Delicious Spanish Rice and Chicken
I must admit I love Winter only because I can enjoy all the comforting food, it’s time to get fat again I guess! My little boy is exactly like me, loves anything that’s made with rice. He simply loved this Spanish Rice and Chicken.
Spanish Rice and Chicken
Don’t we all love one-pot dishes, this is an amazing dish that doesn’t need fussing over. The only effort it really needs is browning the chicken and then it’s left to simmer.
After 45 minutes you have a flavour-filled, delicious pot of Spanish Rice and Chicken.
We haven’t experienced any freezing days in JHB as yet. There’s a chill in the air and we definitely need a light jersey at times but enough to make us want to stay in bed all day.
The cooler season definitely entices me to spend more time in the kitchen, it’s when I bake and cook the most. There’s something comforting about cooking in my kitchen on cold days and I absolutely love it.
This Spanish Rice and Chicken is definitely a great comfort food for cold days. It is filled with loads of flavour and it sort of reminds me of my favourite Indian dish, Chicken Biryani.
I also use my favourite spice, cumin in this dish which makes it extra special. I cooked my Spanish Rice and Chicken on the stovetop but you can also pop into the oven.
For the chicken I used thigh on the bone, however if you prefer boneless chicken feel free to use it. Personally I love chicken on the bone for some dishes, it just adds that extra flavour to a dish.
With my fussy family it’s mainly thighs and drumsticks which they can still tolerate without too much moaning.
You can also add some peas towards the end of cooking time to add a little more nutrition to your dish. I hope you love this dish as much as my 10-year-old did.
Its definitely become a hit in our home. I am sure I am going to cook this a lot during Winter.
Please note that I live at high altitude so my recipes will use a little more liquid than some may require. If you living at sea level you may need to adjust the cooking times and reduce the liquid.
Everything takes a lot longer to cook, on the stovetop, at high altitude. I recommend you use at least a half cup less liquid and add more only if required.
If you do try this recipe please drop me a comment and leave a star rating, it is always appreciated.
More Rice Recipes to try:
One Pot Lemon Chicken and Rice
Spanish Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 large roma tomatoes blanched and chopped into small cubes
- pinch of saffron
- 1 tspn smoked paprika
- 2&1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup long grain rice uncooked
- 1 lemon
Chicken Marinade
- 6 chicken thighs on the bone
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tspn smoked paprika
- 2 tspn ground cumin
- 1 tspn ground coriander
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix the olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub the mixture into the chicken thighs
- Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a flat pot and brown the chicken on both sides, about 5 minutes on each side. Cover with foil and set aside
- In the same pot add chopped onion and saute until it's transluscent. Add the crushed garlic and saute for a further minute
- Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and a pinch of saffron. You can toast the saffron for a few seconds and crush it between your fingers, before adding it.
- Add the tomatoes and allow it to cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice and the chicken broth and mix well. Place the chicken on top and cover and allow it to simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Drizzle the lemon juice over the rice before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley
Notes
- If you wish you can add a little bit of chilli powder for some heat, although this dish doesn't really require the heat
- If you are not living at high altitude you may require a little less liquid and the cooking time may be shorter
