Ainsley Harriott Chicken and Chorizo Paella Recipe
This Ainsley Harriott Chicken and Chorizo Paella is a vibrant one-pan rice dish packed with saffron, smoky paprika, tender chicken, chorizo, and prawns for a proper Spanish-style dinner. It is colourful, comforting, and perfect for sharing with family or friends.
Equipment
- Paella Pan or Large Wide Frying Pan
- Wooden Spoon
- Foil or Tight-Fitting Lid
Ingredients
For the Paella
- 1 pinch saffron
- 500 ml hot chicken stock
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 chicken thighs skinless, boneless, chopped into large pieces
- 1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 red pepper deseeded and roughly chopped
- 100 g cooking chorizo sliced
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 200 g ripe tomatoes grated, or 1 x 220g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 200 g paella rice Calasparra, Bomba, or other short-grain rice
- 120 g frozen peas thawed
- 1 lemon zest only
- 150 g peeled king prawns optional
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- Add the saffron to the hot chicken stock and leave it to infuse while you start the paella. This little step makes a huge difference to the colour and flavour.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a paella pan or wide frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the chicken for 6-8 minutes until lightly golden but not cooked through, then remove it with a slotted spoon.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Next, add the onion, chilli, and pepper, and cook for 6-8 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and chorizo and cook for a few minutes until the chorizo releases its red, smoky oil. Then add the paprika and stir well to coat everything in the spices.
- Return the chicken to the pan, add the tomatoes, and cook for another minute. After that, pour in the wine and let it bubble away for a minute so the alcohol cooks off.
- Stir in the rice and cook for a couple of minutes until each grain is coated in the oil and wine. Then add the saffron stock, season with salt and pepper, and bring everything to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover with foil or a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for 16-18 minutes. Check once during the first 5-10 minutes, and if the pan starts looking dry, add a small splash of water, but do not stir again.
- Add the peas, lemon zest, and prawns, if using, then cover again and cook for 3-4 minutes without stirring. If you want a crispy base, turn the heat up very high for 30-60 seconds at the end, but watch carefully so it does not burn.
- Turn off the heat and leave the paella to rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Finally, remove the lid, check the seasoning, and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges before serving.
Notes
This dish is not a traditional Spanish paella, but it is a very tasty Spanish-style rice dish full of smoky flavour and colour.
Do not stir the rice once the stock has been added, because that helps create the texture paella is known for.
For the best result, use a wide pan so the rice cooks evenly and the liquid evaporates at the right speed.