Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Rice

If you like paella and jambalaya, then you will probably like this dish as well.  All three dishes are very similar.  All three are rice dishes cooked together with meats, vegetables, and bold, spicy seasonings.

Instead of cooking my chicken with the rice, I used Larry’s smoked chicken.  He’s Smokin’ Again  I had kalamata olives, but I really wanted green cavatappi olives, though to no avail.  I went to three different stores trying to find them but none of them had them, so the kalamata olives it was, which are still very good.  They just gave a different flavor to the dish.  Oh well.  Hopefully next time I can find some cavatappi olives, if not, it’s not the end of the world.  I am going to give the recipe for cooking the chicken with the rice, but you can always substitute cooked chicken like I did too.

Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Rice

6 6-oz chicken thighs

olive oil

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

 

Mix the spices together along with 2 TBSP of olive oil and completely cover the chicken with the rub.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight to let the flavors soak in.

 

8 oz ground chorizo

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1-2 TBSP garlic

1 1/2 cups rice – I used a combination of both wild rice and white rice for something different

3 cups chicken broth

3 whole tomatoes, diced or 1  14 oz can of diced, cooked tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup green olives

2 TBSP Peruvian peppers or pimentos

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil for cooking

 

Saute the peppers, onions and garlic for about 3 minutes.

Add the chorizo and cook completely.

If you are cooking the chicken with the rice, then at this stage, remove the vegetables and chorizo and set aside.  Brown the chicken in the same pan.  If you are not cooking the chicken with the rice, omit this part.  Once the chicken is cooked, re-add the vegetables and chorizo to the pan with the chicken.  Add the spices, rice and chicken broth and mix everything together thoroughly.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 35 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.

I still used all the same spices I would have used if I was cooking the chicken with the rice, I just added them later, rather than coating my chicken with them.  This is when I added my chicken to the dish.  I also added my Peruvian peppers at this point too.

When the rice is cooked, add the olives and mix everything together thoroughly.  Remove the bay leaves and discard.  Let the dish set for about 10 minutes before serving and top with cilantro leaves.   My lemon pepper cornbread with honey butter went perfectly with this dish.  Lemon and Pepper Cornbread There were all kinds of flavors going on.  There was a spicy smokiness combined with the fresh, lemony flavors of the cornbread and the sweetness from the honey butter.  In a word – YUM!  I served a crisp, citrusy white blend as my wine choice, but a red or a pinot noir would also go nicely with the meal too.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone!  ‘Til next time.