CHICKEN AND CHORIZO PAELLA
Authentic tasting but easy to do paella – super lean but tastes lovely!
10 mins
30 mins
490 kcals
serves 4
ZESTY CHICKEN AND CHORIZO PAELLA
Paella is a real treat, for me I think because it tastes like ‘holiday food’ it evokes happy, sunny feelings even on a miserable day!
Inspired by Spanish chorizo, but adapted to work as a quick meal option this is bursting with the flavours of zingy lemon and smoky chorizo- a really simple paella that is always a crowd-pleaser.
I didn’t use saffron in this recipe because it is an expensive ingredient to buy, and one that I don’t frequently use elsewhere. I don’t think that this recipe is lacking because of this- in fact I really think this version tastes great, and for such an easy recipe, which only takes 30 minutes to cook, you can’t really beat it.
ABOUT CHORIZO
Chorizo is one of my favourite ingredients to have on hand. It lasts for a long time in the fridge, and it has such a lot of flavour that it can jazz up boring dishes in an instant.
I only use a small amount of chorizo in this- for me it works as I don’t want the chorizo to be a completely overpowering flavour.
Also, if you are following Slimming World or are calorie counting, it keeps it low syn and low calorie compared to similar dishes. That said, different brands if chorizo vary greatly in fat content. One that I found in Asda was 4.5 syns for 35g, and Tesco does a reduced fat one in their Finest range which tastes great.
DO I NEED TO USE PAELLA RICE?
I have found paella rice in Aldi, Tesco, Sainsburys and M&S, but if you have trouble finding it then you can supplement with arborio or long grain rice.
PAELLA PAN?
If you have a paella pan, great! If not, then you can use a saute pan (I do!)- you want it to be wide enough and non-stick for frying, but deep enough to hold all of the ingredients once they have been added.
WHAT ELSE CAN I ADD TO THIS PAELLA AND WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH IT
Prawns make a great addition to this paella, I fry them separately to cook them, and then stir them into the paella once it’s cooked through.
If you want to add some greens alongside this then quick cook vegetables such as green beans, asparagus or broccoli all complement it well.
OTHER RECOMMENDED RECIPES:
CHEESY CHORIZO ORZO
MEXICAN LIME AND CHICKEN RICE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT: HOISIN CHICKEN AND RICE WITH TENDER STEM BROCCOLI
What’s the best way to store this for meal prep?
Store the chicken and rice together in the container, and the tomatoes, cucumber, and dill dip separate. After you’ve warmed the chicken and rice, add the rest of it on top!
How spicy is this?
Chicken and chorizo paella
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 35 g chorizo finely chopped
- 3 chicken breasts chopped into chunks
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 15 g parsley leaves separated, stalks chopped
- 1 carrot peeled and grated
- 1 red pepper deseeded and chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 300 g paella rice (or see recipe introduction for alternatives)
- 750 ml boiling water
- 100 g frozen peas
- 1 lemon zested and then quartered
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan or similar pan. Add the chorizo, chicken, onion, garlic, parsley stalks and grated carrot and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
- Add in the red pepper, paprika, cayenne and turmeric and stir fry for another 3 minutes.
- Crumble in the chicken stock cube, then stir in the rice until throughly combined with all of the other ingredients. Pour in the measured boiling water and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Stir, and then simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
- Add in the peas, season with salt and pepper and stir fry for another 5 minutes.
- Check that the rice is cooked and not chalky. Grate the lemon zest directly over the top of the dish and scatter with the parsley leaves. Chop the lemon into wedges and serve on the side.
Can’t believe how amazing this tastes- it’s so easy!