanish sausage, the slices will be firmer. If you use the Mexican sort, the slices will be softer. Either way, the Spanish dish will taste good.

Spanish chorizo

• It is dried, cured, and ready-to-eat. You can find it in sticks and it is usually sold in the same sections as other cured sausages. It has a vibrant red color, due to the high content of paprika and it is made of pork and pork fat.
• It comes in sweet and spicy, I usually buy the spicy one, but you can use whatever you like best.

Mexican chorizo

• It is a ground meat sausage, sold fresh and uncooked. You can find it in the raw meat/sausages section of the supermarket. It is usually made of pork and very spicy.

Stock:

• I use homemade stock because I always have it in the fridge or freezer. But a good quality stock brand will be great as well.

Chickpeas:

• I used chickpeas from a can, but you can use the same amount of home cooked chickpeas, if you have them.

How to make the Spanish stew?

• Chop the onions finely and slice the sausage. Set them aside.
• Grate the garlic and gather all the spices together.
• Drain the chickpeas and quarter the thighs. Chop the bell peppers and the tomatoes into cubes. You can keep these four ingredients into one bowl until needed.
• Heat a Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed pot. You will not need to add any oil as the sausage will release plenty of fat, enough fat for you to be able to cook the onions. Place the sausage and onions into the pot and cook on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes until the onions are softer.
• Add the garlic and all the spices and stir well for about 1 minute.
• Add the meat, chickpeas, bell peppers, tomatoes and stock. Stir well, cover the pot leaving a crack open, turn the heat down and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
• You can thicken the sauce at this point, if desired. You can leave the Spanish stew as it is, the sauce is delicious either thinner or thicker.
• But if you like a thicker sauce, mix together the cornstarch and the cold water until you obtain a thick yet pourable paste. Slowly, whisk this paste into the simmering sauce and let it bubble a couple of times until the sauce is thickened.
• Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and more chili, if desired.

How to serve?

• You can serve immediately, but you can also very easily reheat it.
• Sprinkle with some fresh herbs like parsley or coriander just before serving.
• You will definitely need something to mop up that delicious sauce, either rice or bread, both are a good match.
• Serve with a salad or steamed/roasted vegetables on the side.

More Spanish recipes:

• Spanish Pork Stew
• Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Albondigas)
• Spanish Vegetable Soup
• Spanish (better said Mexican) Rice and Beans
• Polvorones Cookies