Easy One Pan Spanish Chicken Thighs and Rice Recipe

Spanish Chicken Thighs and Rice - With bold Spanish-inspired flavors and minimal effort, this Spanish Chicken Thighs and Rice is the kind of cozy, flavorful dinner that feels a little special but is easy enough for a busy weeknight!

With just 15 minutes of prep and under an hour from start to finish, this one pot chicken and rice dinner is one of many easy family dinner recipes we love around here! Juicy chicken thighs are seared until golden, then paired with sautéed bell peppers, onions, and celery for a savory base that builds incredible flavor in the pan.

The rice simmers gently in a broth with tomatoes, and sweet peas, soaking up all those warm spices and aromatic vegetables as it cooks. The chicken is returned to the pan with the fluffy rice for a comforting, arroz con pollo recipe!

If you’re looking for more weeknight chicken recipes, try my easy oven baked chicken drumsticks and potatoes and grilled chicken thighs with garlic lemon marinade.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Hearty and satisfying. Complete with protein, rice, and veggies!
• One pot meal. You’ll love how easy cleanup is.
• Amazing leftovers. Pack them up and reheat the next day.
• It’s weeknight friendly. The entire dish is ready in under an hour!

Ingredients for Spanish Chicken and Rice

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Trim any excess fat and then cut into 1.5 inch pieces.
• Red bell pepper, onion, celery: Diced the same size so they cook evenly.
• Long grain rice: Uncooked rice needs to be rinsed first. This helps to get rid of any extra starch.
• Tomatoes and peas: You can use canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, it’s up to you. Thaw the peas first so you’re not adding any extra liquid to the dish.
• Seasoning: Salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder.
• You’ll also need: All purpose flour, avocado or olive oil, fresh parsley.

How to Make Spanish Chicken Thighs and Rice

Step 1: Add flour, salt, and pepper to a shallow plate or a ziploc bag. Toss the pieces of chicken to coat.

Step 2: Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and then brown the chicken on all sides, until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate.

Step 3: In the same pot, reduce the heat to medium and add a little more oil. Add the diced peppers, celery, and onion and sauté for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Stir in rice, cumin, chili powder, chicken broth, tomatoes, and peas. You can also add a little extra salt if you’d like (especially if you’re using a low sodium broth).

Step 5: Bring the rice mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 6: Remove the lid and place the chicken pieces on top. Do not stir! Cover once again, and simmer for another 10 minutes until the rice is cooked through.

Garnish tomato rice with chicken with chopped parsley and enjoy!

If you’re serving a large crowd, round out your menu with Spanish cod fritters or Tomato gazpacho to start!

Tips for the Best Spanish Chicken and Rice

• Get a good sear. Let the chicken pieces cook undisturbed before flipping so they develop a nice crust. This helps to add flavor to the dish.
• Give veggies time to soften. Don’t rush them! Letting them soften builds the aromatic base.
• Use homemade chicken broth. The rice soaks up the flavor of the broth, but if you don’t have any you can use water.
• Deglaze the pan. Once the broth and rice are added, use your spoon to gently scrape the brown bits off the bottom for extra flavor.
• Season to taste. Season chicken thighs spanish rice with salt and pepper to taste at the end, if necessary.
• Let the rice rest. Once it’s done cooking, let it sit covered, off heat, for about 5 minutes to finish steaming. This also keeps the rice from sticking to the bottom.

What to Serve with Spanish Chicken Thighs and Rice

Pair this dish with a bright and juicy salad like:

• Refreshing Cherry Tomato Salad
• The Best Caesar salad
• Crisp and refreshing Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Super easy and tasty Greek salad 

Try Another Cozy Rice Dish

If you love this recipe, you’ll also enjoy our Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole.

• Chicken Thighs and Rice Casserole 
• Fried Rice Recipe with Egg
• Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Beef Rice Pilaf (A One-Pot Family)
• Creamy Chicken Tikka Masala that you can serve with rice
• Easy Cabbage Soup with Ground Beef
  

FAQs

More One Pot Dinners

• One Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta
• Italian Sausage Lentil Soup
• Honey Garlic Salmon with Veggies (Sheet Pan Dinner)
• One Pot Chicken Stew and Dumplings
• One Pot Chicken Fricassee
• Baked Trout with Asparagus and Baby Potatoes (Easy Sheet Pan Dinner)
• Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe with Chicken

📖 Recipe

Chicken Thighs Spanish Rice Recipe

Love Keil

Juicy Chicken Thighs Spanish Rice Recipe – this delicious one pot meal is loaded with healthy ingredients and juicy chicken thighs. The warm rice is infused in flavorful Spanish spices and fresh vegetables. This recipe is a Keeper!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Chicken Recipe, Dinner, One Pot Meal

Cuisine Spanish

Servings 6

Calories 444 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  dutch oven

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoons black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt more if desired
• ▢ 4 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil, divided 2 tablespoons for browning chicken and 2 for sautéing veggies
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper cubed
• ▢ 1 medium onion diced
• ▢ 1 celery rib chopped
• ▢ 1 ½ cups long grain rice uncooked, rinsed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 2 ¼ cups chicken broth I like to use homemade chicken broth
• ▢ 2 cups tomatoes diced, canned or fresh
• ▢ 1 cup peas frozen, thawed
• ▢ fresh parsley chopped optional

Instructions

 

• Coat the chicken: On a flat plate, mix flour with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken pieces in the mixture until lightly coated.
• Brown the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and fully cooked, turning occasionally. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
• Cook the vegetables: In the same dutch oven, add the rest of the oil and add diced onion, chopped celery, and cubed red bell pepper, cook until slightly softened, stirring occasionally.
• Add the rice and spices: Stir in the rice and ground cumin and chili powder, then add broth, diced tomatoes, peas, and salt to taste. Bring to a gentle boil.
• Simmer the rice: Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the rice is partially cooked, about 10 minutes.
• Add the chicken back: Arrange the browned chicken on top of the rice without stirring it in. Cover and simmer until the rice is fully cooked and the chicken is heated through, about 10 more minutes. Turn off the heat let rest for 5 minutes.
• Serve: Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!

Notes

• Juicy Chicken Tips: For the most flavorful chicken thighs, use bone-in, skin-on if possible. Sear them well before adding the rice to lock in juices.
• Rice Options: Long-grain white rice works best, but you can substitute jasmine or basmati for extra aroma. Avoid instant rice—it may get mushy.
• Make Ahead: You can prep the chicken and chop veggies a day ahead to save time. Assemble and cook when ready.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
• Freezing: This dish freezes well! Portion into freezer-safe containers and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• Serving Ideas: Pair with a simple fresh salad or sourdough focaccia bread to make it a complete meal.

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 28gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 830mgPotassium: 611mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1356IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Happy Cooking!

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