20 Best Spanish Chicken Recipes

With poultry being the most consumed meat in America, it’s no surprise that the carnivores among us have our favorite go-to chicken dishes that we enjoy making and eating time and time again. And as much as we love those go-to dinners, it can get a bit stale having the same dinners on rotation, and so to mix things up, here are 20 Spanish chicken dishes to spice up your mid-week dinners.

In true Spanish fashion, minimal ingredients with maximum flavor are used, and while Spanish cooking staples are strong in flavor, they’re also really fresh.

Even better – if you close your eyes while you’re eating these dishes, you’re *almost* transported to a Spanish coastline where you’re vacationing on your summer holidays…. almost.

1. Spanish Chicken Tray Bake

With just a handful of ingredients, this traybake is still bursting with smoky flavors and is the ultimate stress-free dinner.

Just pop everything in a roasting tray, place it in the oven, and leave the flavors to mingle for 30 minutes or so.

The chicken thighs are essential here and much better than chicken breast as the fat slowly renders down and flavors the tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and onion surrounding them.

2. One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice

Another one-pan wonder – are you sensing a theme here?

Spanish cooking is all about maximizing the flavors of simple ingredients and not doing too much to draw out that flavor.

Much like the recipe above, chicken thighs are used here as the fat and juices soak into the rice sat underneath them, making for a ridiculously flavorsome finished dish.

This is a hearty dish that is freshened up with the topping of fresh parsley and cilantro, so remember to be generous with your herbs!

3. Arroz Con Pollo

Translating to ‘rice with chicken,’ arroz con pollo is closely related to paella.

Rich in saffron, the rice is studded with olives, parsley, diced tomatoes, and jalapeño peppers to give it depth and heat.

This is an inexpensive dish, but to make it even more economical, chicken drumsticks can be used in place of chicken thighs or breasts.

Serve with bread to mop up the juices left behind and a green salad.

4. Rice and Chicken Skillet

This is a great recipe for meal prepping as you can cook up a large batch of this chicken and rice dish and portion it up into Ziploc bags or Tupperware, and keep it in the freezer.

If you’re serving a hungry family or large party, this is a great option as it takes just 30 minutes to put together but looks impressive and tastes even more so.

For additional flavor and freshness, try topping with freshly chopped parsley and lemon juice.

5. Crispy Chicken, Rice, and Fire Roasted Pepper

Along with saffron, heaps of garlic, and paprika, this recipe incorporates flavors and ingredients that celebrate Spanish cuisine in all its flavorsome glory.

The fire-roasted peppers add a real smokiness and depth to the rice and complement the smoky paprika and chicken skin.

Jarred roasted peppers work just fine, but you can also easily prepare your own by roasting them for an hour in the oven and then removing most of the blackened skin.

6. Chicken and Chorizo Tray Bake

Chorizo, paprika, olives, and tomatoes – does it get any more Spanish sounding than that?

This dish is cooked in one pot, and so the smoky oil from the chorizo is released into the potatoes and gives them a gorgeous ruby hue that looks appetizing when it’s put down on the dining table!

Loaded with vegetables, potatoes, and chicken, this dish covers all bases, but if you would like to freshen things up, serve with a tomato and red onion salad on the side.

7. Olive and Chicken Bake

Made in a single iron skillet, this recipe uses caramelized onions, Spanish Queen green olives, and saffron-flavored rice to amp up the flavor of the chicken.

The sweetness of the onions perfectly contrasts with the savory, saltiness of the olives and while still allowing the olives to be the main star of the show.

Plump, slightly bitter, and entirely delicious, this dish celebrates the humble Spanish Queen green olive.

If you can’t get a hold of this specific variety of olives, any large olives from your local deli will be delicious!

8. Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew

For a quick and minimal effort-required midweek dinner, this recipe will become your new go-to!

Perfect for the colder weather, this combination of chicken thighs, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, paprika, and saffron is hearty and satisfying.

What makes this recipe the ultimate ‘lazy’ meal? The addition of potatoes!

As well as soaking up the delicious flavor of the seasoned and vegetable-infused broth, the addition of potatoes also means that you don’t have to worry about preparing a starchy side to serve alongside this stew.

9. Chicken Afritada

Afritada is a Spanish-style chicken stew, and while this stew usually takes a fair amount of preparation, this recipe cuts a lot of corners but still results in a delicious, hearty dish.

Seasoned marinara sauce is mixed with garlic, paprika, green olives, and onions and left to simmer away for around 25 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread for the ultimate easy weeknight meal or saffron rice.

What would you serve this with?

10. Spanish Chicken Kebabs

If you’re reading this, thinking that you can only make these in the summer on the barbeque, think again!

These chicken kebabs are just as good grilled or baked, meaning that you can enjoy them regardless of the weather or time of year.

We don’t know about you, but when we think of kebabs, we think of Middle Eastern flavors, so the Spanish flavor profile here makes for a nice change.

