One-Pan Spanish-Style Chicken and Rice Pilaf

 

Looking for a new weeknight dinner that packs plenty of flavors? This Spanish chicken and rice pilaf are made with simple seasonings that come together forming bold flavors in this easy-to-make one-pan meal. This family-friendly meal is ready in just 30-minutes!
 
A platter of chicken set atop Spanish-style rice pilaf
 

How can I make this Spanish-style Chicken and Rice Pilaf in just 30-minutes?

Usually, we use a technique chefs call “mise en place  [mi zɑ̃ ˈplas] which is a French culinary term that basically means everything in its place. This is having all of your ingredients measured, chopped and ready to go before you start the recipe.
 
In this recipe, to hit the 30-minute mark, we will gather all of the ingredients and then just prep as we go. There are 8 to 9 minutes we can prepare the rest of the ingredients while the chicken is browning and another 3 minutes while the sausage is rendering. This gives us plenty of time to get the ingredients ready while the recipe is already underway.
 
If you’re not someone who does well with multi-tasking, add an additional 10 minutes to the front of the recipe for prep time making this a 40-minute meal.
 
An overhead shot of the ingredients of one pot chicken and spanish style rice pilaf.

What Ingredients are in Spanish-style Chicken and Rice Pilaf?

For the Rice Pilaf:

  • Cured Dry Spanish Chorizo, diced – A Portuguese linguica, Cajun andouille, or Italian whole pepperoni makes a great substitute.
  • Butter – I use unsalted sweet cream butter, it has the best flavor and is lower in moisture than margarine.
  • Thin spaghetti, broken into small pieces – I use angel hair pasta
  • Long-Grain White Rice, (not quick cooking) – This may also be substituted with Jasmine, Basmati, or brown rice.
  • Onion, diced – I use sweet onions but Spanish white onions may be substituted.
  • Garlic cloves, minced – I prefer fresh minced garlic over jarred garlic as it has a superior flavor.
  • Sweet Spanish Paprika – to add another dimension to the dish,  try smoked paprika.
  • Spanish White Wine Rueda is one of Spain’s leading white wines but if this is not available to you, try a sauvignon blanc.
  • Chicken Stock – I use organic chicken bone broth or unsalted chicken cooking stock.
  • Golden Raisins – these may be omitted or substituted with brown raisins.
  • Green Olives, Spanish-style, sliced – I use whole Spanish olives which I slice. If you don’t care for olives, omit them without substitution.
  • Peas and carrots, frozen blend – this may be omitted or replaced with one or the other or corn.
  • Fresh Lemon, sliced – This perfumes the rice as it cooks and is superior to any bottled lemon juice.
  • Salt and Black pepper, to taste

For the Chicken:

  • Olive Oil – this does not need to be extra virgin olive oil and can be replaced with vegetable or canola oil.
  • Chicken Thighs – I use bone-in thighs but chicken legs may be substituted or a combination of the two. Chicken breast would be too dry in this application and also take much longer to cook.
  • Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Optional Garnishes:

  • Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped – Freshly chopped is the most flavorful over dried parsley.
  • Cashews – chopped pistachios or slivered almonds also work well in this dish.

How do I make One-Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice Pilaf?

  1. Cook the Spanish sausage. A skillet with dried sausage renderng fat.
  2. Cook the ChickenChicken browning in a skillet.
  3. Cook the Rice.Rice and broken spaghetti toasting in a pan with butter and oil.
  4. Add the veg.Onions and garlic being sauted in the skillet wit the rice and broken spaghetti.
  5. Stir in the spices.Paprika sprinkled over the top of the rice pilaf.
  6. Deglaze with wine.Wine being poured into the toasted rice to deglaze the pan.
  7. Add the chicken back into the pan.
  8. Rice pilaf cooking down in a skillet.
  9. Layer the chicken over the top of the rice. Reduce the stove to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for another 15 minutes. Recipe Note 5: The chicken is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh is 165 degrees F, the center is no longer pink, and the juices run clear. Recipe Note 6: If the rice sticks near the end of the cooking time, add a splash more chicken stock or water. Taste the rice and re-season with salt and pepper, if necessary. [See Image Collage Photo 8]Chicken nestled into the rice pilaf to finish cooking in the skillet.
  10. Fluff the rice pilaf with a fork and check it’s tenderness. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and a sprinkling of chopped cashews. Recipe Note7: Chopped pistachios or slivered almonds also make a great substitution for this dish. [See Image Collage Photo 9]

Chicken and Spanish-style rice pilar in a white platter. Red bolka dot and paisley napkins in the background.

