Slow Cooker Spanish Paella with Chicken and Chorizo – Easy Recipe

Who doesn’t love a hearty, flavorful meal that you can pop into the slow cooker and forget about? This slow cooker Paella with Chicken and Chorizo is just that! With a blend of tender chicken, savory chorizo, and a burst of vibrant spices, it’s a dish that comes together with minimal effort and maximum flavor. In less than 4 hours, you’ll have a comforting, aromatic meal ready for the family. The best part? It makes four generous portions, so you can feed a group without breaking a sweat. Let’s dive into how easy and delicious this dish is!

Method in detail

Step 1: Cooking the Base Ingredients

First, you’ll want to prepare the base ingredients for your paella. Begin by placing the chicken breasts, chorizo, and onion into the slow cooker. These ingredients form the heart of the dish, providing the necessary flavors and textures. Add the chicken stock and chopped tomatoes, followed by the juice of one lemon. The acidity from the lemon will enhance the flavor of the dish. Now, it’s time to season everything – sprinkle in the paprika, turmeric, mild chili powder, and garlic. 

These spices are the key to giving the paella its vibrant, aromatic taste. Once all these ingredients are in the slow cooker, give them a good stir to ensure everything is well-mixed. Set your slow cooker to high and cook for 3 hours. This slow cooking process will allow the chicken to become tender, the chorizo to infuse its flavor into the dish, and the stock to create a flavorful base.

Step 2: Adding the Paella Rice

After the initial 3 hours of cooking, it’s time to add the star of the show – the paella rice. Carefully stir in the rice, making sure it is evenly distributed throughout the cooking liquid. This is an important step because the rice will absorb the delicious flavors from the stock and spices as it cooks. Let the slow cooker run for an additional 20 minutes on high to allow the rice to soak up all the juices. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking together and clumping.

Step 3: Adding the Vegetables

Once the rice has absorbed most of the cooking liquid and has started to soften, it’s time to add the vegetables. Toss in the red pepper and frozen peas, stirring to combine. These vegetables not only add color and texture to the dish but also provide a fresh crunch that balances the richness of the chicken and chorizo. Allow everything to cook for an additional 20 minutes. This step ensures that the peppers retain their crispness, and the peas are perfectly tender without losing their vibrant color.

Step 4: Final Stir and Serve

After the 20-minute mark, give everything one final stir to mix the rice, chicken, chorizo, and vegetables together. By now, the flavors will have melded beautifully, and your paella will be ready to serve. Ladle the paella onto plates, making sure to scoop up a bit of everything – from the juicy chicken and chorizo to the tender rice and vegetables. Serve the dish while it’s hot, and enjoy the comforting, hearty meal.

By following these detailed steps, you’ll create a flavorful and satisfying slow cooker paella that’s perfect for family meals or casual gatherings. Happy cooking!

Necessary Tools

• Slow cooker
• Large frying pan (optional, for chorizo)
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Wooden spoon for stirring
• Sharp knife for chopping

Paella with Chicken and Chorizo: A Flavorful Slowcooker Delight

Recipe by Simon Davies

0.0 from 0 votes

Cuisine: SpanishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

3

hours 

40

minutes

Total time

3

hours 

50

minutes

Ingredients

• 3-4 chicken breasts

• 100g of chorizo

• 1 onion

• 350g of paella rice

• 900ml chicken stock

• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes

• 1 cup of frozen peas

• 1 red pepper

• 1 teaspoon paprika, turmeric, mild chili powder, and garlic

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Salt and pepper

Directions

• First, add the chicken breasts, chorizo, onion, chicken stock, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, and all your seasonings (paprika, turmeric, chili powder, and garlic) to the slow cooker. Give everything a little stir and let it cook on high for 3 hours. (I like to pan fry the chorizo for a few minutes before adding it to the slow cooker, but it’s not necessary – it’ll cook through just fine!)
• After the 3-hour mark, toss in your paella rice and give it a good stir. Let it cook for 20 more minutes on high.
• Once the rice has absorbed the flavor, add in the red pepper and frozen peas, and stir everything together. Cook for an additional 20 minutes to let the rice fully absorb the delicious stock.
• Once everything is cooked, give it one last stir and serve hot!

Notes

• Rice Cooking: When you add the paella rice to the slow cooker, make sure to stir it well to prevent it from clumping together. Letting it cook for the full 20 minutes ensures that the rice absorbs all the flavors from the stock and seasonings.
• Chorizo Cooking: While pan-frying the chorizo beforehand is optional, it does add a little extra flavor and crispness to the sausage. If you skip this step, the chorizo will still cook perfectly in the slow cooker.
• Don’t Overcook the Veggies: Add the red pepper and peas at the end of the cooking process to keep them fresh and vibrant. Overcooking them will make them mushy and lose that bright crunch.