This family-friendly Spanish chorizo rice makes a healthy, filling and affordable meal that everyone will love! Made with charred chorizo sausage, capsicum and Spanish inspired spices, this hearty, flavourful dish all comes together in one pot- in less than 30 minutes!
Need a quick and easy dinner that the whole family will love? This easy rice dish is a flavourful and satisfying one pan wonder that will be a hit with the whole family!
Because of the texture and flavours, my kids call it “chorizo fried rice”. And they will eat every bit, without fail! Although this recipe is made slightly differently to fried rice, it still has a lovely, fluffy consistency and loads of flavour that even the fussiest eaters will enjoy.
Packed full of punchy flavours like tomato, paprika, lime and herbs, this dish is cooked in a covered pan on the stove top in around 20 minutes. So it makes a perfect midweek meal or even a great family freezer meal to save for a busy day.
Chorizo adds a smoky and slightly spicy (but not too spicy for little ones!) depth of incredible flavour to the whole dish.
Add this rice to your family dinner rotation, it is sure to make anyone smile. And why not make a double batch and freeze some for lunches or easy dinners?
Recipe features
- Quick and easy – you’ll need one pot and less than 30 minutes.
- Dietary restriction friendly – this recipe is nut free, dairy free and gluten free.
- Healthy – made from scratch using a mix of pantry and fresh ingredients.
- Family friendly – mild enough for the whole family to enjoy. Or, increase the heat if you prefer!
What you’ll need
- Chorizo – use 1-2 sausages, depending on how much you’d like in your dish. A good quality chorizo will make all the difference to the flavour in this dish.
- Oil – olive oil or vegetable oil can be used.
- Onion and garlic.
- Vegetables – capsicum (bell peppers) for the Spanish flavour, as well as peas and corn.
- Rice – I use white, long grain rice in this recipe. Basmati rice can also be used. For a healthier option, brown rice can easily be used instead. However, the cooking time will be slightly longer and you may need a little more stock while cooking.
- Tomato paste – for flavour.
- Chicken stock – the stock will soak into the rice while cooking, making it fluffy and full of flavour.
- Spanish rice seasoning – paprika, cumin, chilli powder (optional) and black pepper.
- Lime wedges and fresh parsley – to serve.
Step by step instructions
To make Spanish chorizo rice;
- In a large pot with a lid, or French pan, fry the chorizo and oil together until the sausage is slightly charred and crisp on the edges.
- Remove the chorizo from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- The chorizo oil left in the pan is full of flavour, so leave the oil in the pan! Add the garlic, onion, spices and rice and stir over medium heat until the rice becomes slightly clear.
- Add the chicken stock, tomato paste and veggies and cover. From here, everything (except the chorizo) cooks together in the pot for about 15 minutes, until the rice is fluffy and we have a perfect, savoury one-pan Spanish rice. Check the rice occasionally. A little sticking to the bottom of the pan is ok, but you may need to add a little more stock or give it a stir to prevent too much sticking.
- Return the chorizo to the pan and cover, cooking for a further 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the rice covered for a few minutes.
Note: For a spicy rice recipe, add chopped red chilli or chilli and cayenne powder, to taste.
Stir through some fresh, chopped parsley and a squeeze of lime juice and serve with extra lemon or lime wedges.
For an even healthier dish
This dish makes a healthy family meal as is, but for some even healthier options, try these swaps;
- Brown rice – can be used instead of white. However it will take slightly longer to cook than white rice and more stock may be required to prevent sticking. Allow longer for the rice to cook through before adding the chorizo.
- Salt reduced chicken stock – to reduce the salt content, salt reduced stock can be used.
- Black beans – add a can (400 grams) of drained black beans or kidney beans to make the rice go even further- and to add extra nutrients and fibre.
- Add some chopped fresh tomatoes with the other vegetables.
Related recipes
If you love this Spanish chorizo rice recipe, you’ll love these easy dinner recipes too!
Or, try these other takeaway recipes that you can make at home!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment or review below, or send me a message. For more food inspiration, tips and to share your own recipes and creations, head over to my Facebook Recipe Group.
Spanish Chorizo Rice
Ingredients
- 350 grams chorizo sausage (2-3 medium chorizo sausages), thinly sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 brown onion diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon paprika mild Hungarian paprika (not hot or smoked)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- chilli powder or chilli flakes (optional), to taste
- 1 ½ cups long grain rice white long grain rice, Spanish rice or bomba/paella rice
- 2 medium capsicum red and/or yellow, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 3 cups chicken stock (plus 1 cup more, if needed)
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- lime juice
To serve
- lime wedges
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan, French pan, or paella pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo slices and cook until crisp and browned. Remove the chorizo from the pan and set aside for later.
- Leave the olive oil and the excess oil from the cooked chorizo in the pan. Over medium-low heat, add the onion, garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and chilli (optional) and stir until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- Add the rice and stir for a few minutes, until the rice becomes clear and coated with oil.
- Add the vegetables (capsicum, peas and corn), 3 cups of chicken stock and tomato paste and stir to combine. Bring to a low simmer.
- Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, until the rice has almost cooked through. You may need to stir the rice once or twice to prevent sticking. Keep an eye on the amount of stock in the dish, as it will absorb into the rice while cooking. Add a little more, if required.
- Add the chorizo back into the pan and stir to combine. Cover the pan with the lid and turn the heat off. Allow the rice to sit, covered, for around 5 minutes.
- Taste the rice and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve immediately, with a generous squeeze of lime juice, chopped parsley and extra lime wedges.
Video
Notes
- Rice – long grain white rice, Spanish rice or bomba/paella rice are all great options. Don’t rinse the rice before adding it to the pan; we want it to be as starchy as possible.
- This recipe is a great way to use up any veggies you have left over in the fridge. Swap the veggies out for what you have available, if needed.
- Be sure to cook the chorizo until it is lovely and crisp. It will add so much flavour to the rice!
- The chicken stock will absorb into the rice as it cooks. Keep an eye on the rice to ensure there is minimal sticking on the bottom of the pan. A little rice catching on the bottom is expected and is ok.
- Add protein – keep it simple with chorizo or incorporate some additional chicken, sausage, prawns, scallops or your favourite protein.
- Once the rice is cooking, only stir as needed. Stir the rice 2-3 times to prevent too much sticking on the bottom of the pan.
- This dish makes a healthy family meal as is, but for some even healthier options, try these swaps; Brown rice – can be used instead of white. However it will take slightly longer to cook than white rice and more stock may be required to prevent sticking. Allow longer for the rice to cook through before adding the chorizo. Salt reduced chicken stock – to reduce the salt content, salt reduced stock can be used. Black beans – add a can (400 grams) of drained black beans or kidney beans to make the rice go even further- and to add extra nutrients and fibre. Or add some additional veggies like chopped cherry tomatoes or baby spinach leaves.
- Stir leftovers (completely cooled) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- To reheat, add the rice to a large pan or skillet on the stove. You may need to add an additional splash of stock to loosen the rice. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
- The nutrition information is based on the pasta being divided onto 4 bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the pasta.
- This recipe is made using Australian metric cup and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
David Lyons says
Kids loved so did I much appreciated ox merry Christmas
Andrea Geddes says
Hi David! I’m so happy to hear that you loved the rice. Thanks so much for letting me know and merry Christmas to you too! Andrea 🙂