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    Home » Recipes » Rice

    Published: Oct 3, 2018 · Modified: Aug 16, 2019 by joskitchenlarder · 12 Comments. · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella

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    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella

    Easy and delicious midweek supper for the entire family. Smoky flavours from paprika and chorizo married nicely with sweet tasting prawns. This super quick version of paella will become your go to recipe. 

    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella

    This recipe for Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella was the second recipe I have posted on my blog back in March 2017! I have meant to update the post and photos for a while now and despite me cooking it for us on regular basis I have not managed it until now! Now that I've finally done it, I hope you'll find it as appealing and easy as I do and it will become one of your favourite midweek dinners too!

    Why will I love this Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella?

    I do love Spanish food and paella must be one of my very favourite dishes! It is also my favourite dish for entertaining as it has got a wow factor and everybody loves it! When I make "proper" paella as opposed to this quick cheat's version, I use not only chorizo and prawns but also the entire chicken (portioned), perhaps some other seafood and of course saffron! I do love the rich flavour and the colour it gives to the rice. As delicious as it is, it does require a bit of time and attention. This simplified version is much quicker, cheaper and definitely less faffy yet still delivers on flavour!

    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella

    Note on ingredients and how to bulk up this paella with veggies!

    Chorizo is definitely one of the staple ingredients in my kitchen. If you open my fridge at any given time, even when it's pretty bare (just before weekly shop), you will always be able to spot some chorizo. It might only be half the ring but it will be there lol. Same goes for smoked paprika* and cinnamon as far as spices go (I do have vast quantities of these two). I'm digressing a bit now lol.

    This delicious one-pot rice dish can be easily prepared and on your table in well under an hour and is super filling and really nutritious too! I like to jazz up my cheat's paella with substantial amount of veggies and always tend to use some kind of pepper (whatever colour I've got in the fridge at the time) and also some convenient frozen favourites like peas, sweetcorn and spinach. This dish really packs nutritional punch!

    This recipe will easily feed 4 adults and as there are 2 adults and 2 kids in our family we usually have some leftovers which are perfect for reheating the next day for lunch!

    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella

    Some more recipes you might enjoy

    If you are a fan of one-pot meals make sure you check out this  One Pot Beans & Meatballs Pasta which is not only comforting and delicious but also quick to make! Similar to this Sausage & Lentil Casserole with Cavolo Nero which is simply perfect for this time of year and also on your table in under an hour!

    For those of you who can't get enough of rice my One Pot Smoked Sausage Jambalaya is a must. Not only is it quick but also super adaptable (it's my favourite, fridge clear-out dinner).

    And for some extra dose of chorizo this Easy Butternut Squash & Chorizo Gnocchi would be perfect.

    Homemade chicken stock would go so fantastically well in this paella. Check out my guide on How To Make Chicken Stock in Instant Pot (with instructions for hob/stovetop users too). You will never look back!

    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella Step-By-Step

    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella
    1. Fry onions and chorizo together until chorizo releases its juices and onions soften approx. 8 min.
    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella
    2. They will look like this.
    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella
    3. Add chopped pepper, garlic, smoked paprika and sweat for another 5 min.
    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella
    4. Pour in the stock and add rice followed by chopped tinned tomatoes and good pinch of salt and pepper and stir well. Add a little bit of water to the empty tin of chopped tomatoes, swirl it around to get all the remaining tomato goodness and add it to your dish.
    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella
    5. Bring everything to boil, lower the heat, pop the lid on and let it simmer for 15-20 min stirring on a regular basis as the rice will try and stick to the bottom of the pan. You might have to add a drop of water if your rice starts getting dry but is still quite al dente.
    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella
    6. Add frozen peas and sweetcorn and cook another 5 min. Add spinach (if using) and stir well.
    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella
    7. Mix defrosted prawns in bowl with a bit of salt, pepper and rapeseed or olive oil and pan fry them in a dry non-stick pan (couple of minutes on each side until they turn pink in colour)...
    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella
    8. ...and look like this. Serve your paella and top individual portions with pan fried prawns!

     

    📋 Recipe

    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella
    Print Pin
    5 from 5 votes

    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella

    Easy and delicious midweek supper for the entire family. Smoky flavours from paprika and chorizo married nicely with sweet tasting prawns. This super quick version of paella will become your go to recipe. 
    Course Family Meal, Main Course, One Pot, Rice Dish
    Cuisine fusion, Mediterranean, Spanish
    Keyword Chorizo, Easy, Family friendly, Midweek Meal, Paella, Prawns, smoked paprika
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 38 minutes minutes
    Total Time 48 minutes minutes
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 592kcal
    Author Jo Allison
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 1 onion roughly chopped
    • 2 cloves of garlic chopped/minced
    • 100 g chorizo* peeled and chopped into rough chunks
    • 300 g paella/risotto rice
    • 1 teaspoon (heaped) smoked paprika
    • 1 red or yellow bell pepper deseeded and roughly chopped
    • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
    • 75 g frozen peas
    • 75 g frozen sweetcorn
    • 200 g frozen or fresh raw prawns defrosted if frozen
    • 750 ml chicken or veggie stock from cube is fine
    • 1 lemon if you wish
    • 150 g frozen spinach* (optional) cooked as per packaging instructions, drained and chopped
    • fresh parsley for garnish
    • cayenne pepper* optional

