Spanish Chicken and Rice Recipe

Heidi 55 Comments

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Chicken thighs are nestled in Spanish-flavored rice with Spanish chorizo, green olives, and garbanzo beans for the ultimate one-pot meal.

I pretty much live at my local Smith’s Marketplace.

It’s where I shop for groceries for the blog, and for my family’s dinner. It’s where I buy all of the little green seedlings for my garden. It’s where I shop for hooks and screws, birdseed, my daughter’s never ending supply of footie golf socks, and fingernail polish.

I even fill up my car there. I mean, there’s no way I’m turning away that extra gas discount I get points for whenever I go through the checkout.Not to mention it’s only 1 mile away from my house. Cha-ching.

That’s why this year I’m beyond thrilled to be a Kroger blogging ambassador, where I will becreating and sharing recipes featuring all sorts of products from Krogergrocery stores for my family, and for yours.

We’re starting our year-long partnershipoff with a mega dose of Spanish-cha-chaflavor, and routing ourselves to the cuisine of Spain to celebrate Kroger’s Taste of Spain event beginning April 3. I’m sharing my version of Spanish Chicken withRice, traditionally called Arroz con Pollo, dosed up with the tang of authentic Spanish chorizo, saffron and green olives.

Spanish dancer emojiapproved! 💃💃💃💃💃

About the Recipe

This recipe is one of my favorite types of recipes. It’s a one pan cooker.

I hate doing dishes. That’s why I love recipes like this. And why I love eliciting my husband’s talents in the kitchen.He wanted to create. I gave him the keys. And this is his recipe. Thighs and all.

In this recipe weused bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. If you prefer the boneless and skinless variety, go ahead and use them instead. The difference is mainly only in presentation. Sauté the chicken thighs in the pan to create a nice fond. What the heck is a fond? It’s the browned deliciousnessleft in thebottom of the pan after you’ve seared your meat. The stuff you pick at and eat because it’s ALL THE FLAVOR. Hold onto your fond. Hold tight. And deglaze.

Next we add even more flavor builders to the pan, the usual savory suspects: bell peppers. onions. garlic.

Rice is lightly browned in the pan before being doused with wine, chicken broth and diced tomatoes. I shopped my Kroger aisles for a selection of their Kroger brand and Simple Truth® brand for my mix.

What gives this dish it’s distinctly Spanish flavor are smoked paprika and saffron. Saffron can be a spendy ingredient but it also lasts for a really, really long time. I have a small box a friend’s father brought back to me from Spain over 12 years ago that we’rejust now finishing up. That’s not a bad return on investment.

Everything is combined in my dutch oven to keep that one-pot ju-ju going.

Weadded garbanzo beans and Spanish chorizo, sliced into coins. Spanish chorizo is a dry cured sausage with a flavorful kick. I most often find Mexican chorizo available but the difference lies in Spanish chorizo is more like a salami and Mexican chorizo is more like a loose sausage.

Look for the Spanish version of chorizo sausage for this recipe. During Kroger’s Taste of Spain event you’ll be abletofind the authentic Spanish chorizo and other Spanish productsin their stores for that authentic savory flavor.

Sauté the flavors. Add the seasonings. And then nestle those chicken thighs back in the mix and bake.

That’s when everything comes together in a perfect Spanish symphony.

The final step is adding green olives for pucker and fresh parsley for, well, freshness.

It’s a party in a pan.

You did see the Spanish dancing emoji, didn’t you???

Recipe Ideasto Serve With Your Chicken and Rice

This chicken and rice iscertainly filling enough, but sometimes you just need a drink, salad and that extra somethin’ somethin’ to complete the meal.

