Chicken And Bacon Paella

“He waves Cal towards the kitchen. ‘Sit down there now, and I’ll get another plate. I’m after making a chicken and bacon paella that’s only feckin’ beautiful, if I do say so myself.’” The Searcher

I know, I know. Chicken and bacon paella? Not exactly traditional. When I researched this recipe I saw lots of seafood paella, and lots of chicken and chorizo paella. Both seemed delicious. But, the book calls for chicken and bacon. So here we are. Tender chicken, crunchy bacon, bright veggies, this paella dish had it all! But first, let me share what I learned about paella while I researched and practiced this recipe!

No really, most of my research involved this one NPR article written back in 2005. I figured, how much has traditional paella making changed in 15 years?

Easy One Pan Prawn And Chorizo Paella

Of course, NPR actually cooked their paella outdoors over a coal grill, the traditional way. We did not. Because it’s December in New England. Maybe next time!

What I did learn is that there are two very important parts of the paella dish. The pan and the rice. Let’s start with the pan.

So traditional paella pans (a paellera) are wide shallow pans with sloping sides that allow your rice to cook in pretty much one layer, ensuring that it cooks evenly. Here’s an example of a paella pan. The best material for a pan is carbon steel, but stainless steel or aluminum will do in a pinch. This is because they heat quickly but don’t retain a lot of heat. This way your rice cooks evenly and doesn’t dry out.

Creamy Chicken And Chorizo Risotto (paella Risotto)

Did I have a paellera? No, of course not. I’m not that fancy. Instead I used a 12 inch stainless steel skillet, and it worked great. My rice came out fluffy and perfectly cooked. You actually might notice that my pan changes halfway through the recipe. That’s because I cooked the chicken and bacon in one pan. Then I removed the meat and drained the juice into the stainless steel skillet to continue cooking. That’s because I borrowed the stainless steel skillet from my mom, but she hadn’t brought it over yet when I started cooking. Thanks Mom!

Cast irons are not recommended, although when I was researching this recipe I did see a lot of food bloggers using cast iron skillets. But, I’ve decided to stick with NPR suggestions, since they’ve never steered me wrong before. No cast iron for me!

Short grain rice only for paella. Bomba rice is preferred, but it’s pricey. I used Arborio, which is the rice used in risotto, and it was awesome. Plus I saved some cash. Arborio is also pretty easy to find at the store, I didn’t actually see any bomba rice on my trip.

Chicken Chorizo Paella Recipe Review

Well, NPR says you should either use fish OR meat OR vegetables. But I like vegetables, so we do have some veggies in our meat paella. Also, saffron is very important and about $20 for the tiniest amount. It’s wild. Luckily, Mom came to the rescue again and I borrowed some of hers.

First, put a tablespoon of your oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Next add your cubed chicken thigh and season vigorously! Once your chicken has browned on one side, flip over and add your bacon to the pan, cooking until the bacon is cooked through but not crispy (the bacon will crisp up when it’s added back to the pan later). Remove the bacon and chicken but keep all the juices and bacon fat in your pan.

Next comes your peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook these until the peppers and onions are soft. Then deglaze with your wine. You should let the wine reduce for a few minutes before you continue.

Chorizo And Chicken Paella Recipe By The_road_less_devoured

Next is your chicken broth, diced tomatoes, saffron and tumeric (my secret ingredient. Mostly to make the paella even more yellow than the saffron already does, but the taste is nice too). Add the meat back in. Bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the rice and bring it to a simmer.

Simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes or until all your liquid is absorbed and your rice is soft and fluffly. Do not stir your paella. This is important, because you want it to get a little crispy on the bottom. Then add in your peas and green olives and give it a stir.

Done! Enjoy your paella with a nice glass of wine (or a Guinness, if you want to stick with the theme from

Chicken And Chorizo Paella Recipe / Riverford

Use a carbon steel, stainless steel, or aluminum paella pan or skillet. If using a skillet, it should be shallow and wide. I used a 12 inch stainless steel skillet for my paella. 

Only use short grain rice for this recipe. Long grain won’t cook correctly and has the wrong texture. Bomba rice is traditionally used in paella, but I used Arborio (risotto rice) and it worked great! 

Well, NPR says you should either use fish OR meat OR vegetables. But I like vegetables, so we do have some veggies in our meat paella. Also, saffron is very important and about $20 for the tiniest amount. It’s wild. Luckily, Mom came to the rescue again and I borrowed some of hers.

First, put a tablespoon of your oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Next add your cubed chicken thigh and season vigorously! Once your chicken has browned on one side, flip over and add your bacon to the pan, cooking until the bacon is cooked through but not crispy (the bacon will crisp up when it’s added back to the pan later). Remove the bacon and chicken but keep all the juices and bacon fat in your pan.

Next comes your peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook these until the peppers and onions are soft. Then deglaze with your wine. You should let the wine reduce for a few minutes before you continue.

Chorizo And Chicken Paella Recipe By The_road_less_devoured

Next is your chicken broth, diced tomatoes, saffron and tumeric (my secret ingredient. Mostly to make the paella even more yellow than the saffron already does, but the taste is nice too). Add the meat back in. Bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the rice and bring it to a simmer.

Simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes or until all your liquid is absorbed and your rice is soft and fluffly. Do not stir your paella. This is important, because you want it to get a little crispy on the bottom. Then add in your peas and green olives and give it a stir.

Done! Enjoy your paella with a nice glass of wine (or a Guinness, if you want to stick with the theme from

Chicken And Chorizo Paella Recipe / Riverford

Use a carbon steel, stainless steel, or aluminum paella pan or skillet. If using a skillet, it should be shallow and wide. I used a 12 inch stainless steel skillet for my paella. 

Only use short grain rice for this recipe. Long grain won’t cook correctly and has the wrong texture. Bomba rice is traditionally used in paella, but I used Arborio (risotto rice) and it worked great!