    Instructions

    • Put a glug of oil in a large lidded casserole dish and throw in your chopped onion and chorizo. Let them sweat until the chorizo starts to release its lovely juices and onion starts to soften, around 8 min. Add chopped pepper, garlic, smoked paprika and sweat for another 5 min. Pour in the stock and add rice followed by chopped tinned tomatoes and good pinch of salt and pepper and stir well. Add a little bit of water to the empty tin of chopped tomatoes, swirl it around to get all the remaining tomato goodness and add it to your dish.
    • Bring everything to boil, lower the heat, pop the lid on and let it simmer for 15-20 min stirring on a regular bases as the rice will try and stick to the bottom of the pan. You might have to add a drop of water if your rice starts getting dry but is still quite al dente. Add frozen peas and sweetcorn and cook another 5 min. Add spinach (if using) and stir well.
    • Mix defrosted prawns in bowl with a bit of salt, pepper and rapeseed or olive oil and pan fry them in a dry non-stick pan (couple of minutes on each side until they turn pink in colour).
    • Serve your paella topped with prawns, sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley and a squeeze or two of lemon juice. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Nutritional information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
    • Feel free to use either cooking chorizo or dried version. I find dried chorizo quicker and easier to work with and as tasty as fresh equivalent.
    • Feel free to use couple of handfuls of fresh baby spinach instead. Simply add it couple of minutes before the end of cooking only to wilt it.
    • If you like a bit of spice, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper over your serving will do the trick. 

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella
    Amount Per Serving (0 g)
    Calories 592 Calories from Fat 117
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13g20%
    Saturated Fat 4g20%
    Cholesterol 153mg51%
    Sodium 1145mg48%
    Potassium 954mg27%
    Carbohydrates 86g29%
    Fiber 7g28%
    Sugar 10g11%
    Protein 30g60%
    Vitamin A 5890IU118%
    Vitamin C 77.4mg94%
    Calcium 179mg18%
    Iron 7.5mg42%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    Have you tried my Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post, I love reading them! You can also come and say hello over on my Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest

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    Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella

    I’m linking my Easy Prawn & Chorizo Cheat's Paella recipe with the following pages:

    Cook Blog Share hosted this week by Jacqui at Recipes Made Easy

    Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Corina at Searching for Spice

    Fiesta Friday hosted by Angie and Judi at  cookingwithauntjuju.com

    *This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more. I only recommend products I own or really like and which caught my attention. Thanks in advance for supporting Jo’s Kitchen Larder!

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      5 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Judith A. Graber says

      October 07, 2018 at 1:30 pm

      Two ingredients always get my attention in a recipe; shrimps and chorizo! I love them both - never made a paella before but your recipe sure has all the important ingredients for a great dish. Good to see you again at Fiesta Friday and thank you for sharing one of your favorites with us!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        October 11, 2018 at 9:45 am

        Thank you so much Judith for your kind comment! 🙂 Prawns and chorizo always get my attention too and as even my kids are huge fans this easy paella appears on our table on regular basis! I'm glad you like it!

        Reply
    2. Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says

      October 04, 2018 at 9:23 pm

      5 stars
      Yaaaaaassss...I love cheater recipes for delicious meals like this that still produce a meal that's chock-full of flavor. These are just gorgeous photos—I also have numerous recipes on my blog that I've been trying to steadily re-photograph. Kudos! I want to lick my screen!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        October 11, 2018 at 9:41 am

        Thanks Michelle! 🙂 Rephotographing old recipes can be a bit of a chore and I do struggle to fit it in with all the new ideas I have in my head that need executing, but sometimes needs must and this one was a definite MUST! lol

        Reply
    3. Jessica says

      October 04, 2018 at 10:16 am

      5 stars
      Hi Jo,
      I haven't tried cooking paella even if this is my favorite dish. I would love to give this a try, this time though. I thought it was so complicated. Love that you shared this recipe. 🙂
      Cheers,
      Jessica

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        October 11, 2018 at 9:36 am

        Thanks Jessica! This cheat's version is super easy so I hope you'll give it a go! 🙂 Let me know how it went if you decide to try it.

        Reply
    4. Corina Blum says

      October 04, 2018 at 9:31 am

      5 stars
      This sounds delicious and like you, I always have some chorizo in the fridge, often more than one variety! It's so good for adding extra flavour to dishes like this. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        October 11, 2018 at 9:34 am

        Thanks Corina! Absolutely, chorizo is my favourite fridge staple and if I ever feel at a loss regarding dinner plans, it is bound to come to the "rescue" lol

        Reply
    5. Monika Dabrowski says

      October 04, 2018 at 7:15 am

      5 stars
      Lovely dish, and so easy to make too, I think people underestimate the convenience of frozen vegetables. They are full of goodness and flavour and sometimes I even prefer to use frozen to fresh!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        October 11, 2018 at 9:31 am

        Thanks Monika! I love using frozen veggies both for convenience and flavour too and peas and sweetcorn are my absolute favourites!

        Reply
    6. jacqui Bellefontaine says

      October 03, 2018 at 9:38 pm

      I love how just a small amount of chorizo can really ad richness and flavour to a dish. Thank you for sharing this recipe on #CookBlogShare. It looks delicious

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        October 11, 2018 at 9:29 am

        Thanks Jacqui! With chorizo a little goes a long way although I always prefer more of it than just a little lol 🙂

        Reply

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