Boozy Drink: Tinto de Verano
Appetizer: Tomato-Rubbed Bread (Pan con Tomate)
Dessert:Tres Leches Cake

If you try this recipe, pleaselet me know! Leave a comment below,or take a photo and tag iton Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

3.93 from 26 votes

Chicken thighs are nestled in Spanish-flavored rice with Spanish chorizo, green olives, and garbanzo beans for the ultimate one-pot meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Spanish

Keyword chicken and rice

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs , skin-on and bone-in, about 4 pounds
3 teaspoons kosher salt , divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , divided
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper , seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper seeded and sliced
1 medium yellow onion , peeled and chopped
5 cloves garlic , minced
2 cups Kroger long grain rice
1 ½ cups white wine
1 ½ cups Simply Organic chicken broth
1 15- ounce can Kroger garbanzo beans , drained
1 15- ounce can Kroger diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon saffron threads , crushed
1 bay leaf
8 ounces Spanish chorizo , sliced into ¼” thick coins
½ cup green olives , halved
¼ cup Italian flat leaf parsley , chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 365 degrees F.
Season the chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat. When pan is hot, add the olive oil. Brown the chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to rest.
Add the red and green bell pepper and onion to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables soften, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn and become bitter. Add the rice and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine, chicken broth, garbanzo beans, diced tomatoes, smoked paprika, and the bay leaf. Stir in the saffron threads and the sliced chorizo and place the chicken back into the dutch oven, nestling the chicken pieces into the rice. Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken registers 165 degrees F and the rice has absorbed all of the liquid.
Stir in the green olives and garnish with flat leaf parsley. Serve and enjoy.

This post is in partnership with Kroger. As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Rate & Comment

David Bridges
December 9, 2019 at 2:08 pm

I have made something like that for several years now but I never thought about adding olives or chorizo. normally just add tomatoes and at the end I make gravy at the end.
Reply
- Ashley @ Foodie Crush
  December 10, 2019 at 7:18 am
  
  I hope you try and enjoy this version as well. Thank you David!
  See Also
  Sticky BBQ Slow Cooker Meatballs Recipe - Savory Nothings EASY Goulash Recipe - I Heart Naptime How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup Without a Recipe Easy Sweet Spicy Air Fryer Salmon Recipe - Savory Spin
  Reply
sabrina
September 13, 2019 at 4:08 pm

It was okay. I added a lot more seasonings to the chicken rather than just salt and pepper for more flavor.
Reply
- Ashley @ Foodie Crush
  September 13, 2019 at 10:39 pm
  
  YUM! I hope you enjoyed this meal.
  Reply
CoCo
May 22, 2019 at 11:17 am

Came out fantastic! Out of this world! I added a chopped ancho chili. Mouth watering good!
Reply
- Heidi
  May 24, 2019 at 7:28 am
  
  So glad you enjoyed CoCo!
  Reply
Karen
August 23, 2018 at 9:03 am

Is 365° correct? My oven has only 350° or 375°. Also, when do you add the remaining salt and pepper? And do you drain the can of tomatoes or add the juices to the pan?
Reply
Robyn
July 14, 2018 at 2:36 pm

I noticed the ingredients list calls for 3 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper but in the recipe you only add 1 tsp salt and half of the pepper? It’s in the oven now, here’s hoping it’s as yummy as it looks :)
Reply
- Robyn
  July 14, 2018 at 3:40 pm
  
  Aaaand, yep, it is definitely as yummy as it looks, woohoo! Could have used the extra salt that I left out as I wasn’t sure. The olives absolutely make this dish and I’ll probably add a bit more heat next time but…. Delicious!! Thanks for the awesome recipe :)
  Reply
Robert Smith
May 8, 2018 at 10:55 pm

Awesome post again. Love this site.Thanks
Reply
Gayle
January 31, 2018 at 7:38 am

Need clarification on the chicken thighs amount. 6 thighs is about 1 pound here in Canada. Should I be using 4 pounds of thighs?
Reply
Edith l
January 24, 2018 at 6:28 pm

Made it tonight from a link on Facebook. It was great! Very paella like as expected. I love an easy one pot meal and also enjoyed the chick peas. I cooked a little longer. Was the 365 temperature correct?
Reply
Rosalie
January 12, 2018 at 7:42 pm

This has been in the oven at 365 for 40 mins and the rice is still crunchy, liquid still liquidy.
Reply
Odetta
November 13, 2017 at 1:20 am

The color of this dish is great, and I should like it too. I haven’t eaten it for a long time
Reply
Tara
April 28, 2017 at 5:25 pm

Made this dish earlier this evening and loved it! Would you be so good as to tell the make and size of Dutch Oven you used for this dish (another poster asked also) as I’d like to purchase one for the next round of this delicious dish.
Reply
Gail
November 10, 2016 at 7:56 am

