Filipino Chicken Paella

Everyone I have made this for always loves this! An easy and simple Chicken Paella that’s a delight to the eye and a joy to the palate.

This is a simple yet flavorful paella. I was inspired to make this at home in the summer of 2010 after our trip to Barcelona where I tasted what was to be a truly excellent paella. 

It was seafood paella with jumbo shrimps and mussels. What a gustatory delight!

Below is a photo of the paella we had.

Alas, I do not live near the sea, so making paella using the freshest seafood is not always possible. Also, making a paella dish can be rather intimidating.

Nonetheless, I decided to make this favorite rice dish of mine with ingredients that are at hand. I did not include saffron threads because sometimes they are not readily available and they’re quite expensive too!

Instead, I used paprika and turmeric to give both flavor and color to the rice. After all that’s always been the natural coloring we use in Southeast Asia! The result is wonderful! Now, I can just reminisce about Barcelona whenever I eat it.

So whenever, I am having a craving for Paella but do not want to make such a huge fuss in the kitchen this is my easy go-to recipe. And everyone I’ve served this love this, too!

Is it hard to make this? Certainly not! The ingredients for one are easy to source and not super expensive if you compare to the Spanish version. 

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR FILIPINO CHICKEN PAELLA?

• 4 organic chicken thighs – skin on.

• Salt and pepper – adjust to taste.

• Flour for dusting – (use gluten-free flour if you want it completely gluten-free or wheat-free).

• 3 tbsp Olive oil

• 1 Onion – peeled and sliced

• 4 cloves of Garlic – peel and chopped.

• Spices – like ground turmeric and paprika, about 1 teaspoon each.

• 1 1/2 cups Jasmine rice – uncooked.

• 3 cups Chicken stock.

• 2 Plum tomatoes – petite diced.

• 1 cup Frozen peas.

• 1-2 Sweet Bell Peppers – Red, yellow or orange color.

• 4 oz Spanish Chorizo sausage – chopped. This is what we used in the Philippines and not the Mexican one.

Below is what the Spanish chorizo looks like. It’s available at delis and some groceries may carry them, too.

HOW DO YOU MAKE FILIPINO CHICKEN PAELLA?

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and then dust with flour.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet and then fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the chicken pieces to a baking tray (9 x13 baking dish) and into the oven for about 20 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking in the oven, prepare the accompanying vegetables.

Using the same pan where the chicken was cooked, sauté the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are soft, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the paprika and turmeric. Stir-fry just until aromatic, less than a minute.

Add the uncooked rice and chicken stock and mix. Bring to a boil. When it begins to boil, turn off the heat. We will continue cooking it in the oven.

Remove the baking pan from oven. Distribute the rice mixture in the pan where the chicken is cooking. If it’s easier, simply remove the chicken pieces first then spoon the rice spreading it all over the pan then return the chicken pieces. Continue to cook in the oven for about 15 mins. The rice should be almost dry at this point.

As the rice and chicken is cooking, add a little oil to the dutch oven or skillet you used previously. Fry the chorizo until it changes its color.

Once the timer is done, take the  baking pan out of the oven, then add the remaining ingredients (diced tomatoes, frozen peas
diced sweet peppers) and the fried chorizo, distributing them evenly all over the rice.

Return to the oven and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or just until the chicken is tender and the rice has fully absorbed the stock.

Serve with a wedge of lemon and squeeze on top of the rice just before eating, if desired.

Note: You may add the chorizo with the other ingredients (bell peppers, tomato, etc.) and let it cook in the oven. However, it may become slightly chewy though it does add more flavor to the rice done that way – it’s up to you.

Instead of cooking the chorizo with the chicken, you may (after adding the rest of the vegetables to the pan), heat a little oil and fry the chorizos until brown and crispy. Simply add at the end just before serving.

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Filipino Chicken Paella

Manila Spoon

Everyone I have made this for always loves this! An easy and simple Filipino-style Chicken Paella that’s a delight to the eye and a joy to the palate.

5 from 17 votes

Print Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Filipino, Southeast Asian

Servings 8

Calories 417 kcal

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 4 organic chicken thighs skin on
• Salt and pepper
• Flour for dusting, use gluten-free flour if you want it completely wheat-free
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Spanish paprika
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 ½ cups jasmine rice, uncooked
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 plum tomatoes, petite diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1-2 Red yellow or orange sweet bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 4 oz Spanish Chorizo sausage, sliced

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and then dust with flour.
• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet and then fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the chicken pieces to a baking tray (9 x13 baking dish) and into the oven for about 20 minutes.
• While the chicken is cooking in the oven, prepare the accompanying vegetables.
• Using the same pan where the chicken was cooked, sauté the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the paprika and turmeric. Stir-fry just until aromatic, less than a minute.
• Add the uncooked rice and chicken stock and mix. Bring to a boil. When it begins to boil, turn off the heat. We will continue cooking it in the oven.
• Remove the baking pan from oven. Distribute the rice mixture in the pan where the chicken is cooking. If it’s easier, simply remove the chicken pieces first then spoon the rice spreading it all over the pan then return the chicken pieces. Continue to cook in the oven for about 15 mins. The rice should be almost dry at this point.
• As the rice and chicken is cooking, add a little oil to the dutch oven or skillet you used previously. Fry the chorizo until it changes its color.
• Once the timer is done, take the baking pan out of the oven, then add the remaining ingredients (diced tomatoes, frozen peas
• diced sweet peppers) and the fried chorizo, distributing them evenly all over the rice.
• Return to the oven and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or just until the chicken is tender and the rice has fully absorbed the stock.
• Serve with a wedge of lemon and squeeze on top of the rice just before eating, if desired

Notes

Note: You may add the chorizo with the other ingredients (bell peppers, tomato, etc.) and let it cook in the oven. However, it may become slightly chewy though it does add more flavor to the rice done that way – it’s up to you.

Instead of cooking the chorizo with the chicken, you may (after adding the rest of the vegetables to the pan), heat a little oil and fry the chorizos until brown and crispy. Simply add at the end just before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 19gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 398mgPotassium: 427mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 988IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Filipino-style chicken paella, How to make Filipino paella

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Last updated on January 17th, 2024 at 08:46 am