Name: Spanish Chicken and Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts - (approx 650g/22.9oz) - flattened; olive oil spray; salt and black pepper; 1 medium onion, chopped finely; 2 cloves of garlic, crushed; 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced; 50g (2oz) carrot, finely grated (excess moisture squeezed out); 75g (2.5oz) zucchini (courgette), finely grated (excess moisture squeezed out); 1/2 cup (85g) of frozen peas; 1 cup (180g) of long grain rice, uncooked; 1 tablespoons of tomato paste; 2 cups (480ml) of chicken stock; 4 teaspoons of paprika; 1 teaspoon of mild chilli powder; 1 teaspoon of onion and garlic granules; 1 teaspoon of ground cumin; 1 teaspoon of salt; 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander; 1/2 teaspoon of oregano; 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

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Indulge in the delicious flavours of Spain with this Spanish Chicken and Rice Dish. Made with tender chicken breasts seasoned in a homemade spice blend nestled in aromatic rice with fresh lemon slices. This wholesome and delicious dish is sure to impress the whole family.

Spanish Chicken and Rice in a black frying pan with wooden spatula

One of the best parts about making your own Spanish rice is that you'll never go back to using those pre-packaged versions again. This easy homemade recipe is packed with flavour and veggies taking this dish to a whole new level.

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Calories in Spanish Chicken and Rice
Ingredients for Spanish Chicken and Rice
Can I use chicken thighs?
Best Rice to use for Spanish Rice
How to tell if Chicken Breast is cooked
Sides for Spanish Chicken and Rice
More Chicken Breast Recipes
Recipe Card

Calories in Spanish Chicken and Rice

This filling all in one meal serves 4 and is 408 calories per serving, which is perfect for a family friendly meal.

There are lots more recipes around this calorie value in my 400-500 calories recipe section.

If you are using these recipes as part of a calorie controlled diet or healthy eating plan, you can calculate your daily calories by using a calorie calculator, as this will vary per individual depending on various factors.

close up of Spanish Chicken and Rice in a black frying pan with wooden spatula with lemon slices

Ingredients for Spanish Chicken and Rice

Most of the ingredients listed here are for the seasoning, so don't let the long list put you off, once you get the spice blend made up, it's a pretty quick and easy dish to put together.

for this Spanish Chicken and Rice recipe you will need all the following ingredients:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Long Grain Rice
Onion
Garlic
Carrot
Courgette (zucchini)
Green Bell Pepper
Peas
paprika
mild chilli powder
onion and garlic granules
ground cumin
salt
ground coriander
oregano
black pepper
tomato paste
vegetable stock
lemon slices
coriander

See the recipe card for full quantities.

Once all the ingredients are prepared, you can get ready to make this easy recipe.

Can I use chicken thighs?

I use 4 small flattened chicken breasts in this recipe (or you can use two large, butterflied in half, depending on the size of the chicken breasts you have purchased.

But if you would prefer to use boneless skinless chicken thighs, then those are perfect in this recipe too.

I recommend about 8 small boneless skinless chicken thighs if serving 4 people - around 85g-90g per thigh usually is what I go for.

close up of Spanish Chicken and Rice in a black frying pan with wooden spatula

Best Rice to use for Spanish Rice

For the Spanish rice, I use basic long grain rice, it holds its shape well and is not sticky like other rices. Just make sure you don't use a part cooked rice, as you are cooking the rice in one pan with the seasoning and vegetables.

Basmati will work okay too, but I prefer basic long grain rice in this recipe. Jasmine rice is too sticky and not recommended.

I haven't tested this with brown rice. Brown rice needs a lot more liquid and time to cook, so the whole recipe would need adjusting.

How to tell if Chicken Breast is cooked

It is important to use small chicken breasts that are flatten before cooking, so that they cook evenly all the way through. If you use large thick chicken breasts, they are not going to be cooked in the time specified or the outer part will be cooked and the inside still raw.

So make sure you flatten them out slightly with a meat tenderizer.

A meat thermometer is a good option to have if you are never sure if meat is cooked, as the last thing you want is dry over cooked chicken. Inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken should read 165ºF when cooked.

You can also check what colour the juices are or slice one of the chicken breasts in half at the thickest part to ensure it's cooked all the way through if you don't have a meat thermometer.

Spanish Chicken and Rice on a green plate with green olives, coriander and lemon slices

Sides for Spanish Chicken and Rice

This recipe is pretty much a complete meal, so you can enjoy it just as it is. I like to pair it with some green manzanilla olives, fresh coriander and lemon slices.

If you want a more filling meal using very little calories, bulk out your plate with some additional vegetables or a salad.

Some roasted veggies like peppers, onion and courgette are a great option or a mixed salad with some of your favourites.

More Chicken Breast Recipes

Looking for some more recipes using chicken breast? Check out the following recipes:

or if you would like more recipe ideas or sides to make with this recipe - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more..

All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.

close up of Spanish Chicken and Rice on a green plate with green olives, coriander and lemon slices

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Recipe Card

Spanish Chicken and Rice

Yield: SERVES 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

for the seasoning

4 teaspoons of paprika
1 teaspoon of mild chilli powder
1 teaspoon of onion and garlic granules
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of ground coriander
½ teaspoon of oregano
½ teaspoon of black pepper

for the rice

1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ green bell pepper, finely diced
50g (2oz) carrot, finely grated (excess moisture squeezed out)
75g (2.5oz) zucchini (courgette), finely grated (excess moisture squeezed out)
½ cup (85g) of frozen peas
1 cup (180g) of long grain rice, uncooked
1 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 cups (480ml) of chicken stock

For the chicken

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts - (approx 650g/22.9oz) - flattened
olive oil spray
salt and black pepper

Instructions

Combine the seasoning together in a small bowl.
Spray a large deep frying pan with olive oil spray oil and fry the onion, garlic for a few mins to soften. Add the carrot, courgette and pepper and fry for a further 2 mins. Add the rice and chilli 1.5 tablespoon of the season stir to mix thoroughly.
Add the tomato paste and chicken broth and bring to the boil, cover and reduce to a simmer until all liquid is almost absorbed (refrain from stirring rice in this cooking period), Add the peas just before the end of cooking time. Remove from heat and set aside still covered with lid for at least 10 minutes so that the steam continues to cook the rice.
Add the chicken to a large bowl with the remaining seasoning and rub the seasoning all over the chicken.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and spray with olive oil spray. Fry for approx 6 minutes each side until browned and cooked all over.
Season the chicken to toast with additional salt and black pepper and serve with the rice, lemon slices and fresh coriander (or can use parsley)

Notes

Please see below for details about recipe:

Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box

WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs: due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values
Gluten Free Friendly - use gluten free stock

Dairy Free Friendy
Side suggestions: green olives, salad or grilled/roasted vegetables

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Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1 SERVING
Amount Per Serving Calories 408Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 106mgSodium 971mgCarbohydrates 49gFiber 4gSugar 6gProtein 45g

Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.

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