P.S. I found my husband eating the left-overs for breakfast – and he HATES left-overs! This one is a winner!!!
Reply
Gail
November 10, 2016 at 7:53 am

Heidi – I hate to see the negative responses. I tried this recipe and I think it is great! My husband LOVES it, and he is the pickiest eater on the planet!!! I did tweak it a little, tumeric instead of saffron ($$$), Andoulli instead of Chorizo, but it was great! I will try adding shrimp next time, too. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. Thanks for posting this one. I don’t care if it is “Spanish” or not. It was YUMMY!
Reply
Nate
September 17, 2016 at 12:48 pm

What kind of white wine?
Reply
- heidi
  September 18, 2016 at 7:53 am
  
  Hi Nate, you can use any drier white wine that you would deem passable to drink. I usually use a chardonnay or sauvignon blanc.
  Reply
  See Also
  Red Thai Curry Recipe
elizabeth@top cookware online
May 30, 2016 at 10:36 pm

Wow, this is ridiculously like the Vietnamese dish com ga (translated to chicken rice)… same cooking methods, slightly different ingredients.
For instance, we also stir fry the wok, and boil the chicken, but we will season the chicken with fish sauce, sugar, scallions and no soy sauce nor sesame oil. The chicken is also simmered with ginger like this recipe.
The main sauce is nuoc mam gung or a ginger fish sauce mixture… amazing how Asian cultures and recipes are the same, just treated with local ingredients.
Reply
Cathy
May 14, 2016 at 5:41 pm

Made this dish this evening fantastic. I added shrimp and it was awesome. Reminded my son of time spent in Barcelona.
Reply
- heidi
  May 19, 2016 at 10:24 pm
  
  Oh wow! Adding shrimp sounds delish. Thanks Cathy!
  Reply
  - Laurie
    November 15, 2020 at 11:57 am
    
    Reminds me of paella. Or Arrozo con pollo my DIL makes.
    I used black beans and cooked chicken Italian sausage. House smells amazing…can’t wait to eat it!!!
    Reply
Cheryl
May 12, 2016 at 8:22 am

Can you give me the nutrition facts for this recipe?
Reply
Isabel Saez
April 15, 2016 at 7:48 am

Maybe this dish tastes very good. Maybe the colours remind all of you about Spanish dishes, but I assure you that this is not a Spanish dish. As I told once to someone, paprika alone does not make a Spanish dish, nor saffron, not even “chorizo”. It’s also the way of cooking. Just like it does not make an Indian dish simply adding curry.
A basic thing in our dishes is the so-called “sofrito”. First, brown the meat, whatever kind of you’re using -lamb, veal, pork, chicken…-. Then, meat is putted away and in the same oil -olive oil, of course- you start roasting onion, adding after, not at the same time, garlic, and TOMATO. The tomato’s water prevents burning the garlic When the “sofrito” is ready, add the bay leaf and the rice -other vegetables too, as peppers, artichokes, green peas, etc.-, and proceed as you described.
Moreover, it’s not very common to cook a dish like this in the oven but directly to the gas flame. It does not mean that it could not be done, just that this is not the most common way of cooking a dish like this in Spain.
When making paella or any other type of a rice dish, it’s cooked in the burners and just at the end, if you wish it, it’s put in the oven to give a crunchy touch on top.
Mediterraneans are very fond of our cooking and it’s like an art, known as slow food, very precise in the art of adding each ingredient to get the best possible taste to every dish.
Reply
- Brenda
  August 25, 2016 at 2:03 pm
  
  This was very helpful
  Reply
Lauren
April 13, 2016 at 12:17 am

Can I just come over for dinner every night? SERIOUSLY tho.
Reply
Mrs.Jaimez
April 12, 2016 at 10:05 am

