Spanish-Style Chicken & Chorizo Rice

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Table of contents:

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How to Make Spanish-Style Chicken & Chorizo Rice 🇪🇸 

Ingredients

• 3-4 chicken thighs
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• Fine Salt for seasoning the chicken
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 300g fresh chorizo, cut into ½ inch rounds
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2-3 stalks of celery, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 medium tomatoes, grated and skin removed (or use canned pulped tomatoes)
• 1 tbsp pepper flakes (we used Spanish Dried Ñora pepper flakes)
• 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 2 cups Bomba Paella Rice
• 4 cups Chicken Stock 
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme 
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt & pepper for seasoning

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Equipment

• Large deep-sided Skillet
• Wooden Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Large pot with lid  (for making the stock)
• Garlic Press (optional) 
• Paper towel

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Step-by-Step Instructions

• Preheat some chicken stock/broth and keep it hot for use later. 

Step 1 – Season & Brown Chicken

• Season the chicken thighs with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. 
• Brown chicken on all sides in a large skillet on medium-high heat. This should take about 4-5 minutes per side. 

Step 2 – Add chorizo

• Reduce the heat to medium and add the chorizo with the chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the chorizo begins to release its delicious paprika-infused oil. Once done, set aside the chicken thighs and chorizo for use later. 

Step 3 – Cook the veg

• In the same pan used to cook the chorizo, sauté the diced onion and celery for 5 minutes or until golden. 
• Add the garlic and stir through. Cook until fragrant. 
• Add the pulped tomatoes and stir through. Continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Step 4 – Add the herbs, spices, and rice

• Add the smoked paprika, crushed Ñora peppers, fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and season to taste with some salt and pepper. Give everything a mix, then add the rice and stir through. 
• Add the chicken and chorizo back to the pan. 
• Continue to stir constantly so the rice is covered in flavor, then once it begins to crackle (around 2-3 minutes), add the chicken stock. Once you have added around half of the stock, give the pan a little shake to even out the rice in the pan. 
• Add enough stock to cover the rice by around a thumb (1cm or half an inch). 

Step 5 – Simmer 

• Reduce heat to medium and simmer until you see all the chicken stock evaporate. This should take around 15-18 minutes depending on the stove top you use. 
• Do NOT stir the rice while it simmers. 
• Once the rice is cooked and there are no more bubbles of stock coming up, take the pan off the heat and cover it with some newspaper or paper kitchen towel. 
• Leave the rice to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Cooking tips:

Spanish chorizo substitute

Can’t source Spanish raw chorizo? Use any other fresh sausage and add lots of extra paprika and a pinch or two of cayenne pepper to get a similar flavor. Raw Mexican chorizo is also a great substitute. 

Skin-on or Skinless chicken thighs

Totally up to you. Skinless thighs are healthier, however, Skin-on chicken thighs have more flavor. 

Bomba rice Substitutes

If you can’t find Bomba rice, you can substitute it with other rice types that have similar characteristics—mainly short to medium grains with good absorption and the ability to stay firm. 

• Medium-Grain Rice (Generic)
• Calasparra Rice (Spain)
• Arborio Rice (Italy)
• Carnaroli or Vialone Nano (Italy)
• Sushi Rice (Japanese Short-Grain)
• Baldo Rice (Turkey/Italy)

Origin of Spanish-style chicken chorizo rice

Spain – This recipe is a variation of a classic Spanish recipe called Arroz con Pollo (literally Chicken with rice). The cooking techniques are similar and use lots of stock or broth that is heated and gently cooks the rice while evaporating a lot of the liquid. 
We add more spices, more paprika, and plenty of Spanish chorizo to give this dish a different, more flavorful approach. Not gonna lie, we are pretty happy with the results! 😆

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Ingredients

Chicken thighs

It’s no secret we are huge fans of cooking with chicken thighs (I think we have over a dozen chicken thigh recipes now LOL), and we opted for chicken thighs because they taste so darn good! We use skinless chicken thighs as they tend to be a little healthier, and this recipe has plenty of fat already coming from the chorizo. 

Spanish Chorizo

Spanish chorizo is pork meat combined with spices, and herbs, and gets its distinctive coloring from paprika, either smoked or sweet. It comes in three main varieties: fresh (raw) chorizo, semi-cured, and cured chorizo. For this recipe, we use fresh chorizo. 

Fresh chorizo is similar to normal sausage meat and requires cooking before consumption. Once it is cooked, it releases lots of its paprika-infused oil which is great for cooking and adding layers of flavor to any ingredient you add it with. 

The color of the oil released is a deep orange or red color and this works well to help color the dish so no artificial colorants are required (you can put that paella colorant back in the cupboard! lol) 

Bomba Rice

It’s a traditional Spanish variety, most famously used in paella. What makes bomba special is that the grains stay firm and separate after cooking, even though they absorb a lot of liquid—about three times their volume—without getting mushy.  

