Paprika Chicken and Rice
Dinner | Spanish
One pot chicken and rice dishes are the best, and this one is up there with my favourites. The chicken is juicy, packed with flavour from the paprika marinade, and the rice cooks right in the same pan so it soaks up every bit of that incredible flavour as it goes. I've also thrown in some baby spinach at the end to make sure we're getting our greens in without any extra effort.
What I love most about this recipe is how little washing up there is. Everything happens in one pan, the chicken renders and sears, the rice absorbs all that goodness, and by the time it's done, you've got a complete meal without much fuss at all.
This one takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, making it a great option for a weekend dinner when you want something a bit special without spending hours in the kitchen. I also highly recommend making a bigger batch, it reheats really well and makes an excellent lunch the next day.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 red onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 cinnamon stick
- salt to taste
- 1 cup longrain rice
- 440ml chicken stock
- 200g baby spinach
Directions
CHICKEN PREP AND FIRST COOK
- Combine the tomato paste, half of the olive oil, paprika, chilli powder, ground cumin, lemon juice and a big pinch of salt in a large bowl.
- Mix well, then add the chicken and toss to coat the chicken completely.
- Place the remaining oil in a large heavy-based frying pan on medium heat.
- Add the chicken, skin side down and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the chicken skin renders and starts to brown.
- While the chicken is cooking, add the rice to a bowl of water, enough so it’s completely covered. Dice your onion and carrot and set aside.
- Flip your chicken over to seal the other side and cook for another 30 -60 seconds. Transfer the chicken to a tray. It won’t be completely cooked at this stage but that’s okay as we’ll add it back to the pan soon.
COOK THE BASE
- Deglaze the pan with a little of the stock, scraping off the fond from the bottom.
- Turn the heat up to high. Add the diced onion to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until softened.
- Add the cinnamon stick and stir for 30 seconds. Then add the carrots and stir through. Leave to simmer.
- Drain the rice, add it to the pan and stir through the vegetables to combine well.
- Return the chicken to the pan and add the remaining stock. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover with the lid and cook for 15 minutes.
FINISH AND SERVE
- Remove the chicken and set aside on a tray. Discard the cinnamon stick.
- Give the rice a stir and check for seasoning. Then add the spinach, cover with the lid again, turn off the heat and let sit for 2 minutes.
- Take the lid off and slowly stir the spinach through the rice. Serve with the chicken on top of the rice.
Recipe notes
Chicken thighs:
I always buy them bone-in and skin-on. The bone keeps the meat tender during cooking and the skin renders down beautifully in the pan, adding flavour and texture to the whole dish. You can use boneless, skinless thighs but you will lose some of that juiciness and depth. Chicken marylands or a combination of thighs and drumsticks also work great here.
Long grain rice:
I prefer long grain for this dish because it stays fluffy and separate throughout the cook. Basmati will also work if that’s what you have on hand. Medium or short grain can turn sticky and clump together, so I'd stick to long grain for the best result.
Chicken stock:
You could swap this for vegetable stock if needed, but chicken stock really is the best match here as it deepens the flavour of both the chicken and the rice.
Smoked paprika:
This is the hero ingredient of the dish, so it’s worth using a good quality one. Smoked paprika is made from dried, smoked red peppers and has a rich, deep flavour that’s quite different from regular sweet paprika, don’t substitute one for the other. You’ll find it in the spice aisle of most supermarkets. I like to use a Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón ahumado) for the best flavour.