One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice (Printable)

Juicy chicken thighs with seasoned rice and colorful vegetables, all cooked together in one pan with Spanish spices.

# What you'll need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
02 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
05 - ½ teaspoon salt
06 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Rice and Vegetables

08 - 1 cup long grain white rice
09 - 1 small onion, diced
10 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
11 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
12 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
13 - 1 cup frozen peas
14 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
15 - 2 ¼ cups chicken broth
16 - ½ teaspoon saffron threads or 1 teaspoon turmeric

→ Garnish

17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
18 - Lemon wedges

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly over all chicken thighs.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs skin-side down and sear for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook for 2 additional minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
04 - In the same pan, add diced onion and bell peppers. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Stir in rice and saffron or turmeric; cook for 1 minute. Add drained diced tomatoes and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
06 - Stir in frozen peas. Arrange the seasoned chicken thighs skin-side up on top of the rice mixture.
07 - Cover the pan tightly with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
08 - Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the rice is tender.
09 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan so you get maximum flavor with minimum cleanup
  • The rice absorbs all those delicious chicken juices and spices as it bakes
  • It looks impressive but comes together in under 15 minutes of active prep time
02 -
  • Patting the chicken completely dry before seasoning is what creates that beautiful crispy skin
  • Don't skip the step of scraping up the browned bits from the pan after searing the chicken
  • The rice continues absorbing liquid while resting, so don't worry if it looks slightly liquidy when you first take it out
03 -
  • Let the chicken come to room temperature for 20 minutes before searing for more even cooking
  • If your saffron is expensive, a pinch goes a long way so don't feel pressured to use the whole amount

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