Chicken and Chorizo Paella
Bring the flavors of Spain to your table with this Chicken Chorizo Paella. Our recipe guides you through making sofrito, choosing the right rice, and achieving that coveted socarrat (crispy, caramelized layer) to make an impressive and delicious one-pan dinner.
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
For the Sofrito:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion finally diced or grated
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced or grated
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 can 28 oz. whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands
- 1 red pepper diced
- 2 bay leaves
Paella:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-½ inch pieces
- 5 Spanish chorizo sausage links sliced ¼-inch thick
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
- ¼ cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups paella rice see notes
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 roasted red peppers from a jar cut into 1-inch pieces
- 10 oz. package frozen green peas thawed
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
For the Sofrito:
- In a skillet set over low heat add the olive oil and the onions. Cook until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, do not brown. Stir in the tomatoes, diced red pepper and the bay leaves.
- Cook, stirring occasionally for 30 to 45 minutes until the mixture becomes thick and jammy. Transfer the skillet from the heat, remove and discard the bay leaves. Reserve the sofrito until needed.
For the Paella:
- Using a large paella pan or a 15-inch cast iron brasier or skillet, set over medium, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add half of the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes until golden in color. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining oil and chicken.
- Add the chorizo slices and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and reserve. Pour off and discard the remaining oil in the pan.
- Transfer the sofrito to the pan. Combine the saffron threads with the water and add to the pan with the paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to combine, coating the rice grains with the sofrito.
- Pour in the hot broth and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Arrange the red pepper, chicken, and chorizo on the top.
- Shake the pan gently or stir to distribute the rice evenly. From this point on, don't stir the paella (you want it to form a caramelized crust on the bottom).
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for 30 minutes without stirring. Take a peak after 15 to 20 minutes to make sure the bottom isn't getting too dark. You want a crispy crust to form, but you don't want it to burn. Push some of the rice aside with a spoon to check the bottom. Turn the heat down if it gets too dark. If the pan is larger than your burner, rotate the pan so it cooks evenly.
- Remove from the heat and add the green peas, stirring into the upper portion of the rice. Cover the pan and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- Serve directly from the pan. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
Notes
- If you want to nail that perfect paella, look for the following rice: Bomba, Calasparra, Valencia, or Delta del Ebro. These rice varieties often come in packages with labels that say they are perfect for paella.
- If you can't find any of the above-listed rice, some good alternatives are Arborio and Calrose. While it's not traditional for paella, they make it a reasonable substitute in a pinch.
- Cook the sofrito until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture becomes thick and jam-like.
- The sofrito can be made a day or more in advance. It will keep in the refrigerator, in a covered container for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Tip: Make a double batch and save some for instant flavor in other recipes.
- Do not stir the paella as it cooks so that it will (hopefully) form a socarrat. A socarrat is the crisp, caramelized crust that forms on the bottom of the pan.
- The thawed peas will cook in the residual heat during the last 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1396mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g
