Why you’ll love this recipe
- Spicy smoky flavors
- Rich and warming
- Easy to make
- Great for large meal servings
- Meal prep
- Can be stored frozen
How to make Spicy chicken, chorizo, and rice
Cooking note: Prepare your stock in advance with this homemade chicken stock recipe, or store-bought chicken stock if you’re in a rush.
Step 1 – Brown chicken pieces
Heat the oil in a pan or skillet and brown the chicken pieces on medium-high heat. This should take around 5 minutes.
Step 2 – Saute onion, garlic, and chorizo
- Reduce heat to medium, add the onion and saute until golden (about 5 minutes).
- Add the garlic and chorizo, and cook for 5 minutes until the chorizo releases the rich red oil. Set all ingredients aside for use later.
Step 3 – Build the sauce
- Preheat oven to 390°F / 200°C
- Add the grated tomatoes, herbs and spices, and white wine (optional) to the pan along with 2 ladles worth of chicken stock and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the chili flakes and a full sprig of rosemary and simmer for 2-3 minutes more or until fragrant.
Step 4 – Add rice and meat, and bake
- Remove the sprig of rosemary.
- Add the rice and mix into the sauce along with another 1-2 ladles worth of chicken stock.
- Add the browned chicken, onions, and chorizo back to the pan and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Season to taste.
- Give everything a good stir and ensure all the rice is covered with stock. Add pan if ovenproof or transfer to a casserole dish to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes at 390°F / 200°C.
Meal pairing suggestions
Using chicken thighs in recipes gives you a great source of protein and can be paired with some leafy greens or vegetables as a side.
Here are a few meal-pairing suggestions:
- Poor man’s potatoes (Vegan and Gluten-free)
- Spanish garlic zucchini
- Mediterranean eggplant casserole (vegan)
- Pipirrana salad (vegan)
- Seasonal roasted veggies (vegan)
Rich, warming, smoky, spicy flavors
Typically, traditional Spanish cooking doesn’t use a lot of spice or heat, and even today, most Spanish recipes will be very mild. Spices such as ñora peppers are used in popular dishes such as paella and fideua, and cayenne pepper features in a select few traditional Spanish recipes.
But hey, some like it hot and when you crave a rich, spicy, smoky meal, this chicken, chorizo, and rice recipe ticks all the boxes! And since you love spicy, we think you’ll also love Spicy Mediterranean chicken thighs (easy recipe) and chicken in smoky bravas sauce (spicy recipe).
Smoked paprika flavors
We’ve added some extra smoked paprika to this recipe to really bring out the warm smoky flavors, and of course, a little heat is added from the cayenne pepper and chili. This recipe makes a warming dish that is only mildly spicy, add or omit chili and cayenne to suit your tastes.
If you’re looking to discover the different varieties of Spanish paprika, check out our complete Spanish paprika guide.
Best cuts of chicken to use
Use a mixture of cuts including the chicken thigh, drumstick or leg, and breast cuts. The skin on the chicken is great for this recipe as it absorbs all the flavors from the seasoning! When browning the chicken, be sure to brown it evenly on all sides.
What chorizo to use?
Use fresh uncooked chorizo for this recipe. When looking for it at the supermarket, look for soft, pale red-colored chorizo sausages, or speak to your local butcher. Fresh chorizo requires cooking before consumption and is ideal for this recipe as it soaks up all the delicious flavors from the herbs and spices used in the recipe.
Best rice to use
We use long-grain rice for this recipe, but any rice will do. If you are looking for traditional Spanish rice, use Bomba rice or Calasparra rice.
Adding rice to this recipe is a great way to bulk up the meal without adding much extra cost, so it’s a great option for those looking to stretch their budget further.
You don’t need a lot of rice, around 1 cup is plenty as it expands once it has cooked and absorbed all the flavors in the dish. If you’re looking to bulk up the recipe, add another ½ cup of rice and 2 ladles of stock and you’ll be able to comfortably get 10 servings from this recipe.
Storage and meal prep
This recipe makes around 8 servings of 175g (6oz.) so unless you’re cooking for the whole tribe, there will be plenty of leftovers! Spicy chicken, chorizo, and rice will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
This recipe can be frozen and thawed and will keep up to 3 months in the freezer in an airtight container or suitable freezer bag.
Meal prepping
This recipe can be easily scaled up to make even bigger batches, you’ll just need a large enough pot and casserole dish to cook it in.
