Chicken and Chorizo Paella Recipe
This version of paella is a home-style classic from Valencia: rice full of flavor, juicy chicken, chorizo sausage and vegetables in one big, colorful pan “mess”. Spaniards often make paella at the weekend, when the whole family has time to sit together at the table and slowly help themselves to more portions. The dish is a bit like Italian risotto, but here the rice is not stirred – it forms a delicate, lightly toasted layer on the bottom.
A simple, home-style paella that brings the flavors of Valencia to your table: aromatic saffron rice, juicy chicken, smoky chorizo and colorful vegetables in one pan, perfect for sharing with family or friends.
Chef's tips
Use a wide pan so the rice cooks in a relatively thin, even layer – this helps create the desired crispy bottom. Don’t stir the rice once you add the stock; at most, gently shake the pan if needed. Keep the stock hot so it doesn’t slow down the cooking when added to the rice.
How to serve
Serve the paella in the pan it was cooked in, with lemon wedges on the side. Add a simple green salad or tomato and cucumber salad, and offer light white wine, rosé or sparkling water with lemon.
Ingredients
- rice preferably paella rice or another short-grain variety - 320 g
- chicken boneless thighs, cut into larger cubes - 500 g
- chorizo cut into half-slices - 150 g
- red bell pepper cut into strips - 1 piece
- green beans fresh or frozen, cut into pieces - 150 g
- tomatoes ripe, grated on a grater without skin or finely chopped - 2 piece
- chicken stock hot - 900 ml
- onion finely chopped - 1 piece
- garlic finely chopped - 3 cloves
- olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- saffron a few threads, soaked in a little warm stock - 0.25 teaspoons
- smoked sweet paprika - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- lemon cut into wedges for serving - 1 piece
- green peas fresh or frozen - 80 g
Preparation
- Heat the stock in a pot, add the saffron and leave it over low heat so it stays hot throughout the cooking.
- In a large, wide pan (preferably with a thick bottom) heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, lightly salt and fry for 6–8 minutes until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same pan add the chorizo and fry for 2–3 minutes until it releases its fat and lightly browns. Remove to the plate with the chicken.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, add the chopped onion and fry for 3–5 minutes over medium heat until it softens and becomes slightly translucent, without browning. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds, stirring.
- Add the grated or finely chopped tomato and the smoked sweet paprika. Fry for 3–4 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens and the excess liquid evaporates.
- Add the rice and mix thoroughly, frying for 1–2 minutes until each grain is coated in the sauce and becomes slightly glassy-white.
- Pour in the hot saffron stock, add the green beans, peas, pepper strips, chicken and chorizo. Gently spread the ingredients in an even layer over the whole pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes without stirring. If the liquid disappears very quickly, reduce the heat; if it is barely absorbed, increase it slightly.
- After 15 minutes reduce the heat to low and cook for another 5–10 minutes, until the rice is tender but not overcooked, and a thin, lightly browned layer of rice forms on the bottom of the pan (not burnt, just crisp).
- Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a clean cloth or aluminum foil and leave for 5–10 minutes so the rice can finish cooking in its own steam. Serve with lemon wedges for everyone to squeeze over their own plate.
Storage
Przechowuj w szczelnym pojemniku, podgrzewaj na patelni z odrobiną wody lub bulionu na małym ogniu. Po rozmrożeniu nie zamrażaj ponownie.
