Spanish chicken, chorizo & bean stew

1 A budget-friendly one-pot meal with smoky Spanish flavours

Updated January 2026

Spanish chicken and chorizo stew is a one-pot dish combining chicken thighs, smoky chorizo and butter beans in a rich tomato sauce. This recipe serves 4, takes around 45 minutes, and delivers bold Spanish-inspired flavours with minimal washing up. It’s the perfect midweek dinner or casual dish for feeding friends—just add crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.

2 Introduction

Spanish chicken, chorizo & bean stew is a recipe I’ve cooked many times over the years. To say it is an authentic Spanish dish is something of a little white lie on my behalf, as it was one of those recipes that just evolved over time in my kitchen as my love of Spanish food grew over the years.

The great thing about this dish is that it is fairly quick to prepare and very easy to cook, which makes it a lovely midweek supper treat. Also, in these times of rising costs, this is an inexpensive dish — a pack of chicken thighs, a jar of white beans (under £1), a pack of chorizo, a tin of tomatoes and an onion, and apart from herbs and spices you have it.

Over the years, I’ve taken the tomato stew part of the recipe and tried it with cod fillets, which worked equally well. I think any white fish would work. Anyhow, I hope you try this recipe as it is a favourite of mine. Feel free to add your own twist to this recipe — why not an Italian bean stew, changing up the herbs and spices? Now there’s a thought!

3 Why This Recipe Works

There’s a reason chicken and chorizo are such a winning combination, and it all comes down to those gorgeous smoky oils that render out of the chorizo as it cooks. They infuse everything — the beans, the tomatoes, the chicken — with a deep, savoury flavour that makes cheap ingredients punch well above their weight.

I always use chicken thighs rather than breasts here. They’re more forgiving if you overcook them slightly, they’ve got more flavour, and let’s be honest, they’re considerably cheaper too. All wins in my book.

4 Choosing Your Ingredients

Chicken thighs — Boneless and skinless are easiest, cut into rough chunks. You could use bone-in for more flavour, but you’ll need to increase the cooking time and fish out the bones before serving.

Chorizo — Make sure you’re using cooking chorizo (the soft, raw kind) rather than the cured slicing chorizo you’d put on a charcuterie board. It releases far more of those gorgeous red oils. Most supermarkets stock it now, usually near the fresh sausages.

White beans — Cannellini or butter beans both work beautifully. I prefer jarred beans as they hold their shape better, but tinned is absolutely fine. I usually add a few tbsps of the bean juice to thicken the sauce.

Tomatoes — A tin of good chopped tomatoes or passata. I sometimes add a tablespoon of tomato purée for extra depth.

Pimentón — This is your secret weapon. Spanish smoked paprika comes in sweet (dulce) or hot (picante) varieties — I use a mix of both, but thats your choice

5 Step-by-Step Tips

Brown the chicken properly: Don’t skip this step or rush it. Getting colour on the chicken builds flavour that carries through the whole dish. Work in batches if needed — overcrowding the pan leads to steaming rather than browning.

Let the chorizo do its thing: When you add the chorizo to the pan, cook it gently until it releases its red-orange oils. This is liquid gold — it’s where most of the flavour comes from.

Don’t stir too much: Once everything is simmering, let it be. Constant stirring can break up the beans and make the stew mushy.

Taste before serving: The chorizo and stock add salt, but you may need to adjust. A squeeze of sherry vinegar or lemon juice at the end can lift the whole dish if it tastes a bit flat.

6 What to Serve With It

This is a complete meal in itself, but if you want to bulk it out:

Crusty bread — essential for mopping up the juices. A good sourdough or rustic white loaf is perfect.

Rice — plain white or, even better, saffron rice to lean into the Spanish theme.

Green salad — something simple with a sharp vinaigrette to cut through the richness.

Potatoes — roasted new potatoes or patatas bravas on the side for a more substantial meal.

7 Variations

With fish: As I mentioned, the tomato and bean stew works brilliantly with cod, hake, or any firm white fish. Skip the chicken, make the stew, then nestle fish fillets into the sauce and bake until just cooked through.

Italian twist: Swap the pimentón for dried oregano or basil and a pinch of fennel seeds. Use Italian sausage instead of chorizo. Add a handful of olives and capers.

Vegetarian: Leave out the meat entirely, double the beans, and add roasted peppers and artichoke hearts. A poached egg on top makes it more substantial.

8 Make-Ahead & Storage

Fridge: This stew keeps beautifully for 3-4 days in the fridge. The flavours actually improve overnight as everything melds together.

Freezing: Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the hob, adding a splash of water if it’s thickened up.

Reheating: Warm through over a low heat until piping hot. The beans can break down a bit on reheating, but it still tastes delicious — just a slightly thicker stew.

9 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?

You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Thighs stay juicier and have more flavour. If you insist on breast, cut into larger chunks and keep an eye on the cooking time so they don’t dry out.

What’s the difference between cooking chorizo and cured chorizo?

Cooking chorizo is soft and raw — it needs to be cooked before eating. Cured chorizo is firm and ready to eat, like salami. For this recipe, you want cooking chorizo as it releases those smoky red oils that flavour the whole dish.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Yes — brown the chicken and chorizo on the hob first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Add the beans in the last hour so they don’t turn to mush.

Is this actually Spanish?

Honestly? It’s Spanish-inspired rather than authentically Spanish. The flavours — chorizo, pimentón, white beans — are all Spanish staples, but this particular dish evolved in my kitchen rather than any Spanish grandmother’s. It tastes like Spain to me, and that’s good enough.

10 What wine goes with this?

A Spanish red is the obvious choice — Rioja, Garnacha, or Monastrell all work well. If you prefer white, an Albariño or dry rosado would be lovely.

11 Ingredients for Spanish chicken, chorizo & bean stew