Skip the Boring Chicken and Rice and Whip Up This Easy One-Pan Paella Instead
Bring a little Spanish flair to your dinner table with a colorful, spice-loaded skillet that takes zero effort.
Forget about washing a mountain of pots and pans because this colorful dinner comes together entirely in a single skillet. You get juicy pieces of chicken, sweet bell peppers, and tender rice all simmered in a gorgeous, savory broth that smells incredible before you even take your first bite.
Ingredients: 1.1 pounds of chicken breast, 1½ cups of white rice, 2 cups of chicken broth, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 medium carrot, 1 white onion, 2 cloves of garlic, a generous ½ cup of canned green peas, 3 handfuls of pitted black olives, 3 pinches of saffron threads, and 4 pinches of curry powder.
To start, prep your ingredients so everything is ready to hit the pan. Rinse the chicken breast and chop it into bite-sized cubes. Finely dice the white onion and the garlic cloves. Core both the red and yellow bell peppers, then chop them into small pieces roughly the size of a green pea. Peel the carrot and slice it into thin rounds or half-moons.
For the ultimate flavor boost, crumble your saffron threads straight into the hot chicken broth ahead of time. Pull the broth off the heat and let it steep for about 30 minutes so it develops a deep, golden color and rich aroma.
Place a large, deep, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Toss in the diced onion and sauté for a few minutes until it turns soft and translucent.
Add the sliced carrots, diced chicken breast, and chopped bell peppers to the skillet. Cook everything together, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the chicken changes color and the veggies start to soften. Stir in the finely chopped garlic during the last minute of cooking so it doesn't burn.
Pour the uncooked rice directly into the skillet with the meat and vegetables, then stream in the saffron-infused chicken broth. Stir well, bring the entire pan to a rolling boil, and season generously with salt, curry powder, and a blend of hot ground peppers to taste.
Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan, and let everything simmer for about 20 minutes until the rice absorbs the liquid and gets completely tender. Exactly halfway through the simmering time (at the 10-minute mark), lift the lid to scatter the black olives and green peas across the top, gently folding them into the rice. Serve the paella piping hot straight from the skillet.
