Flavor party in a skillet anyone? This chicken and chorizo paella recipe made in a cast iron skillet is perfect for feeding your family!
Is there anything better then going to a festival/party and they have someone with one of those GIANT paella pan’s!? I’ve always wanted to re-create it at home, but could never find a recipe that incorporated everything that I wanted in a homemade paella.
Paella Ingredients
Typically Paella has seafood in it, but not everyone in my household likes seafood, so I made it with chorizo (the best #flavorbomb) and chicken. I did make a seafood paella version for my seafood lovers out there!
Prepping Ingredients
First you are going to prep all the ingredients. Mince garlic, dice onion, dice bell pepper. You’re going to cut the chicken into cubes, and slice the chorizo. Make sure you purchase Spanish chorizo, the already cooked version. Do not buy Mexican chorizo, it is the uncooked crumbling kind.
Cooking Paella
First we are going to brown the chicken on all sides then set aside. Then brown the chorizo and set aside as well. Use a slotted spoon to remove both, so you leave the delicious juices behind.
Next comes the base of the paella. I sauté the onion and bell pepper for a few minutes until they begin to get tender. Then I add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Pour the white wine in and deglaze the pan scraping up any flavorful bits from the bottom.
I love using fire roasted tomatoes because it gives an extra punch of flavor to the dish. I add this in and then the chicken broth after. If it seems like too much liquid, don’t worry the rice is going to soak up most of it.
Next we are going to return the chicken and the chorizo to the skillet and give it a nice stir. The liquid should be at a soft boil at this point.
Whats Paella without saffron? The rice is white so how does the dish become yellow? Enter saffron. Saffron is a spice that looks like tiny little threads, it is very fragrant, has a subtle flavor, and lends rice that rich yellow color. A staple in paella recipes. Not traditional, but I also like to use a little turmeric in my paella as well.
If you can get your hands on Spanish paella rice, also known as bomba rice then I would recommend that. It can be hard to find, so I typically substitute arborio rice, which is a short grain rice. My biggest tip when making Paella, is when adding the rice. You do not want to disturb it so it gets that crispy texture at the bottom of the pan. Add the rice to the liquid, give it ONE stir to ensure its evenly spread then LEAVE IT!
After it’s all cooked, comes the garnish. I love putting peas, manzanilla olives, and parsley in my paella. If you’re not an olive fan, don’t write them off so quickly in this recipe. I would give them a try because it really brings the flavors full circle and I’ve flipped olive haters with this dish (mission accomplished).
In the end you get this colorful, beautiful dish that is bursting with flavor. The greatest part, the leftovers are even better the next day!
Loved this recipe? Check out my seafood and chorizo paella!
See below for cooking video
Things you’ll need: Cast iron skillet, large 12inch or 15inch (I used a 12, do not use smaller than a 12 in skillet or it will not fit)
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Chorizo and Chicken Paella
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 50 min
- Yield: 4–6 Servings 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
This Chorizo and Chicken Paella made in a cast iron skillet is bursting with flavor. The perfect family meal.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 Chicken breast (or chicken thighs) cut into square pieces
- 2 Links of Spanish Chorizo (12oz), sliced
- Salt/freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small can fire roasted diced tomatoes (14.5oz)
- 3 1/3 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- Pinch saffron threads
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
- 1 tbsp sliced spanish manzanilla olives
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the 3 tbsp oil in a large cast iron skillet over med/high heat, add chicken, paprika, pinch of salt & pepper, brown the chicken on all sides, remove from pan and set aside. Add chorizo, brown on all sides and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium, add 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté the onion & peppers till softened about 3-4min. Add garlic & cook until fragrant (about another minute)
- Add the wine, allow alcohol to cook off and liquid reduce (about 2 minutes).
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and chorizo. Bring the liquid to a boil and then stir in the rice, saffron, and turmeric. Add the browned chicken pieces. The rice should be covered in liquid.
- Lower the heat and cover with a piece of foil. Cook the paella without stirring for 20 minutes. When the liquid has all been absorbed, add the peas and olives. Mix all together, garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges on side.
Notes
- Utilize Spanish chorizo which is par-cooked, not Mexican chorizo which is uncooked and used for crumbling
- Category: Paella
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Spanish
Keywords: paella, chicken, chorizo, skillet paella, cast iron paella, chorizo paella
This was my first time making paella. And I am so glad I found this recipe because it was easy and it didn’t have shrimp in it because I’m allergic to shrimp. It tasted so good! I shared it with my coworker too and she liked it as well! I would definitely make it again.
★★★★★