Like many premium products from Spain, Bomba rice is protected under the Denomination of Origin (Denominación de Origen – D.O.) “Arroz de Valencia” in Spain. 🇪🇸

This D.O. covers several high-quality rice varieties grown in the Valencia region, including Bomba, Senia, and Albufera. The D.O. ensures that the rice is cultivated and processed according to strict quality standards and regional traditions.

It’s not too hard to track down outside of Spain. We suggest buying it online, here are a few suggestions:

• La Perla | Bomba Rice | Denomination of Origin Valencia Spain 
• Arroz Tartana Bomba Rice D.O.P. (1.1 Pound Bag)
• Rey del Arroz Authentic Spanish Bomba Rice from Spain

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Where to buy Spanish Fresh chorizo 

Finding fresh Spanish chorizo outside of Spain can be a bit challenging, as many retailers primarily offer the cured variety. However, there are several options to consider:​

Online Retailers:

Note: Remember to check shipping policies and availability, especially when ordering perishable items online.

• Amazon: Love em or hate em, they offer a great range of Spanish foods with some pretty great delivery options. This Spanish Chorizo Picante Pork Sausage pack is well worth considering.
• Gourmet Food Store: They offer Chorizo Ibérico Fresh Sausage from Spain by Finca Helechal. This sausage is made from Ibérico pork and seasoned with Spanish paprika, garlic, and other spices. It’s available in 1 lb packs containing five links. ​Gourmet Food 
• Despaña NYC: Based in New York City, Despaña produces its own brand of traditional chorizo. Their cooking chorizo is made using imported Pimentón de la Vera spice from Spain, combined with pork sourced in the USA. It’s fully cooked and available in 12oz and 5lb sizes. ​Despaña NYC
• Cale Foods: They offer Chorizo Español, an authentic Spanish chorizo made with smoked Spanish paprika, sea salt, and other spices. This sausage is great on the grill and perfect for dishes like paella. ​Cale Foods Inc 

Specialty Stores:

In addition to online options, some specialty stores and supermarkets may carry fresh Spanish chorizo or suitable substitutes. Stores like Whole Foods, ALDI, or Trader Joe’s have been known to stock authentic Spanish chorizo. For those in Europe, check out stores like LIDL. 

Local Butchers and Delis:

Local butcher shops or delicatessens, especially those specializing in European meats, might prepare their own fresh chorizo or source it from suppliers. Building a relationship with a local butcher can provide access to specialty items like fresh chorizo.​

Farmers’ Markets:

Some vendors at farmers’ markets produce artisanal sausages, including fresh chorizo. Exploring your local farmers’ market could lead to discovering fresh, locally made chorizo.​

When purchasing fresh chorizo, ensure that it’s labeled as “fresh” and not “cured” or “dry-cured,” as the latter types have different textures and flavors. Fresh chorizo typically requires cooking before consumption, whereas cured chorizo can often be eaten as is.​

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Spanish Paprika

Spain is famous for its paprika—known locally as pimentón—which comes in a few key varieties, each bringing unique flavor and color to Spanish cuisine. The three main types are sweet (dulce), smoked, and hot (picante). These are all made from different cultivars of red peppers, which are dried and ground into a fine powder.

One of the most iconic and protected types is Pimentón de la Vera, or La Vera Spanish smoked paprika. It comes from the La Vera region in Extremadura and holds a Denomination of Origin (D.O.P.) status. 

What sets it apart is the traditional smoking process—the peppers are dried slowly over oak wood for about two weeks, giving the paprika a deep, smoky flavor and vibrant red color. It’s a key ingredient in dishes like chorizo, patatas bravas, and pulpo a la gallega.

A few reputable brands that make La Vera paprika include:

• El Rey Artisan Spanish smoked paprika
• La Dalia Pimenton De La Vera Picante DOP
• McCormick Paprika

More Spanish Recipes:

• Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp) 
• Arroz al Horno | Spanish meaty rice from Valencia Spain
• Spanish Meatballs | Albondigas 
• Spanish-Style Chicken Thighs 
• Spanish Padron Peppers Recipe (Pimientos de Padrón) 
• Spicy Paprika Chicken Thighs
• Creamy Spinach and Chickpeas with Manchego 

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4
Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	825
Total Fat 41g	54%
Saturated Fat 12.5g	63%
Cholesterol 125mg	42%
Sodium 1250mg	54%
Total Carbohydrate 58g	21%
Dietary Fiber 3g	11%
Total Sugars 4.5g	9%
Protein 45g	90%
Vitamin C 20mcg	22%
Calcium 60mg	5%
Iron 4mg	22%
Potassium 700mg	15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.