Spicy chicken and chorizo rice

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Spicy chicken and chorizo rice is a super easy, spicy, and hearty chicken casserole ideal for sharing or serving the masses. This recipe is flavored with Spanish chorizo sausage, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper, and bulked up with slow-cooked rice in a tasty chicken stock. 

This recipe is loaded with spicy flavors and can be made super spicy — or less — as required. Use a variety of chicken pieces, leg, thigh, and breast meat to vary the flavors. Best of all, it can be easily made in under an hour and uses no special equipment, all you need is a pan or skillet, a casserole dish, and an oven.

Ingredients you’ll need 

(makes 6-8 servings)

  • 4 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
  • 8 chicken pieces
  • 1 large onion, sliced fine
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 10oz. (300g) uncooked chorizo, sliced into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 tomatoes, skin removed and grated
  • ½ cup of white wine (optional)
  • 5-6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup of long-grain rice
  • 1 tablespoon of chili flakes (or 2 tbsp of fresh chili)
  • 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon of white pepper
  • 2 teaspoons of Spanish La Vera smoked paprika 
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 sprig of rosemary (optional)

Equipment needed

  • 1 large 12 inch skillet (30cm) 
  • A large casserole dish (around 10 x 12 inches 25 x30cm)
  • Oven

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Spicy smoky flavors
  • Rich and warming
  • Easy to make
  • Great for large meal servings
  • Meal prep 
  • Can be stored frozen

How to make Spicy chicken, chorizo, and rice

Cooking note: Prepare your stock in advance with this homemade chicken stock recipe, or store-bought chicken stock if you’re in a rush. 

Step 1 – Brown chicken pieces
Heat the oil in a pan or skillet and brown the chicken pieces on medium-high heat. This should take around 5 minutes. 

Step 2 – Saute onion, garlic, and chorizo
  • Reduce heat to medium, add the onion and saute until golden (about 5 minutes). 
  • Add the garlic and chorizo, and cook for 5 minutes until the chorizo releases the rich red oil. Set all ingredients aside for use later. 
Step 3 – Build the sauce
  • Preheat oven to 390°F / 200°C
  • Add the grated tomatoes, herbs and spices, and white wine (optional) to the pan along with 2 ladles worth of chicken stock and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes. 
  • Add the chili flakes and a full sprig of rosemary and simmer for 2-3 minutes more or until fragrant. 
Step 4 – Add rice and meat, and bake
  • Remove the sprig of rosemary. 
  • Add the rice and mix into the sauce along with another 1-2 ladles worth of chicken stock. 
  • Add the browned chicken, onions, and chorizo back to the pan and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Season to taste.
  • Give everything a good stir and ensure all the rice is covered with stock. Add pan if ovenproof or transfer to a casserole dish to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes at 390°F / 200°C.

Rich, warming, smoky, spicy flavors

Typically, traditional Spanish cooking doesn’t use a lot of spice or heat, and even today, most Spanish recipes will be very mild. Spices such as ñora peppers are used in popular dishes such as paella and fideua, and cayenne pepper features in a select few traditional Spanish recipes. 

But hey, some like it hot and when you crave a rich, spicy, smoky meal, this chicken, chorizo, and rice recipe ticks all the boxes! And since you love spicy, we think you’ll also love Spicy Mediterranean chicken thighs (easy recipe) and chicken in smoky bravas sauce (spicy recipe). 

Smoked paprika flavors

We’ve added some extra smoked paprika to this recipe to really bring out the warm smoky flavors, and of course, a little heat is added from the cayenne pepper and chili. This recipe makes a warming dish that is only mildly spicy, add or omit chili and cayenne to suit your tastes.

If you’re looking to discover the different varieties of Spanish paprika, check out our complete Spanish paprika guide.

Best cuts of chicken to use

Use a mixture of cuts including the chicken thigh, drumstick or leg, and breast cuts. The skin on the chicken is great for this recipe as it absorbs all the flavors from the seasoning! When browning the chicken, be sure to brown it evenly on all sides. 

What chorizo to use?

Use fresh uncooked chorizo for this recipe. When looking for it at the supermarket, look for soft, pale red-colored chorizo sausages, or speak to your local butcher. Fresh chorizo requires cooking before consumption and is ideal for this recipe as it soaks up all the delicious flavors from the herbs and spices used in the recipe.

Best rice to use

We use long-grain rice for this recipe, but any rice will do. If you are looking for traditional Spanish rice, use Bomba rice or Calasparra rice. 

Adding rice to this recipe is a great way to bulk up the meal without adding much extra cost, so it’s a great option for those looking to stretch their budget further. 

You don’t need a lot of rice, around 1 cup is plenty as it expands once it has cooked and absorbed all the flavors in the dish. If you’re looking to bulk up the recipe, add another ½ cup of rice and 2 ladles of stock and you’ll be able to comfortably get 10 servings from this recipe. 

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