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.
Kara says
First recipe I’ve ever commented on – this was amazing. My burner runs hot so I had to add extra broth to get the rice fully cooked. I added the black beans and used ground chorizo because that’s what we had. It was incredible. I wanna make this but with shrimp next. So good.
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Kara! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it. Ground chorizo sounds perfect. Thanks for letting me know how you went! Andrea 🙂
Amina says
Hello,
I love the sound of this recipe! I will make it tonight. I just wanted to ask would I need to serve anything else with this or is this rice filling enough to eat on its own? (:
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Amina! It depends on how many you are serving. You can certainly eat this on its own as a complete meal, or serve it with extra veggies or a side if you wish. Enjoy! Andrea 🙂
Megan H says
This is a great dish; somewhat like jambalaya but without the chicken and sausage. I made it in my Instant Pot to make it quicker. I sadly couldn’t find chorizo, but I used Andouille sausage. Set the instant Pot to saute, and cooked the pieces of sausage. Then I added in the onion and red pepper (capsicum)and cooked them down a bit and added the garlic. I turned off the pot and deglazed it with stock. I only used 2 3/4 cups of stock, and I used 2 cups of basmati rice, which I soaked for 15 minutes before and then drained. I added everything but skipped the corn and put in a teaspoon of my own chile powder blend. I also put in the parsley, and held back the peas. Locked the lid and put it to normal pressure for 5 minutes. Let it rest for 15 minutes after, then fluffed it with a fork and added the peas, and adjusted the salt. Delicious and easy-will make again! Thank you!
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Megan! Thanks for taking the time to let me know how you went. I’m so happy that you enjoyed it! Andouille sausage is a perfect substitute – it would add a lovely flavour to the dish! Andrea 🙂
Jackie says
Lovely recipe. Not heaps of flavour for me so I think next time I’ll add more tomato paste and maybe a tin of chopped tomatoes. Love chorizo though!!
Andrea Geddes says
Thanks so much Jackie, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and were able to adjust the seasonings to taste. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! Andrea.
Bob says
Hi loved the recipe,tastes great.on the picture shown it shows oregano but no mention of it in the list of ingredients?
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Bob! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for letting me know! I’ve amended the recipe to include the oregano. Thanks for noticing my error! Andrea.
Lawrence says
Made this for a U.S. 4th of July family picnic. The dish is colorful and tasty, the portion size is generous, and I felt well guided by the recipe. Bravo!
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Lawrence! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the rice, we love it too! And thanks for your feedback, I’m so glad you found the recipe easy to follow. Thanks for letting me know! Andrea.
Ashley says
Loved this recipe, super easy and flavourful. I had to add about an extra cup of stock though. Will be making again.
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Ashley! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! It’s one of my favourite go-to dinners. Thanks for letting me know! Andrea 🙂
Kathryn says
My family loves this recipe – we use the ground chorizo from Whole Foods, and always add a can of kidney beans. It also freezes wonderfully!
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Kathryn! I’m so happy that you love this recipe! Ground chorizo makes a convenient addition and sounds yum. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Kristen says
Just made this tonight and my husband absolutely loved it. This will become a staple!
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Kristen! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, thanks so much for letting me know! Andrea 🙂
Mrs M says
Absolutely delicious! The lime really makes it sing! I used a locally smoked jalapeno and cheddar sausage which had the same consistency and look as a chorizo and it worked really well. I love the detailed information you provide with your recipes and also the different quantity options, as I only wanted to make half the amount and the measurements were perfect. So quick and easy, will definitely add this to my favourites.
Andrea Geddes says
That sausage sounds absolutely perfect with those flavours! And I’m so happy that you have been finding my posts useful. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! Andrea 🙂
Lottie says
Tried this recipe and loved it!!
So tasty and filling, great for an evening meal.
I added kidney beans and chicken for some extra protein.
Very easy to sub in different veg, so great for using up what is left in the fridge.
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Lottie! I’m so happy to hear that you loved it. Thanks for letting me know! Kidney beans and chicken would be lovely additions. Andrea 🙂
Shannon says
Hello just wondering what you would do if you use already cooked rice in recipe please? Would I just use a little amount of stock?
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Shannon! If you’re using leftover, already cooked rice, reduce the stock and only add a splash to the pan as needed. Enjoy!
Noush says
This is even better as leftovers. It matures! Amazing and full of veggies.
Andrea Geddes says
Hello! I’m SO happy to hear that you loved it! It really does taste better the next day, making it perfect for leftovers for lunch or dinner. Thanks for letting me know! Andrea 🙂
Annie says
Made with leftover rice and this recipe was so easy and yet so super-tasty. Thank you! I will be definitely making it again.
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Annie! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and I love that you found a great use for your leftover rice. Thanks for taking the time to let me know! Andrea 🙂
Catherine says
Loved this recipe, thank you! Served it with grilled halloumi on the side which was great. Brilliant flavours!
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Catherine! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it. I LOVE grilled halloumi and that sounds like a wonderful addition! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Liz McCarthy says
This is the most delicious and straightforward recipe. My only problem will be knowing when to stop
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Liz! That’s so great to hear, thanks for taking the time to comment! Ha, I can definitely relate to that!! 😀