Spiced with paprika, turmeric, garlic, and sherry vinegar, these kebabs are best served immediately and for the ultimate Spanish dipping sauce, use garlic aioli!

11. Cheat’s Paella

If you’ve ever tried or made paella, you’ll know that it takes quite a bit of skill, time, and a huge pan.

A large paella pan is a spectacle but doesn’t work so well when you’re cooking for just yourself or a couple of people on a weeknight.

So, the next time you’re craving those flavors reminiscent of paella but don’t want to commit to preparing a classic paella, try this recipe!

It includes rice, chicken, veggies, and a deliciously flavored stock that takes just 25 minutes from start to finish to put together.

12. Spanish Chicken in Bravas Sauce

For lovers of heat and spice, patatas bravas is likely to be a favorite on the tapas menu.

As much as we love potatoes, a plate of crispy potatoes topped with a spicy tomato sauce isn’t the most satiating, balanced meal in the world, and so this chicken bravas dish comes in as a handy one-pot meal idea.

Did you know that patatas bravas translates to ‘brave potatoes’ as the potatoes sit underneath a ferociously spicy sauce?

This chicken dish has a nice amount of heat to it without being too challenging for anyone around the table who isn’t a huge spice go-er!

13. Easy Spanish Chicken

This dish is the ultimate Spanish-inspired family-friendly recipe idea.

Chicken breasts are left to bake in a thyme and garlic flavored bell pepper and tomato sauce for 50 minutes.

Using just 7 main ingredients, this is a great accessible and affordable recipe that will surely become a new go-to for your family meal arsenal.

Serve with crispy roasted potatoes or saffron rice for a light but filling dinner.

14. Chicken, Chorizo, and Chickpea Stew

Chickpeas are rightfully celebrated in Spain as a delicious nutty-tasting vehicle for flavor in broths and stews.

Here, they soak up all the flavor from the chorizo-infused stew that sits underneath the chicken thighs.

The ingredients list is quite extensive with this one, but it’s well worth the effort – we promise.

Honey, thyme, oregano, paprika, garlic, chili flakes, and olives make this stew ridiculously flavorful and incredibly moreish.

Try serving this when you’re next hosting and watch everyone devour the contents of the pan in silence!

15. Chicken Bake with Chorizo

This is a great recipe for anyone trying to reduce their caloric intake to just 370 calories per serving. This delivers on huge flavor but without being too rich and fatty.

Peppers are tossed with chicken breasts, chopped chorizo, onions, and classic Spanish seasonings such as paprika and left to roast to allow the peppers and onions to sweeten and caramelize.

For those who enjoy a glass of wine with their meals, try serving this with a glass of Rioja to compliment the smoky flavors.

16. Spanish Chicken with Potatoes

Chicken thighs are rubbed with a delicious homemade spice blend here, resulting in a smoky, rich, and deliciously savory flavor.

The spice blend is made with garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, cumin, and smoked paprika.
Sounds good, right?

Yukon gold potatoes, bell peppers, and chunks of chorizo are scattered around the chicken thighs to create a balanced, one-sheet pan dinner to make weeknights easy!

17. Slightly Sweet Chicken Stew

Classic Spanish flavors like paprika, saffron, olives, and chorizo are all loved for their highly savory flavor, so the sweetness running throughout this stew compliments the spicy notes well.

The unexpected ingredient that offers that sweetness in this stew is the humble raisin.

It’s reminiscent of dates in a tagine and isn’t too sweet or assertive.

They slightly melt into the stew, making this recipe a strong contender for becoming the favorite of sweet and savory combination lovers!

18. Chicken and Vegetable Stew

With all the flavors of a classic Spanish stew, this recipe feels familiar and comforting, but there is an addition that adds so much to the finished dish in an unexpected way.

Eggplant! Simmered in a highly seasoned tomato sauce, the eggplant cooks slowly and steadily for around 30 minutes, which results in really tender and meaty chunks that have soaked up so much flavor.

All you’ll need and want to serve with this comforting stew is a large hunk of crusty white bread for mopping up the delicious juices!

19. Spanish One Pot

This is the ultimate midweek meal, made in one pot over the stove and left to bubble away in the oven for 45 minutes.

Flavored with tomatoes, red pepper flakes, garlic, smoked paprika, and bay leaf, the chicken stock sauce intensifies in flavor as it cooks in the oven, resulting in a really rich and deeply flavored dish that is best served on a mound of steaming white rice.

The thighs can be switched out for breasts here, but cook for an extra 10 minutes or so if you opt for breasts.

20. Chicken, Pearl Onion, and Rice Skillet

Taking just 30 minutes to put together, this combination of chicken, pearl onions, olives, and tomatoes is simple but delicious.

Spanish olives are best used here, but these could also be labeled as Manzanilla or cocktail olives in your local store!

And whatever you do, don’t skip on the butter added to the skillet at the end of cooking! It adds so much flavor, and really, who would turn their nose up at adding butter at every given opportunity?