Ingredients
- 500 g boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
- 100 g ready-to-eat Spanish chorizo sliced into thin rounds; not raw Mexican chorizo
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 15 ml
- 1 medium onion 150 g, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper 150 g, diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 200 g crushed tomatoes about 3/4 cup
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads loosely packed
- 300 g bomba paella rice about 1 1/2 cups; check the package liquid guidance
- 900 ml low-sodium chicken broth hot; have up to 200 ml extra hot broth available if needed
- 100 g frozen peas
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt adjust at the end if needed
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon cut into wedges for serving
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley for serving
Equipment
- 13-inch (33 cm) wide shallow pan with lid or foil
- Small saucepan
- Knife and cutting board
- Kitchen scale and measuring jug
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon and plate
- Instant-read food thermometer
Instructions
- Heat 900 ml chicken broth in a small saucepan until steaming, then stir in the saffron. Keep it hot over the lowest heat while you prepare the pan.
- Pat the chicken dry. Heat the olive oil in a 13-inch (33 cm) wide, shallow pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in an even layer and brown for 5–6 minutes, turning as needed; it will finish cooking later. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chorizo, onion and red pepper and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften. Stir in the garlic and smoked paprika for 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, until slightly reduced.
- Stir in the dry rice to coat it. Pour in the hot saffron broth, add the salt and black pepper, and return the chicken with its juices. Spread the rice evenly so it is submerged, bring to a steady simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cook uncovered for 18–22 minutes, mostly without stirring, rotating the pan if your burner heats unevenly. After 15 minutes, scatter the peas across the surface and gently press them into the rice. If the liquid is absorbed before the rice is tender, add extra hot broth around the edge, 50 ml at a time, and continue cooking. Depending on the rice and pan, you may need up to 200 ml extra.
- The rice should be tender through the center, with no puddles of broth, and the chicken must reach 165°F (74°C) in its thickest pieces. If either needs longer, add a little hot broth as needed and continue gently. Remove from the heat, loosely cover with a lid or foil and rest for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, scatter with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 641kcalCarbohydrates: 72.8gProtein: 38.2gFat: 22.6gSaturated Fat: 5.8gFiber: 5.1g
Video
Notes
Rice and broth: The amount absorbed varies with rice brand, pan width and heat. Start with 900 ml hot broth and keep up to 200 ml more available. Follow your rice package’s guidance and check the grains. Do not substitute brown rice or cook this like risotto.
Chorizo: Choose firm, ready-to-eat Spanish chorizo, not raw Mexican chorizo. Check labels for allergens. This is a Spanish-inspired variation, not traditional Valencian paella.
Storage: Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate ideally within one hour. Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below, use within 24 hours and reheat once to steaming hot throughout and 165°F (74°C).
Nutrition: Approximate per quarter of the recipe, including all oil and chorizo fat and about 30 g lemon juice for the batch. Calculated from raw ingredient quantities and representative rice/chorizo labels. Extra broth and side dishes are excluded; brands and portions change the figures.
Cost: Illustrative US$16.00 total: chicken US$4.32, chorizo US$2.50, rice US$2.70, broth US$1.80, pepper US$1.00, onion US$0.50, tomatoes US$0.50, peas US$0.30, oil/garlic/spices/saffron US$1.60 and lemon/parsley US$0.80, rounded from US$16.02. Costs use the portions consumed, not whole package prices. Chicken uses a US$3.92/lb reference; other ingredients are pantry-price estimates. Excludes tax, delivery and energy.
Video: Helina Sanchez of Paella Barcelona Cooking School demonstrates a closely related chicken and chorizo paella. Her version uses a larger pan, bone-in chicken and optional flat beans; this card uses boneless thighs, onion and peas with its own measured broth quantity. Follow this card for the four-serving batch.
