Spanish Chorizo Rice

a pan filled with rice, chorizo and topped with lime wedges.

5 from 36 votes

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!

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: healthy, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings:

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

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.

Nutrition