One-pot baked chicken and chorizo rice with Spanish influences features a little chilli heat and tickle of acidity from sherry vinegar.
This recipe takes a shade over an hour to cook and prepare, but it is very easy to make and requires no crazy kitchen skills!
One Pot Spanish-Influenced Chicken and Rice
Chicken and chorizo is a glorious combination that I use fairly regularly.
I have everything from a quick spicy chicken and chorizo pasta to chicken and chorizo risotto and chicken leg and chorizo tray bake to a comforting cheesy chicken and chorizo pasta bake.
My latest offering is a gloriously simple one-pot chicken leg and chorizo with rice dish loaded with Spanish flavours.
It uses a similar technique to my chicken and chorizo jambalaya, and it tastes superb.
It begins with frying the sausage in a little oil to get the flavours from the sausage flowing. These oils are then used to crisp up the chicken skin.
They are then used to soften some onions, carrots and celery, add a bit of rice, and a bit of chicken stock.
Then pile back in the chorizo and chicken, chuck it in the oven and wait for your dinner to be ready. You don't even need to worry about making a side dish.
It really is that simple, despite taking around an hour to make!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breast?
I would not, the chicken breast will cook significantly quicker than the chicken leg, and as a result, you will either end up with overcooked chicken or undercooked rice.
If you don't want to use whole chicken legs, you can use bone-in chicken thighs; they will cook in the same amount of time.
Can I take the skin off the chicken?
You can, I personally love the flavour of the skin, but if it is not for you, feel free to remove it.
Is Spanish and Mexican chorizo the same?
I get asked this question a lot by visitors to my site from the US. No, they are not the same, and you cannot substitute one for the other in this recipe.
An Italian salami or pepperoni would be a better substitution; the flavours are very different, but the cooking properties are similar.
Do I have to use sherry vinegar?
No, but I would urge you to add some to your pantry if you can, because it is delicious. The best substitution is red wine vinegar with a pinch of sugar.
Can I make this in advance?
This is not a great dish for cooling and reheating. Rice needs to be cooled and refrigerated quickly to avoid a buildup of harmful bacteria.
As a result, it is a dish that is best eaten pretty much immediately.
Serving Suggestions
I consider this Spanish-influenced baked chicken and chorizo with rice recipe to be a perfect one-pot dinner. It doesn't "need" anything else to deliver a hearty and tasty stand-alone meal.
If I were to add anything, it would likely be some green vegetables.
The obvious thing would be to toss some tenderstem broccoli, asparagus or even some green beans in some oil, then roast them whilst the rice is cooking.
However, I would be much more inclined to remove the chicken from the rice and rest it under some foil for 5-7 minutes.
Then I would add some thin asparagus, peas (defrosted), broad beans (shelled) or thin broad beans to the rice. Then mix it all together, return the lid and pop the pan back in the oven (with the oven turned off) for 4-5 minutes.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Oven.
- 28cm or 11" oven-proof frying pan with a lid. You can improvise a lid with foil if you need to.
- Sieve to wash and drain the rice.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Slotted, stirring and serving spoons.
- Kitchen tongs.
- Quick-read meat thermometer. Optional, but recommended.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring jug, cups and spoons.
One Pot Spanish Baked Chicken and Chorizo Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 150 g Basmati Rice ¾ Cup
- 2 Chicken Legs Skin-on bone-in
- 175 g Cured Spanish Chorizo Sausage 6oz
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 1 Small-Medium Carrot 100g
- 1 Stick Celery 50g or ⅓ Cup
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 2 tablespoon Sherry Vinegar
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes optional
- 375 ml Chicken Stock 1½ Cup
- Salt This may not be required, taste your stock and make a judgement
- 1 Handful Fresh Parsley For garnish
Instructions
- Wash the basmati rice in cold water until the water ceases to be cloudy.
- Cut the chorizo sausage into 1-1½cm (½") chunks.
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 5-7mm (¼") dice.
- Cut the carrot and celery into a dice the same size as the onion.
- Peel and finely dice the garlic.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" oven-safe frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the diced chorizo and fry it until it begins to crisp up a little and leaches lots of that paprika-rich oil into the pan, then remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and fry the chicken legs, skin side down, until they start to crisp up and get a light colouring, then remove and set aside.
- Reduce the heat down to medium and add the onion, carrot and celery and soften for 5-7 minutes.
- Toss in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring regularly.
- Return the chorizo to the pan, add the drained and washed rice, sherry vinegar, bay leaf and dried chilli flakes.
- Pour in the chicken stock and add salt if required, stir and create a single flat layer, add the chicken legs (skin side up) and a lid, and transfer to the oven and cook at 180°C or 350°F for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid, turn the heat up to 200°C or 400°F and flip the oven over to fan mode then cook for a final 10-13 minutes or until the chicken legs reach 73°C or 165°F in a quick read meat thermometer. If your oven does not have fan mode turn it up to 230°C or 450°F.