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Jamie Oliver Chicken and chorizo paella

Jamie Oliver Chicken & Chorizo Paella

Jamie Oliver’s Chicken & Chorizo Paella is a vibrant and rustic Spanish-inspired rice dish cooked in one pan, featuring chunks of juicy chicken, slices of spicy chorizo, bell peppers, onions, garlic, and paprika, all simmered with saffron-infused stock and short-grain rice. Unlike seafood paella, this version is meat-forward and perfect for those who love smoky, savory comfort food. It’s a colorful, crowd-pleasing dish that brings bold Mediterranean flavors straight to your kitchen.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 skinless boneless chicken thighs, chopped into chunks
  • 100 g about 3.5 oz chorizo, sliced
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 pinch of saffron threads
  • 1 1/2 cups short-grain rice such as arborio or paella rice
  • 4 cups chicken stock hot
  • handful of frozen peas
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Lemon wedges and chopped parsley for serving

Method
 

  1. Heat the oil. In a large frying pan or paella pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
  2. Cook the meat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  3. Cook the chorizo. In the same pan, add the sliced chorizo and let it sizzle for 2 to 3 minutes until it releases its oils. Remove and set aside with the chicken.
  4. Sauté the veggies. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook until soft, around 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and paprika, and let it cook for another minute.
  5. Add rice and saffron. Stir in the rice and toast it gently for 2 minutes. Add the saffron threads.
  6. Pour in stock. Slowly pour in the hot chicken stock, stirring to combine. Return the chicken and chorizo to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Simmer gently. Lower the heat and let the paella simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. Don’t stir too much—let the rice absorb all the liquid and develop a slight crust at the bottom.
  8. Add peas. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the frozen peas over the top.
  9. Rest and serve. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

My tips to make the best Jamie Oliver Chicken & Chorizo Paella
Over time, I’ve picked up a few handy tricks:
Use good-quality chorizo—it adds tons of flavor.
Don’t over-stir the rice once the liquid is added. Let it cook undisturbed to form that delicious socarrat (crispy rice bottom).
Use a wide, shallow pan to let the rice cook evenly.
If you don’t have saffron, a pinch of turmeric gives a similar golden hue, though the flavor won’t be quite the same.
Keep the stock hot so it doesn’t interrupt the cooking process.

Nutritional value

Here’s a rough estimate per serving (assuming 4 servings total):
  • Calories: 450
  • Protein: 25g
  • Fat: 18g
  • Carbohydrates: 40g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Sodium: depends on the chorizo and stock used