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Chicken, Chorizo and Chickpea Casserole

I first made this Spanish-style casserole of Chicken, Chorizo and Chickpeas about 8 years ago and it was one of the first recipes I published on my blog.

Of course, my food photography skills were not that great back then so all I could show my readers was a grainy, blurry, close-up that did this delicious dish no favours at all.

Last night, on a whim, I decided to make this for our dinner. It was one of those days where I wanted to cook something heartwarming, and filling, and tasty, and a little different from our usual fare. Making this casserole is deeply satisfying knowing just how much the recipients of my creation will be enjoying it. 

Chicken Chorizo and Chickpea Casserole

Chicken, Chorizo and Chickpea Casserole is quite a rich dish, thanks to the big splashes of red wine and sherry. It is also warming, meaty and savoury thanks to the chicken thighs and chorizo. 

I love to use lots of garlic in my casserole because we absolutely love the stuff in our household, but do adjust the recipe to suit your taste. 

Pouring Glass of Red Wine

I think a lot of people would consider a casserole as more of an autumn/winter dish, but we are mid-summer right now and this works a treat with a big handful of super-fresh baby spinach, soft and fluffy bread, all accompanied with a giant glass of red wine. 

I do think casseroles are super versatile dinners, you can adapt it with whatever you have in the fridge, or to your own taste. I think this casserole would also work well with carrots or sweet potato. You can add as much or as little chorizo as you like depending how rich you want this dish. I also think you could swap the chickpeas for cannellini beans if that’s what you have in your cupboards. 

Spanish Casserole

Chicken, Chorizo and Chickpea Casserole (serves 4)

Ingredients

  • 3/4 tbsp Vegetable Oil/Olive Oil (I like to mix half and half)
  • 750g-1kg Chicken Thighs
  • 1 large Onion, finely sliced
  • 3-5 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
  • 1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
  • 100ml of Red Wine 
  • 1 Whole Chorizo Ring – approx.170g
  • 100ml Dry Sherry
  • 1 can (400g) Chopped Tomatoes, lightly blended
  • 500ml Chicken Stock
  • 1 can (400g) Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • Large pinch of Sea Salt, and Fresh Ground Pepper
  • Crusty Bread, to serve
  • Fresh Salad, to serve

Instructions

  1. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable/olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the chicken thighs and fry, turning frequently, until lightly browned all over. Make sure the skin comes up slightly crispy and drain any excess water if necessary. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
  2. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary, fry the onion, garlic, chilli flakes and cook for 4-5 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the red wine and simmer until reduced by half.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan fry the chorizo for 3-4 minutes until starting to get crispy. Add the sherry and cook until most of the sherry has reduced. Set aside.
  4. Add the can of chopped tomatoes to the pan of reduced wine and onions and bring to the boil, then add the hot stock and bring back to the boil.
  5. Add the browned chicken, chickpeas and crispy chorizo to the saucepan and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through and the chickpeas are tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  6. Serve with crusty bread and fresh salad.

***

Enjoy!

Further reading:

My recipes using chickpeas

My recipes using chicken

My recipes using chorizo