Some dinners just happen to come together perfectly, and this Chorizo, Chicken & Tomato Rice was one of those meals.
I was looking through the freezer for some inspiration and had chicken and chorizo on hand, so I decided to turn them into an easy one-pan rice dinner. What started as a bit of a “let’s see what happens” meal ended up being one I would happily make again.
The chorizo brings plenty of flavour and a lovely smoky richness, while the chicken, tomatoes, capsicum and garlic make it feel like a proper hearty dinner without needing a long list of ingredients.
And the best part? It’s all cooked in one pan, which means less washing up afterwards. Always a win in my kitchen!
What you’ll need
- Chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Chorizo, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 capsicum, diced
- A handful of cherry tomatoes
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 x 400g tin diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1½ cups uncooked rice
- 2½–3 cups chicken stock
- A handful of frozen peas, optional
To finish
If you have them on hand, these make lovely additions:
- Fresh parsley
- Spring onion
- A squeeze of lemon
- Grated parmesan
How to make it
Start by heating a large frying pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Add the onion, capsicum, cherry tomatoes, garlic, chorizo and chicken. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chorizo starts releasing its lovely smoky oil and the chicken has started to colour.
Add the smoked paprika, oregano, salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir everything together for about 30 seconds so the spices become nice and fragrant.
Next, add the tinned tomatoes and stir well, scraping up any tasty bits from the bottom of the pan.
Normally I’d also add a tablespoon of tomato paste here, but I didn’t have any when I made this — and honestly, it was still delicious without it. So don’t let the lack of tomato paste stop you!
Add the uncooked rice and stir it through the tomato mixture for a minute or so.
Pour in 2½ cups of chicken stock and bring everything to a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for around 15–18 minutes.
Try not to stir it too much while the rice is cooking. Around the 12-minute mark, check the rice. If it is still firm and the pan looks dry, add another splash of stock or water and continue cooking.
If you’re adding peas, stir them through during the last few minutes of cooking.
Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and leave the pan covered for about 5 minutes. This gives everything a chance to settle and lets the rice finish absorbing all those lovely flavours.
Fluff the rice with a fork and finish with whatever you have available — I love the idea of fresh parsley, spring onion, a squeeze of lemon or some parmesan.
The verdict
This was really, really good.
It was smoky from the chorizo and paprika, rich and tomatoey without being overly heavy, and the chicken made it filling enough to be a complete meal.
It’s also exactly the sort of dinner I love: easy, hearty, flexible and made mostly from things I already had in the kitchen.
And while I didn’t have tomato paste when I made it, I wouldn’t hesitate to make it again without it. Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that don’t require a special trip to the shops.
Definitely one to add to the regular dinner rotation!