Chicken Basque
Submitted by Joro
Golden-browned chicken simmers over chorizo, rice, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and orange wedges in a white wine and paprika broth. A rustic one-pot Basque Country classic.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minChicken Basque is the kind of one-pot dish that feels like a trip to the Spanish-French borderlands without leaving your kitchen.
Chicken pieces get browned to a nutty golden crust, then rest on a bed of rice that cooks in a fragrant mixture of chicken stock, white wine, and hot paprika.
Sliced chorizo lends its smoky, spicy fat to the pot, while sun-dried tomatoes, sweet red peppers, and briny olives add layers of bold Mediterranean flavor.
The unexpected finish? Wedges of orange nestled among the chicken, their bright citrus cutting through the richness of every bite.
Variations
- Use smoked paprika instead of hot paprika for a deeper, more rounded smokiness.
- Swap basmati for short-grain Spanish rice (bomba or calasparra) for a more authentic, paella-like texture.
- Add a can of drained chickpeas with the rice for a heartier, more filling dish.
Chef Tips
- Brown the chicken in small batches so each piece gets proper color. This fond on the bottom of the pot is where the sauce flavor lives.
- Keep the rice submerged under the liquid with the chicken resting on top. This ensures the rice cooks evenly while the chicken skin stays above the broth.
- Cook on the gentlest possible simmer. High heat will overcook the rice on the bottom while leaving it raw in the middle.
- Leave the peel on the orange wedges. It adds a subtle bitter note that balances the sweetness of the peppers.
Ingredients
Directions
Start off by seasoning the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Next, slice the red peppers in half and remove the seeds and pith, then slice each half into six strips.
Likewise, peel the onion and slice into strips of approximately the same size.
The dried tomatoes should be drained, wiped dry with paper towels and then cut into ½ inch pieces.
Heat 2 T. olive oil in the casserole, and when it is fairly hot, add the chicken pieces - 2 or 3 at a time - and brown them to a nutty golden color on both sides.
As they brown, remove them to a plate lines with paper towels, using a slotted spoon.
Next add a little more oil to the casserole, with the heat slightly higher than medium.
As soon as the oil is hot, add the onion and peppers and allow them to brown a little at the edges, moving them around from timt to time, for about 5 minutes.
After that add the garlic, chorizo, and dried tomatoes and toss these around for a minute or two until the garlic is pale golden and the chorizo has taken on some color.
Next, stir in the rice, and when the grains have a good coating of oil, add the stock, wine, tomato paste, and paprika.
As soon as everything has reached a simmer, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.
Add a little more seasoning, then place the chicken gently on top of everything (it’s important to keep the rice down in the liquid).
Finally, sprinkle the herbs over the chicken pieces and scatter the olives and wedges of orange in among them.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over the gentlest possible heat for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the rice is cooked but still retains a little bite.
Alternatively, cook in a preheated oven at 350℉ (180℃) F for 1 hour.
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