Spanish Chicken and Rice Recipe

4.32 from 35 votes

Juicy chicken thighs simmer with smoky paprika and tomato rice in this easy one-pan Spanish chicken and rice recipe. Ready in under an hour and packed with flavor!

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings: people

Calories: 787kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs about 2 pounds*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup long-grain white rice washed**
1¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth ***
1 cup tomato sauce
½ cup pitted green olives
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 lemon cut into wedges

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pat chicken thighs dry and sprinkle both sides with the spices.
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add in the chicken, skin side down, and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook until browned on the second side, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
1 tablespoon olive oil
To the pan, add the rice and sauté until toasted, about 2-3 minutes.
1 cup long-grain white rice
Stir in chicken broth and tomato sauce. Nestle the chicken back into the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes until the rice and chicken are cooked through.
1¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup tomato sauce
Uncover, top with green olives, chopped parsley, and lemon wedges.
½ cup pitted green olives, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 lemon

Video

Notes

*Feel free to use 4 chicken breasts instead of thighs. Or boneless skinless chicken thighs. Even drumsticks!

**Spanish recipes typically call for medium-grain rice, but I used long-grain in this recipe because it was more accessible. Basmati and Jasmine both work well. For medium-grain, I recommend Calrose.

***In place of chicken broth, you can use water or vegetable broth.

Tips:

A wide, heavy skillet or braiser works best to ensure even rice cooking and perfect browning on the chicken. Cast iron or enameled cast iron holds heat beautifully.
Smoked paprika is key to the Spanish flavor profile; it gives depth and a slightly sweet smokiness that ties everything together. Don't skip it!
To make this recipe spicy, sprinkle cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes over the chicken with the other seasonings. You can also add some hot sauce to the tomato sauce to make it extra spicy.
After searing the chicken, add a splash of broth to loosen up the browned bits (fond) before adding the rice. Those bits add tons of umami flavor to the final dish.
Toasting the rice until it’s lightly golden deepens the flavor and helps it stay fluffy after cooking.
Don't take the lid off the skillet for 20 minutes while the rice cooks. The trapped steam cooks the rice perfectly; if you remove the lid, all that steam will escape!
Let the skillet sit covered for 5 minutes after removing it from heat. This helps the rice finish steaming and absorb any remaining liquid for a perfect, fluffy texture.
If you're not a fan of fresh parsley, finely chopped cilantro is also a delicious garnish for this Spanish dinner.
This recipe can easily be doubled for a larger crowd. Just make sure to use a skillet or pot that's large enough to fit all the ingredients.

Storage: Store Spanish chicken and rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Nutrition