Classic Chicken and Chorizo Paella Recipe | Sur La Table (2024)

• Sofrito:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
• ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes or fresh tomato grated on a box grater
• ½ teaspoon pimentón
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 bay leaf


• Paella:
• 3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 10 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 generous pinch saffron
• 2 teaspoons pimentón
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 4 ounces Spanish-style chorizo, diced into ¼-inch pieces
• 1 ½ cups Spanish paella rice
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• ⅓-cup fresh shelled or frozen peas, thawed
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Cooking paella is a fun and interactive experience. You can always modify the ingredients to make your paella more seasonal and since it is cooked entirely in one vessel, paella is the original one pot meal!

To prepare the sofrito: Heat the oil in a paella pan or medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, stirring frequently until tender and lightly caramelized, 5 to 8 minutes. Add red pepper and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, pimentón, salt, and bay. Reduce heat to medium and stir frequently until the sauce is thick and turns a deep brick red color, about 10 minutes.

Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a large saucepan; reduce heat to low and cover to keep broth hot.

To prepare the paella: Push the sofrito to the side of the pan and add oil. When oil is shimmering, add chicken to the pan and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Make another space in the center of the paella pan; add the spices and toast for 30 seconds. Add the chorizo and stir to combine with sofrito, chicken, and spices. Ladle 3 cups hot broth into the pan and stir in rice and salt, shaking the pan to evenly distribute the rice grains. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the rice just starts to break the surface of the broth. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. During the process, if the rice looks dry and undercooked, drizzle in additional chicken broth.

Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high; cook for about 2 minutes until the bottom layer of rice starts to crackle and caramelize, creating the socarrat. At this point, you will need to closely monitor the paella and frequently move your pan around on the burner to evenly distribute the heat.

With a spoon, gently scrape a small portion of rice from the bottom, peeking to make sure the rice is sticking and caramelizing but not burning (the rice should smell toasty, not burnt). If the rice is browned and caramelized on the bottom of the pan and the rice grains are al dente (chewy but slightly resistant texture), remove from heat; sprinkle peas over the rice and cover, letting the paella rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve family-style straight from the pan.

• Sofrito:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
• ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes or fresh tomato grated on a box grater
• ½ teaspoon pimentón
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 bay leaf


• Paella:
• 3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 10 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 generous pinch saffron
• 2 teaspoons pimentón
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 4 ounces Spanish-style chorizo, diced into ¼-inch pieces
• 1 ½ cups Spanish paella rice
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• ⅓-cup fresh shelled or frozen peas, thawed
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Cooking paella is a fun and interactive experience. You can always modify the ingredients to make your paella more seasonal and since it is cooked entirely in one vessel, paella is the original one pot meal!

To prepare the sofrito: Heat the oil in a paella pan or medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, stirring frequently until tender and lightly caramelized, 5 to 8 minutes. Add red pepper and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, pimentón, salt, and bay. Reduce heat to medium and stir frequently until the sauce is thick and turns a deep brick red color, about 10 minutes.

Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a large saucepan; reduce heat to low and cover to keep broth hot.

To prepare the paella: Push the sofrito to the side of the pan and add oil. When oil is shimmering, add chicken to the pan and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Make another space in the center of the paella pan; add the spices and toast for 30 seconds. Add the chorizo and stir to combine with sofrito, chicken, and spices. Ladle 3 cups hot broth into the pan and stir in rice and salt, shaking the pan to evenly distribute the rice grains. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the rice just starts to break the surface of the broth. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. During the process, if the rice looks dry and undercooked, drizzle in additional chicken broth.

Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high; cook for about 2 minutes until the bottom layer of rice starts to crackle and caramelize, creating the socarrat. At this point, you will need to closely monitor the paella and frequently move your pan around on the burner to evenly distribute the heat.

With a spoon, gently scrape a small portion of rice from the bottom, peeking to make sure the rice is sticking and caramelizing but not burning (the rice should smell toasty, not burnt). If the rice is browned and caramelized on the bottom of the pan and the rice grains are al dente (chewy but slightly resistant texture), remove from heat; sprinkle peas over the rice and cover, letting the paella rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve family-style straight from the pan.