I enjoyed the Mediterranean Salmon recipe I made last week that I decided to continue with the Mediterranean theme. This week I thought I would try Spanish food, and this One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice sounded like the perfect recipe for that. Chicken and rice have always been a favorite dish of mine, and there are so many ways to make it. This version uses smoked paprika or pimentón. It’s one of my favorite spices, so I’m sure this recipe will be terrific!
This post was originally published on December 17, 2018. The text and photos were updated on August 23, 2021. The review and rating have not been changed.
Easy one pan Spanish chicken and rice is made with simple seasoning that come together with zesty, bold flavors in this one pot, 30 minute meal.
The Ingredients
Just over half of the ingredients for this recipe were dried spices that I had on hand. I also had the rice and vegetable oil in my pantry, so that left only four items to purchase, none of which were difficult to find or expensive.
If you can, I highly recommend ordering your smoked paprika from Seasonality Spices. They sent me a sample a while back, and I was instantly hooked. It was so much better than the stuff I had been buying in my local grocery store. I’m usually all about my budget, but their pimentón is worth a little extra.
The Process
Besides the fact that I love chicken and rice, the other thing that sold me on this recipe was it’s made in one pan. That’s music to my ears on those nights that I’m tired but still have to cook dinner.
I have made this recipe a few times over the years, and I have found I prefer it with chicken thighs. The first time I made it for the blog, I used chicken breasts. They were pretty large, so this 30-minute recipe took me 40 minutes. That meant nine minutes to prep and 31 minutes to cook.
However, when I use smaller chicken breasts or thighs, the listed time is spot-on. This recipe is a reliable 30-minute one-pan recipe that’s so tasty. Plus it always gives me a couple of leftovers for lunches since we are a family of two.
The instructions are so easy to follow, and things always go just as they describe. All the techniques needed are very basic, and there’s no special equipment needed either.
