This chorizo chicken paella is our favorite paella recipe; it's incredibly delicious and so comforting. Made in a large skillet to feed a crowd, this easy recipe is bound to make you happy.
A super easy-to-make chorizo chicken paella, one of the best Spanish recipes I’ve ever had! And I do love Spanish food, mind you. Have a look at these amazing Spanish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, the Spanish Pork Stew, or this simple and flavorful Spanish Vegetable Soup.
I remember the first time I had a classic seafood paella during a vacation in Tenerife quite a few years ago. It was heaven, one of the best restaurant meals ever, and definitely the best meal we had on the island.
Making a seafood paella at home is somewhat difficult. We live in an area where seafood is not readily available; you get it mostly frozen, it’s expensive, and you don’t have much choice. So, whenever I feel like having paella, we opt for this simple chicken and chorizo paella.
Jump to recipe
What do you need?
Chicken: Use skinless, boneless chicken thighs. Using breasts is possible, but the breasts will dry out too much during cooking; the thighs are so much better for this recipe that they will remain moist.
Chorizo: Spanish links are dried, cured, and ready to eat. They are usually sold in the same section as other cured sausages. They have a vibrant red color due to the high content of paprika, and they are made of pork and pork fat. They come in sweet and spicy varieties; for this recipe, I used the spicy kind.
- And if you like chorizo, you might want to try this Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Stew, the Argentinian Choripan con chimichurri, or a simple and delicious Mexican Chorizo Tostada.
Peppers: One large fresh red bell pepper and 2 large roasted red peppers from a jar of peppers preserved in oil.
Rice: Short-grain rice, like Arborio or Bomba. I have Arborio most of the time, I use it for risotto as well.
Liquids: Dry white wine and chicken stock – preferably homemade; otherwise, a good quality brand, something not too salty.
Spices: Smoked paprika: I always insist on buying the best one you can afford when talking about paprika. I am not so particular about other spices, but I feel it makes a world of difference when it comes to paprika, either sweet, hot, or smoked. For this dish, I use real sweet Spanish smoked paprika or Pimenton (the Amazon affiliate links open in new tabs)
Saffron: a large pinch of saffron threads. It does belong in paella, but if you don’t have it, don’t stress too much. I’ve often cooked this dish without it, which was still delicious.
Other ingredients: olive oil, onions, garlic, and tomato for the sofrito. Peas, fresh parsley, and lemon wedges.
What kind of pan do you need?
Ideally, a large paella pan (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
However, I don’t have one, so I always use my large and rather shallow Dutch oven. You need a large one for this chicken chorizo paella, or the ingredients will overflow the pan. Mine has a diameter of 30 cm/12 inches and a depth of 8 cm/3-inches, and it was full. (Amazon affiliate link)
Or use a large (at least 30 cm/12-inch diameter) cast-iron skillet, preferably one with a lid. Cover the rice tightly with aluminum foil during cooking if you don't have a lid.
How to make chicken chorizo paella?
- Step #1: Cook chicken and sausage, stirring often. Remove from the pan. Chorizo releases a lot of fat during cooking; discard it, leaving only 1-2 tablespoons of it.
- Step #2: Place sofrito vegetables in the same skillet, add a pinch of salt, and cook slowly until the vegetables are softer.
- Step #3: Deglaze with the white wine and stir for about 1 minute until the wine mostly evaporates.
- Step #4: Add diced tomato and roasted red pepper, and cook for 5 minutes. Shortly stir paprika, saffron, and salt into the pot.
- Step #5: Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the rice, chicken, and chorizo. Stir to combine, cover tightly, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low. Cook gently for 20 minutes.
- Step #6: Add the peas, nestle them carefully into the rice without disturbing the bottom, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
- Step #7: Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for about 10 minutes. This will allow the rice to absorb all the liquid that might still be left in the pan and to develop more flavor. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
What is the socarrat?
The crusty, crispy bottom of the paella is achieved when the dish is cooked in its special pan and on an open fire. It is more difficult to get when cooking the Spanish dish on a stove, though it might work if you are using a gas burner.
For this purpose, you must not stir the paella while it’s cooking. The crust forms when the dish rests off the heat; the pan's residual heat helps create it.
Although incredibly delicious, don’t worry too much if you cannot achieve it. The chorizo chicken paella will still taste amazing, and people won’t miss the socarrat unless they are Spanish and are used to having it.
Can you reheat paella?
- I do it all the time. There is so much food that we never finish it in one go unless we have guests. We keep the leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in the microwave, place the leftovers in a smaller pot and reheat on the stovetop. Add a splash of water or stock and reheat slowly, stirring very carefully occasionally. The food should be piping hot again.
Chorizo Chicken Paella
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, 450 g
- 10.5 oz Spanish chorizo 300g, Note 2
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion about 100 g/ 3.5 oz
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 large bell pepper
- ¼ cup dry white wine 60 ml
- 1 medium tomato about 5.5 oz/ 150 g
- 2 roasted red peppers from a jar about 5.5 oz/ 150 g
- 2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika Note 3
- 1 large pinch of saffron
- 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups short-grain rice Arborio, Bomba, 14 oz/ 400 g
- 5 cups chicken stock homemade or low-sodium, 1.2 liter
- 1 cup peas 4 oz/ 120 g
- small bunch of parsley
- lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- Saute chicken and chorizo: Cut the chicken into cubes and the sausage into rings. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook both, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan. Chorizo releases a lot of fat during cooking: discard it, leaving only 1-2 tablespoons in the pan.1 lb boneless/ 450 g + 10.5 oz Spanish chorizo/ 300 g + 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Saute vegetables: Finely chop the onions and garlic. Dice the fresh red bell pepper. Place them in the same skillet, add a pinch of salt, and cook slowly until the vegetables are softer, about 5 minutes.1 medium onion + 6 garlic cloves + 1 large bell pepper
- Deglaze with the white wine and stir for about 1 minute until the wine is mostly evaporated.¼ cup dry white wine/ 60 ml
- Add ingredients: While the sofrito is cooking, dice the tomato and the roasted red peppers. Add them to the sofrito and cook for 5 minutes more. Add paprika, saffron, and salt, and stir shortly.1 medium tomato + 2 roasted red peppers from a jar + 2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika + 1 large pinch of saffron + 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Simmer paella: Add chicken stock, bring to a boil, and add the rice, chicken, and chorizo. Stir, cover tightly, and bring to a boil again. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan a couple of times during cooking to make sure that it cooks evenly and doesn’t get burned on one side.5 cups chicken stock/ 1.2 liter + 2 cups short-grain rice/ 400 g
- Add the peas, nestle carefully into the rice without disturbing the bottom, and continue cooking for 10 minutes.1 cup peas/ 120 g
- Let sit: Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a small bunch of parsley (chopped) and serve with lemon wedges .
Notes
- Pan: If you have a large paella pan, use it. I always use my large and rather shallow Dutch oven, which has a diameter of 12 inches/ 30 cm and a depth of 3 inches/ 8 cm. You can also use a large (at least 12 inch/ 30 cm diameter) cast-iron pan, preferably one with a lid. If you don't have a lid, cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil during cooking.
- Chorizo: The cured Spanish sort is sold in links. Depending on their size, you might need one or two links. I use semi-smoked, spicy chorizo.
- Paprika: Preferably good quality sweet Spanish smoked paprika - Pimenton.
Leave a Reply