Spanish Chicken & Chorizo Paella with Roasted Vegetables

A vibrant, saffron-kissed paella loaded with smoky Spanish chorizo, golden seared chicken breast, and jewel-bright roasted peppers and zucchini. Cooked low and slow in one pan until that coveted crispy socarrat forms on the bottom — the hallmark of a real paella. No cow dairy, no soy, no seafood, just bold Mediterranean soul with a cook-friendly twist.

Recipe details

Yield
4 people
Prep time
30 minutes
Cook time
45 minutes
Total time
1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1.5-inch chunks (or tenderloins — no thighs!)
  • 6 oz Spanish chorizo, sliced into ¼-inch rounds (use fully cured dry chorizo, not fresh Mexican-style)
  • 1½ cups short-grain paella rice (Bomba or Calasparra are ideal; Arborio works in a pinch)
  • 3½ cups chicken stock, warmed (use low-sodium to control salt)
  • ½ tsp saffron threads, crumbled between fingers (steep in the warm stock for maximum colour)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
  • 1 large yellow bell pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
  • 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthways and sliced into half-moons
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 5 cloves garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ cup frozen peas (added right at the end — no need to thaw)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika (use sweet smoked — pimentón de la Vera if you can find it)
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to your spice comfort zone)
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos (adds a subtle umami depth without soy)
  • 1 large lemon, cut into wedges for serving (also zest half before cutting if you want extra brightness)
  • ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (for garnish)
  • to taste kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp margarine (just a knob stirred in at the very end for glossy finish)

Instructions

  1. Pour 3½ cups (840 ml) of chicken stock into a small saucepan and warm it over low heat — you want it steaming but not boiling. Crumble ½ tsp saffron threads between your fingers directly into the warm stock, stir, and leave it to steep. The stock will turn a gorgeous deep amber gold. Keep it warm on the lowest heat while you prep.
  2. Cut 1.5 lb (680 g) boneless skinless chicken breast into 1.5-inch chunks. Season generously all over with kosher salt, ½ tsp smoked paprika (reserve the remaining 1½ tsp for later), and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
  3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in your largest wide, heavy-bottomed pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the seasoned chicken pieces in a single layer. Sear without moving for 3–4 minutes until deeply golden, then flip and sear the other side for 2 minutes. The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked through at this point. Remove to a plate and set aside.
  4. While the chicken is searing, deseed and slice 1 large red bell pepper and 1 large yellow bell pepper into strips. Halve 1 medium zucchini lengthways, then slice into half-moons. Set all the veg aside together.
  5. Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pan. Add 6 oz (170 g) sliced Spanish chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes until the edges are crispy and the gorgeous red oil has rendered out into the pan. Remove the chorizo to the plate with the chicken — leave every drop of that red oil behind.
  6. In that same glorious pan with the red chorizo oil, add the finely diced onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 6–7 minutes until soft and translucent. While it cooks, mince 5 garlic cloves and halve 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes.
  7. Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, the remaining 1½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp cumin, and ½ tsp dried thyme. Stir and cook for 3 minutes, pressing the tomatoes down gently with your spoon so they break down into a rough sauce (this is the sofrito — the soul of the paella).
  8. Add the sliced bell peppers and zucchini half-moons to the pan. Stir to coat in the sofrito and cook for 3 minutes until the veg just begins to soften.
  9. Pour in 1½ cups (300 g) paella rice and stir for 1–2 minutes, coating every grain in the sofrito and toasting lightly. Add 1 tbsp coconut aminos and stir through.
  10. Pour the warm saffron stock evenly over the rice. Nestle the seared chicken pieces and chorizo back into the pan, distributing them across the surface. Give everything one last gentle stir to level the rice, then — and this is critical — DO NOT STIR AGAIN. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered and undisturbed for 18–20 minutes until the stock is almost fully absorbed and you can hear a faint crackling from the bottom of the pan (that's your socarrat forming — congratulations).
  11. Scatter ½ cup (75 g) frozen peas across the top of the paella. Lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pan and let the paella rest off the heat for 5 minutes. The peas will defrost and turn bright green in the residual heat, and the socarrat will finish setting on the bottom.
  12. Remove the foil. Drop 1 tbsp margarine into the centre and let it melt over the hot rice — just swirl the pan gently, don't stir. This gives the surface a beautiful glossy sheen. Scatter ¼ cup (15 g) chopped flat-leaf parsley all over the top. Serve straight from the pan with lemon wedges alongside for squeezing over.