A complete meal in one pan! It doesn’t come much easier than this. Diced chicken breast, Spanish chorizo, brown basmati rice and lots of nutritious veggies all coated in the mild smoky heat of smoked paprika. Delicious.
Hi There! I hope life is treating you well.
Today I’m bringing you an easy meal that is quick to whip up and provides all the benefits of whole grains. This is my One-Pot Chicken and Chorizo Savoury Rice.
It’s been on regular rotation in my house lately because our dishwasher has been broken. Oh, the integrated appliance drama! So frankly the less washing up, the better.
As well as being light on the washing up, this simple meal is an excellent healthy option. If you’re on a weight-loss journey, I’m sure you’ve heard many “diets” talk about how you need to stay away from carbohydrates to lose weight. And I’d probably agree with that to some degree. Your body can digest simple carbohydrates really quickly, so you’ll most likely find yourself reaching for a snack soon after.
By making a simple swap to complex carbohydrates or brown rice in this case, you’ll most likely stay fuller for longer. Brown rice has been through much less processing than white rice, leaving most of its nutrients, including the fibre intact. As a result, your body will take much longer to digest brown rice, and it’s this process that will keep your stomach feeling fuller for longer following a meal. You may even find yourself eating less to feel full.
And, if you ask me, brown rice has a much more interesting flavour and texture. See what you think.
THE BEST VEGETABLES FOR SAVOURY RICE
In this recipe, I’ve used a combination of onions, red and green peppers, peas and sweetcorn. I find that each is robust enough to hold its own in this dish.
I also like to add aduki (adzuki) beans. Although not a vegetable, beans are a legume that counts towards your 5-a-day. They bring extra fibre and protein to the party, and studies have shown beans may reduce hunger and increase fullness which over the long term may help you to reduce your weight and body fat.Â
Other vegetables that work really well tend to be those that still have a nice bite and flavour when cooked in water or stock. You interchange between many different vegetables, but some of my personal favourites include:
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Celery
- Edamame Beans
- and Green Beans
THE BEST PROTEIN FOR SAVOURY RICE
When it comes to keeping you fuller for longer, protein is a powerhouse. In this recipe, I’m using chicken breasts and aduki beans, but there are some other great options you could use instead, including:
- Prawns (Shrimp)
- Pork
- Turkey
- Lamb
And for a delicious vegetarian option you could choose:
- Chickpeas
- Tofu
- Extra Green Peas
Whatever your source, the smoked paprika will coat and flavour the protein to smoky perfection.
IS CHORIZO HEALTHY?
Chorizo is full of incredible smoky flavour, but it’s rarely described as “healthy” because it can often be high in sugar, excess salt, saturated fat and E numbers.
However, it is not impossible to find good quality chorizo that contains simple ingredients. Here’s a couple of options for you.
Premium Sweet Chorizo by the Spanish Hamper contains just four ingredients:
- Lean Pork
- Paprika
- Salt
- Garlic
If you’re looking for a Chorizo that has a little more seasoning, then you might like Able & Cole Organic Cooking Chorizo Sausages from Peelham Farm. They too contain natural ingredients including:
- Pork
- Paprika, Smoked Paprika, Chilli Powder, Garlic Powder, Oregano, Cumin and Turmeric
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper
All-natural ingredients are what to look out for when buying chorizo. You’ll find a little goes a long way when it comes to using this fantastically fragrant sausage to flavour a dish, so you don’t need to use much.
If you’re not a fan of chorizo, you can leave it out. This dish still tastes great without it.
HOW TO COOK ONE-POT CHICKEN AND CHORIZO SAVOURY RICE
Gather and prepare your ingredients.
In a large pan (that has a lid) heat the extra virgin olive oil on medium heat and add the chicken, chorizo and onion, stirring every now and then for 5 minutes.
Next add the smoked paprika, cumin seeds, ground coriander, thyme, garlic granules and salt and stir until all the ingredients are coated with the herbs and spices.
Add the bell peppers.
Add the rice.
Carefully pour in the vegetable stock, and stir once again before placing the lid on the pan.
Cook the savoury rice for about 25-30 minutes (or according to rice packet instructions). Stir every 10 minutes or so, ensuring the rice hasn’t stuck to the bottom of the pan, and there’s still enough liquid to soften the rice. If your rice needs to cook for longer and your stock is running low, add a little more boiling water to the pan (about 1/4 cup each time) until it is soft enough.
5 minutes before the savoury rice is ready, add the frozen sweetcorn, frozen peas and aduki beans to the pan and heat them through.
Serve and enjoy!
Thinking of making this One-Pot Chicken and Chorizo Savoury Rice? I’d love to know how it turns out for you. Get in touch in the comments and let me know!
Looking for more chicken recipes? Give these a try…
One-Pot Chicken and Chorizo Savoury Rice
EQUIPMENT
- Chopping Board & Sharp Knife
- Shallow Casserole Dish or Sauté Pan with a Lid
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Chicken Breasts Small diced
- 100 g (3.5 oz) Chorizo Diced
- 1 Onion Diced
- 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Garlic Granules
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 Bell Peppers Mixed colours, finely diced
- 200 g (1 cup) Brown Basmati Rice Uncooked, rinsed
- 400 ml (2 cups) Vegetable Stock
- 75 g (¾ cups) Frozen Sweetcorn
- 75 g (¾ cups) Frozen Peas
- 400g Tin (14 oz) Aduki Beans Drained and rinsed
INSTRUCTIONS
- Gather and prepare your ingredients.
- In a large pan (that has a lid) heat the extra virgin olive oil on medium heat and add the chicken, chorizo and onion, stirring every now and then for 5 minutes. Next, add the smoked paprika, cumin seeds, ground coriander, thyme, garlic granules and salt and stir until all the ingredients are coated with the herbs and spices. Then, stir in the bell peppers and uncooked rice. Carefully pour in the vegetable stock, and stir once again before placing the lid on the pan. Cook the savoury rice for about 25-30 minutes (or according to rice packet instructions), stirring every 10 minutes or so to ensure the rice hasn't stuck to the bottom of the pan and that there's still enough liquid to continue to soften the rice. If your rice needs to cook for longer and you have run out of stock, add a little more boiling water to the pan (about 1/4 cup each time) until your rice is soft enough for your liking.
- 5 minutes before the savoury rice is ready, add the frozen sweetcorn, frozen peas and aduki beans to the pan and heat them through. Serve and enjoy!
NUTRITION
For more real food recipe ideas, you can check out the recipe page. Or, come on over and say hi on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I look forward to seeing you there! 👋
You can also stay up to date with new posts and healthy real food recipes by subscribing to The Real Food Geek mailing list below.
Thank you so much for reading.
PIN FOR LATER!
2 comments
Nice recipe.
Id personally add the chicken late, like the last 10 / 15 mins to keep it juicy and tender.
Chicken pieces cook quick and don’t like to be poached for too long as will dry and toughen. Leftovers will also be more forgiving in the microwave the following day.
Hi Jon, Thank you for leaving a comment. It is really useful for both myself and other readers to hear feedback from others. I will certainly give your suggestion a try when I next make this recipe. Cheryl.