One Pan Creamy Chicken and Chorizo

Juicy seasoned chicken thighs in a rich and creamy chorizo sauce!

If you’ve been around here for a little while, you’ll know chicken and chorizo is one of my all-time favourite combos. Today we’re celebrating it in the form of a one-pan wonder! Follow me…

Chicken Thighs

For this recipe we’ll be using boneless skinless chicken thighs. I love using chicken thighs in this recipe because they add so much flavour to the sauce! They’re fattier than breasts, so when you fry them they leave behind a gorgeous pool of fat (aka flavour). This is perfect to incorporate into a sauce.

The sauce is packed with so much flavour, but we still want the thighs to hold their own. As such, we’ll be giving them a good seasoning on both sides. I like a smoked paprika-based seasoning mix, just to compliment the smokiness of the chorizo.

Pan-Fried Chicken Thighs

We’re going to pan-fry the thighs, not only so we can use the excess fat, but also so we can get a light char on the meat. In moderation, char adds some lovely flavour to the meat and really adds to the smokiness of the dish.

Process shots: season thighs (photos 1&2), fry then remove (photos 3&4).

Creamy Chorizo Sauce

To pair with the chicken we’ve got a sauce that’s packed with so much flavour. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Onion & Garlic – For a base flavour. Both are fried in the leftover chicken fat.
• Chorizo – You’ll want this diced nice and small so it distributes through the sauce, as opposed to big chunks here and there.
• White Wine – This cuts through the richness of the creamy sauce.
• Chicken Stock – I recommend using low-salt stock to gain more control over the saltiness of the dish, since chorizo is already pretty salty!
• Cream – Must be double (UK) or heavy (US) so you end up with a nice thick sauce.
• Parmesan – Deepens the savoury flavour of the sauce and will also help it thicken.
• Baby Plum Tomatoes – These are an essential ingredient. They offer sweet pops of flavour that balance out the other rich, salty flavours of the sauce.
• Basil – Pairs beautifully with both the chorizo and tomatoes.

One extra ‘bonus’ ingredient is the resting juices from the chicken. As the thighs sit, a pool will form around them. This is pure flavour, so don’t waste it!

What kind of chorizo should I use?

You’ll want to use cured Spanish chorizo. I buy it pre-diced, but you can buy it whole and dice it yourself if needs be.

Process shots: fry onion (photo 1), fry chorizo (photo 2), fry garlic (photo 3), reduce wine then add stock, cream and parmesan (photo 4), stir and simmer then add basil and tomatoes (photo 5), stir and simmer (photo 6).

Creamy Chicken and Chorizo FAQ

Can I use chicken breast instead of thigh?

I like using thighs because they’re more fatty and flavoursome than breast, but you could try breast if you’d prefer (I’ve added more on this in the recipe card notes below).

Is this recipe spicy?

It’s got a kick to it, but nothing overbearing at all. Most of the spice comes from the chorizo, then just a touch from the chicken seasoning.

How do I thicken the sauce?

If you keep simmering and stirring away it’ll definitely thicken. Just make sure you’re using double/heavy cream and you’ll be fine!

Serving Creamy Chicken Chorizo

Once the sauce is done, I typically put the thighs back in for a minute or so to warm them through.

Here I’ve served with orzo and some rocket. I just cook the orzo then just mix with a splash of cooking water, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Rice could also work, but check out my Side Dishes for more inspo. You’re mainly after something to mop up that rich sauce!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this creamy chicken and chorizo shall we?!

How to make Creamy Chicken Chorizo (Full Recipe & Video)

5 from 8 votes

One Pan Creamy Chicken and Chorizo

By: Chris Collins

Juicy seasoned chicken thighs in a rich and creamy chorizo sauce!

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 3 - 4

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Equipment

• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
• Large Pan & Tongs
• Wooden Spoon
• Jug (for stock)
• Fine Cheese Grater

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

Chicken

• ▢ 600g / 1.3lb boneless skinless Chicken Thighs (preferably 6 even-sized thighs - see notes)
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• ▢ 1/2 tsp EACH: Garlic Powder, Salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp EACH: Onion Powder, Black Pepper
• ▢ 1/8 - 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• ▢ 1 tbsp Olive Oil

Creamy Chorizo Sauce

• ▢ 1 small White Onion
• ▢ 100g / 3.5oz diced Spanish Chorizo (see notes)
• ▢ 2 cloves of Garlic
• ▢ 60ml / 1/4 cup Dry White Wine
• ▢ 180ml / 3/4 cup low-salt Chicken Stock (see notes)
• ▢ 180ml / 3/4 cup Double/Heavy Cream, leave at room temp
• ▢ 20g / 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• ▢ 1/2 bunch of Fresh Basil (~15g)
• ▢ 175g / 6oz Baby Plum Tomatoes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Coat both sides of the chicken thighs with the seasoning. Add the oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the thighs and fry both sides until lightly charred and cooked right through the centre (4-5 minutes on each side depending on size). If they start charring too aggressively just lower the heat slightly. Remove and place on a plate to one side. Lower the heat to medium.
• During this time finely dice the onion and garlic, then halve the tomatoes and roughly dice the basil. If you need to grate the parmesan, make the stock and dice the chorizo do this now too, although if you run out of time you can do this whilst the onion is frying (next step).
• Add the onion to the leftover fat in the pan and fry until it begins to soften. Add the chorizo and fry for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Pour in the wine then raise the heat and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook for around 2 minutes until it almost completely evaporates. Lower the heat slightly.
• Add the stock, cream and parmesan and give it a really good stir to blend everything. Simmer fairly rapidly for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, basil and the resting juices from the chicken and gently simmer for a couple of minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften.
• Turn the heat to low, add the chicken back and spoon over the sauce for a minute or so to warm it through. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Chicken - I like using thighs because they're more fatty and flavoursome than breast, but you could try breast if you'd prefer. I recommend using 2 large breasts and horizontally slicing them through the centre to create 4 even-sized breasts. They won't take as long to cook (3-4mins each side) but the rest of the recipe is the same. You also may need to add a dash more oil to fry the onion as breasts won't produce as much thighs. In all cases I recommend getting the chicken out of the fridge 15-30mins before needed, just to help relax the meat.

b) Chorizo - I buy this already diced into small cubes. If you can only find whole chorizo that's fine, just dice it up nice and small. I recommend this over larger chunks so it gets more evenly distributed, instead of large chunks here and there.

c) Stock - Chorizo adds a lot of salt to the sauce, so I highly recommend using low-salt stock. I use a low-salt Oxo cube because it makes the perfect amount needed for this recipe.

d) Wine - This helps cut through the richness of the sauce. If you can't use it just leave it out.

e) Serving - Here I've served with orzo and some rocket. If you want to serve with orzo I recommend 100g/1/2 cup per person (dry weight). Once cooked, I just mix in a splash of cooking water, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Rice could also work, but check out my Side Dishes for more inspo. You're mainly after something to mop up that rich sauce! 

f) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 3 with no sides.

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Nutrition

Calories: 719kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 51.7g | Fat: 49.74g | Saturated Fat: 22.381g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.571g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19.258g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 303mg | Sodium: 1367mg | Potassium: 942mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 5.37g | Vitamin A: 2295IU | Vitamin C: 12.3mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 3.13mg

Looking for more?

You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’

For another deliciously similar recipe check out my Creamy Cajun Chicken!

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