Did*
Reply
Mrs.Jaimez
April 12, 2016 at 10:03 am

What size dutch oven sis you use??
Reply
Trina
April 11, 2016 at 6:24 pm

just made this last night. EXCELLENT!!!! thanks for the recipe.
Reply
alfalah2016
April 5, 2016 at 1:13 am

https://www.afu.ac.ae/ar/overview/
Reply
Kristi
March 31, 2016 at 7:20 pm

We just made this tonight and absolutely loved it. I had to make a few changes just because I didn’t have everything. Unfortunately, we just used up our big batch of chicken thighs for our new tagine recipes and had to use our two chicken breasts. We had no saffron and no few olives. So used kalamative olives and very good. I messed up alittle on the liquid to rice ratio, because we halved if from the recipe. But that’s ok. Will have that fixed for next time. I’m so glad I found this. Hubby usually makes chicken and chorizo dish and now I can make this one. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Reply
Kitty
March 28, 2016 at 6:11 pm

This looks so delicious and hearty! And beautiful!
Reply
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl
March 28, 2016 at 5:49 am

So many flavors going on… it’s all bringing me back to when I visited Spain many years ago. Thanks for bringing me back!!
Reply
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen
March 27, 2016 at 5:53 pm

This brings me right back to when I lived in Spain in college, so much amazing flavor and color in this dish!
Reply
Monique @ Ambitious Kitchen
March 26, 2016 at 2:30 pm

This is 100% my kind of recipe. Love those spanish flavors!
Reply
- fulanito
  March 27, 2016 at 2:52 pm
  
  this has nothing to do with any Spanish recipe.
  Reply
  - DonnaB
    August 21, 2017 at 4:08 pm
    
    Can I get your authentic Spanish rice recipe? I’d love to know your recipe so I can try it
    Reply
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
March 24, 2016 at 10:05 pm

I seriously want to inhale this meal! Killer flavors, chicken has never looked better!
Reply
Lynne Feifer
March 24, 2016 at 1:27 pm

Congratulations on your ambassadorship, Heidi! We have a Kroger/Fry’s Marketplace near us and I love them!
Kudos to your husband on his work in the kitchen. This is a great recipe! I love that it’s a win-win being a one pot meal and such a showstopper!
Reply
Breanne
March 24, 2016 at 11:22 am

This looks lovely. Alot of my family live in Spain so I’ve had the luxury of eating loads of Spanish style food. Saffron is so expensive though and I’d probably add it to all my meals. Do you think you could make it without saffron? You know, weight for weight tgat stuffs more expensive than gold xxx
http://Www.Myhealthycurves.com
Reply
- Shelly
  December 3, 2020 at 1:54 pm
  
  You can substitute 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon paprika for saffron! (then just add the amount of those two mixed together that the recipe calls for to the pan)
  Reply
Bobbie
March 23, 2016 at 4:04 pm

Except for the garbanzos and saffron it sounds like jambalaya!
Reply
- heidi
  March 23, 2016 at 5:36 pm
  
  It’s similar for sure, but also has the tang of olives and the smokiness of the chorizo. And the whole chicken thighs, they’re delicious!
  Reply
Gaby Dalkin
March 23, 2016 at 11:11 am

One pot wonder!! This looks SO good, it wouldn’t last long with my family.
Reply
Dini
March 23, 2016 at 8:16 am

Enak!
Reply
Rondi
March 23, 2016 at 8:15 am

Why does iake 20 sheets of paper to print one recipe? I will never print another one!
Reply
- Chellee
  March 23, 2016 at 5:31 pm
  
  If you highlight just the recipe..then cut and past, you will only need one page.. Just a suggestion!
  Reply
  - Chellee
    March 23, 2016 at 5:34 pm
    
    Sorry I mean “Cut and Paste”
    Reply
- heidi
  March 23, 2016 at 5:36 pm
  
  Sorry about the wasted paper Rondi, it prints on one page for me. Maybe there’s something in your set-up?
  Reply
  - Sherry Lynn
    April 6, 2016 at 1:13 am
    
    Goodness gracious Heidi You are so kind and have the patience of saints. Lovely.
    Reply
jeri
March 23, 2016 at 7:25 am

Arroz con Pollo is a favorite at my house, and I love your addition of chick peas. I never thought of that. Can’t wait to try it.
Reply
- heidi
  March 23, 2016 at 5:37 pm
  
  I love the extra texture the chickpeas give to the dish. Thanks Jeri.
  Reply
  - DonnaB
    August 21, 2017 at 4:04 pm
    
    It’s awesome without the gritty chick pea texture.
    Reply