This Spanish chicken is spiced chicken thighs roasted with potatoes, bell peppers and chorizo. A simple and satisfying one pan meal that tastes like it came from a fancy restaurant!
I’m all about sheet pan meals, my family’s favorites include balsamic chicken, bacon wrapped chicken breast and this zesty Spanish inspired dinner.
This is not your ordinary meal of chicken and potatoes! This Spanish chicken features a homemade spice blend and plenty of smoky chorizo sausage. Add some bell peppers to the mix and you’ve got a complete dinner on one pan with minimal cleanup at the end of the night.
If you want some veggie side dishes to go with this chicken try my roasted asparagus, sauteed green beans and crispy brussels sprouts.
Spanish Chicken Ingredients
To make this Spanish chicken you will need to make a spice blend with smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, onion powder, ground cumin, dried oregano and garlic powder. For the rest of the dish you will need bone in, skin on chicken thighs, small Yukon gold potatoes, olive oil, red bell peppers, Spanish chorizo sausage, fresh parsley, salt and black pepper.
How Do You Make Spanish Chicken?
This Spanish chicken recipe starts with making a Spanish spice blend which you rub on chicken thighs. In a small bowl stir together smoked paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, cumin, oregano and garlic powder. Rub the spice blend on your chicken thighs. Arrange the seasoned thighs on a sheet pan. Next, place your halved yellow potatoes in a large bowl and toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the seasoned potatoes on your baking sheet with the chicken. Roast everything in the oven. Add strips of bell pepper to the sheet pan and place it back in the oven. Finally, place sliced Spanish chorizo sausage on the sheet pan and finish baking until the chicken cooks through and the potatoes become tender. Add a sprinkle of parsley, then enjoy!
Spanish spice blend
This blend of Spanish spices brings out the flavor of the chicken with herbs and smoky richness. This blend starts with a base of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and dried oregano. There are two additional spices that really bring this dish to the next level, cumin and smoked paprika. I often make a double batch of the spice blend and save some for later to sprinkle over fish, vegetables and steak.
Tips For The Perfect Spanish Chicken
- I like bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe because they stay moist in the oven. However, you can use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or drumsticks if you prefer. Chicken breasts may take some additional time to cook through.
- I use Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe, but you can also use small red potatoes or regular Russet potatoes cut in 1 inch cubes.
- Use Spanish chorizo if you can find it. Spanish chorizo is a hard dried sausage that is found in the deli section of most grocery stores, don’t confuse it with the fresh Mexican chorizo! If you can’t find chorizo, use a smoked sausage such as kielbasa.
- Coat your chicken thighs well with the spice blend. Feel free to lift up skin and rub the blend under the skin.
- Roast your chicken thighs skin side up so that the skin cooks nicely in the oven.
Quick Tip
I recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Recipe FAQs
Spanish chicken is flavored with bold seasonings like smoked paprika, cumin and dried oregano. The chicken is enhanced with the savory flavor of Spanish chorizo.
Spanish chicken with stay good in an airtight container in a refrigerator for three days.
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Flavor Variations
While this Spanish chicken recipe is delicious as-is, you can add other ingredients to customize it to your tastes.
- Low Carb: Swap out the potatoes for cauliflower florets.
- Vegetables: Other vegetables can be substituted for the bell pepper such as broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes or asparagus.
- Flavorings: Feel free to add other flavorings to this dish such as green olives, minced garlic cloves or finish your dish with some shavings of Spanish Manchego cheese.
- Rice: Instead of potatoes, you can separately cook in a pot white rice, cilantro lime rice or mushroom rice.
You can never go wrong with a sheet pan meal, and this Spanish version is full of bold flavors. The Spanish chorizo really makes this meal taste authentic, this one is sure to become part of your regular dinner rotation.
More Great CHicken Dinners
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Grilled Chicken Kabobs
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Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Spanish Chicken
Ingredients
For the spice blend
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
For the Spanish chicken
- 6 chicken thighs bone in, skin on
- 1 pound small Yukon gold potatoes halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 red bell peppers cored, seeded and cut into 2 inch strips
- 1 pound Spanish chorizo cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
- Combine all the ingredients in the spice blend in a small bowl. Stir until well mixed.
- Rub the spice blend all over the chicken thighs. Arrange the chicken on the sheet pan.
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat the potatoes.
- Scatter the potatoes around the chicken thighs.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Add the red peppers to the sheet pan.
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Add the chorizo to the sheet pan.
- Bake for 10 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes and peppers are tender. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
Notes
- I use Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe, but you can also use small red potatoes or regular Russet potatoes cut in 1 inch cubes.
- Use Spanish chorizo if you can find it. Spanish chorizo is a hard dried sausage that is found in the deli section of most grocery stores, don’t confuse it with the fresh Mexican chorizo!
- I recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
We absolutely love the flavors of this recipe, but it always takes longer to cook than indicated. The first time I made it was at my daughter’s new apartment, and I assumed it was an issue with the oven. We had to crank the temperature to 450 for an additional 20 minutes to get everything to cook fully. Then I made it at home where I know my oven’s temperatures, and unfortunately the same thing happened. Thankfully, chicken thighs are forgiving and high temps for the peppers and chorizo make them nice an crispy on the edges.
Next time I plan to cook with a long, slow process in mind: chicken and potatoes at 375 for 45 minutes, raise temperature to 450 and add peppers for 15 minutes, add chorizo and cook for another 15 minutes.
I love this recipe and we have it every single week!
I’ve already made this recipe more times than I can count. My three picky eaters rave about this. Thank you for an all-around winning recipe!
I made this tonight and all I can say is WOW! The flavors were amazing. I made extra seasoning and used it on the potatoes instead of only salt and pepper. If I couldn’t find Spanish chorizo then I was going to use Mexican chorizo. I would’ve cooked it separately and added it at the end. Luckily Whole Foods had it. I also added Simply Organic chipotle seasoning to the blend for some added kick. This will definitely be a staple in my house. I used 6 chicken thighs so that’s lunch and dinner for the next 3 days.
It’s already cold here so this was a very good hearty meal! The flavors were just perfect!
Wonderful meal, got rave reviews from the family. I made a bravas sauce on the side, and it took it to another level. Thanks for a great recipe, this will be a regular on our table.
Delicious! Could not find spanish chorizo and used Kalebasa as suggested…turned out great!
I made it for company and it was really yummy! Looked like I worked but it was easy! I lined the pan with foil for easy clean up
I made this for our friends who were headed to Spain and we loved this dish!
Mm! I love the spice mix, fun and different from what we usually eat!
This is such a great way to change up your normal chicken routine. So full of flavor and easy clean up too!
What is it about smoked paprika that makes it so yummy? Love this dish!
Love the light seasoning on this chicken – healthy but so flavorful!
I love all the spices you combined together to coat this chicken. It is delicious!
All the flavor in this dish is so amazing and delicious.
This had so much flavor! It was a huge hit!
Yum, the spices on here are perfect, so yummy!
Love this chicken recipe- SO GOOD!
So delicious, the whole family loved it! Tasted like it took more work than it did.