 
 
 

 

One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice Pilaf plated on a family style platter close up image

Spanish Chicken and Rice Pilaf

Ronda Eagle | Kitchen Dreaming
This Spanish chicken and rice are made with simple seasonings that come together forming bold flavors in this easy-to-make one-pot meal. Ready in just 30-minutes.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Hispinac
Servings 4 servings
Calories 992 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Rice Pilaf:

  • 5 oz Cured Dry Spanish Chorizo, diced
  • 1 tablespoons Butter
  • 1/4 cup Thin spaghetti, broken into small pieces
  • 1 cup Long-Grain White Rice, (not quick cooking)
  • 1 cup Onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp Garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and Black pepper, to taste
  • 2 teaspoons Sweet Spanish Paprika
  • 1/2 cup Spanish White Wine [See Note]
  • 2 cups Chicken Stock
  • 1/4 cup Golden Raisins
  • 1/4 cup Green Olives, Spanish-style, sliced
  • 1/2 cup peas and carrots, frozen blend
  • 1 Lemon, sliced

For the Chicken:

  • 1 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 6 Chicken Thighs
  • Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Optional Garnishes:

  • 1 tbsp Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup Cashews

Instructions
 

  • In a large, 16-inch skillet, paella pan (affiliate link), or Dutch Oven (affiliate link) with a tight-fitting lid, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, over medium heat. Add the diced Spanish Sausage and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. This renders some of the fat and a ton of flavor for the chicken and later the rice. 
  • Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides and then add them to the pan skin side down. Cook over medium heat, until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for another 3 minutes; transfer to the plate with the chorizo and set aside. 
  • Drain most of the accumulated oil leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, about 1 tablespoon and return it to the stove. Into the pan with the oil, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the broken pasta pieces and toast for 1 minute. Stir in the rice to coat with the oil. 
  • Next, add the diced onions and garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions will turn translucent and have no color. 
  • Add the paprika and stir to combine; cook to bloom the spice, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute. 
  • Add the dry white wine to deglaze the pan [optional], stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. 
  • Add chicken stock, golden raisins, olives, peas and carrots, and chorizo into the pan. Stir well to combine and distribute the ingredients. Top with lemon slices. 
  • Layer the chicken over the top of the rice. Reduce the stove to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for another 15 minutes. 
  • Fluff the rice pilaf with a fork and check it’s tenderness. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and a sprinkling of chopped cashews. 

Notes

  1. If dried Spanish sausage isn’t available in your grocery store, a portion from a deli-style whole pepperoni stick (not sliced pepperoni) makes a great substitution. Cajun-style Andouille sausage is also a great substitution in this dish.
  2. This is not yet fully cooked and will be returned to the pan to finish cooking with the rice in step 8. While the chicken cooks, use this time to chop the onion, slice the olives, and measure the other ingredients.
  3. Coating the rice with oil keeps the rice from clumping for the rice pilaf.
  4.  Rueda is one of Spain’s leading white wines but if this is not available to you, try a sauvignon blanc. If you prefer not to cook with wine, simply omit the wine and increase the chicken stock by 1/2 cup. 
  5. The chicken is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh is 165 degrees F, the center is no longer pink, and the juices run clear. 
  6. If the rice sticks near the end of the cooking time, add a splash more chicken stock or water. Taste the rice and re-season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
  7. Chopped pistachios or slivered almonds also make a great substitution for this dish.
  8. Nutrition is calculated based on the recipe as written. The addition or omission of ingredients will alter the nutritional information.

Nutrition

Serving: 2chicken thighs plus 1/4 of the rice pilafCalories: 992kcalCarbohydrates: 82gProtein: 46gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 199mgSodium: 907mgPotassium: 883mgFiber: 4gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 2615IUVitamin C: 21.6mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 4.3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

5 thoughts on “One-Pan Spanish-Style Chicken and Rice Pilaf”

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.