Easy One Pot Spanish Chicken And Rice Recipe
Today I want to share with you one of my all-time favorite recipes, the One Pot Spanish Chicken and Rice. This dish is a true testament to the beauty of Spanish cuisine, as it’s full of bold flavors, vibrant colors, and delightful textures. It’s a dish that’s close to my heart because it embodies the warmth and comfort of home-cooked meals, and I just know it’s going to become a staple in your kitchen as well. One of the things I love most about this recipe is its simplicity. With just a few staple ingredients and a single pot, you can create a meal that is both hearty and satisfying. The combination of tender chicken, perfectly cooked rice, and a medley of veggies, all infused with the rich flavors of smoked paprika and tomato, creates a harmony of taste that is truly irresistible. Plus, the addition of olives and parsley as a garnish adds that extra pop of flavor and freshness, making this dish a true culinary delight. So gather up your ingredients, friends, and let’s get cooking!
Chicken – I used bone in skin on thighs, but feel free to use breast if you’d like. Olive oil – We want a nice rich oil to brown and saute our ingredients in. Veggies – Bell pepper and onion, be sure to choose an onion that cooks down well like white or yellow. Spices – Smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Be sure to remove the bay leaf before eating the dish. Garlic – Use as much or little as you like. Tomato paste – This ingredient is super important for achieving our color and depth of flavor. Rice – I used long grain rice uncooked which is what I recommend for this dish to achieve the proper consistency and texture. Tomatoes – 1 large can of crushed tomatoes to give our rice some liquid to cook in. Broth – Chicken broth low or no sodium so as to control the sodium content of our dish. Olives – Green or black olives pitted. Olives offer some great brightness and acidity to this dish, feel free to leave them out if you’re not a fan. Parsley – No Jo Cooks recipe would be complete without this ingredient chopped up fresh and sprinkled liberally on top.
This one-pot recipe doesn’t require much effort or skill! So if you’ve got 10 minutes to spare, then you’ve got enough time to prep this dish and pop it into the oven to cook! There is not much prep involved and this dish comes together fairly quickly. So before you begin, preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C) to give the oven an adequate amount of time to heat up before the dish goes in to bake. Next, pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Then heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet or oven-proof pan. Next, add the thighs skin side down to the hot skillet and cook them until the skin is crispy and golden brown. Then generously sprinkle them with salt and pepper to season. Now, flip the thighs over and cook them on the other side until they are golden in color. Then transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside for a later step. After the chicken is seared, use the same skillet for this step. To start, add the onions, garlic, and bell peppers to the pan and cook them for about 3 to 5 minutes or until they are soft. Next, stir in the red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, bay leaf, and tomato paste. Then season everything with a bit more salt and pepper as needed. Now, stir in the uncooked rice, crushed tomatoes, and chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. After the rice begins to boil, place the chicken thighs in a single layer on top of the rice. Now, put the skillet in the oven and bake the dish for about 45 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. Another option is to cover the skillet for the first 30 minutes of cooking and then remove the lid for the last 15 minutes. If you don’t have an oven-proof lid for your pan you can also use foil. Once the one pan Spanish chicken and rice is done cooking, remove it from the oven right away. Then garnish it with some sliced green olives and fresh parsley. Now, serve the dish immediately to enjoy.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave until warmed through. To freeze, allow the Spanish chicken and rice to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw the dish in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a skillet or microwave until warmed through.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes To Try:
Lemon and Chicken Rice Bake No Peek Chicken Rice Casserole One Pot Cheesy Chicken Rice Casserole Chicken Rice Pilaf 3 Ingredients Mexican Rice Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole One Pot Chicken and Orzo Chicken Cacciatore Creamy Chicken And Rice Paella Recipe Chicken Marengo
