Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
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What’s not to love about this creamy chicken and chorizo pasta? It’s quick, easy, and made in one-pan (aka easy cleanup!). This chicken chorizo pasta is a family favourite, so even the kids will love it.
This chicken and chorizo pasta includes a comforting, rich, creamy tomato sauce with addicting crispy chorizo bits. Keep this cooked pasta recipe in your back pocket for chilly or gloomy days.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
This cosy chicken and chorizo pasta is the perfect solution to gloomy or rainy days. It’s a comforting dish that’s decadent, flavourful, and full of protein. Plus, this chorizo and chicken pasta is picky-eater-approved!
This creamy chorizo pasta is ready in about 30 minutes (or less!), so it’s great for busy days during the week. It also reheats fairly well, so you can enjoy leftover chicken & chorizo pasta throughout the week for lunches.
The best part about this chorizo and chicken pasta recipe is that it’s cooked in one pan. This means you’ll have more time to spend with your family after enjoying this chicken and chorizo pasta recipe, as you’ll have minimal dishes in the sink.
If you have leftover chorizo, consider making one of these yummy recipes: Spanish Chorizo & Butterbean Slow Cooker Stew, 5 Ingredient Spaghetti Chorizo Carbonara, or Spanish Chicken & Chorizo Stew.
Ingredients
Chorizo Sausage
Using chorizo sausage adds a deliciously complex, slightly spicy, smoky flavour to the recipe. You can use pan-fried pancetta if you want a similar effect with a more subtle flavour.
Chicken Breast
I love using chicken breast in chicken and chorizo pasta since it helps keep the calories down a bit. However, if you want a more decadent dish, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.
Fresh Basil
Fresh basil is a great way to add a pop of colour and fresh flavour to chicken and chorizo pasta recipes. You can also use fresh parsley if you wish.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
There are many ways to create a creamy chicken chorizo pasta that fits your taste preferences! Here are a few of my favourite ways to change up this chorizo chicken pasta.
Baby spinach or extra veggies
Create a more healthy chicken and chorizo pasta by tossing extra veg into the dish, like baby spinach or kale. This will add more nutrients to the recipe.
Different pastas you can use
Aim for shorter noodles with texture, as they hold the sauce well. Fusilli, rigatoni, and penne pasta are great options for this dish.
Vegetarian option
If you want a meat-free meal, swap the chorizo with a soy-based version and skip the chicken or use a plant-based chicken alternative. The other ingredients (including the hard/parmesan cheese) are vegetarian-friendly.
Different chicken cuts
I prefer chicken breasts since they’re leaner, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. This swap will produce juicier bites of chicken.
Spice
Decrease or increase the heat level of this pasta recipe by using more or less chilli flakes.
Substitutions:
Heavy cream for half and half
If you prefer a lighter chicken and chorizo pasta, consider swapping heavy cream for half and half. It has fewer calories but still provides a rich consistency.
Spices
Create a more Mexican-inspired dish by incorporating spices like cumin, smoked paprika, and dried/fresh coriander. Depending on your preference, you can also use your favourite Italian spices.
Pastas
Gluten-free pasta will also work with this creamy pasta recipe.
Pork chorizo for chicken chorizo
Instead of using pork chorizo, reach for chicken chorizo for a healthier version of this pasta recipe.
What do you need to make this chicken and chorizo recipe?
Pasta
You can use any type of noodles for this chicken and chorizo pasta. I prefer using spirali noodles, as they hold onto sauces well.
Chorizo
Smoked/sliced chorizo and chorizo crumbles will work for this recipe. However, I recommend using raw chorizo crumbles as the grease adds flavour to the dish.
Chicken
Ensure you chop the chicken into smaller pieces so it cooks through. Adding full chicken breasts to the recipe means you’ll likely have a raw middle since it’s a stovetop one-pan recipe.
Tomato
This recipe calls for tomato puree. However, you can add fresh tomatoes, like grape or cherry, for a burst of flavour.
Red Pepper
Using red bell peppers helps create a beautiful colour in the dish. However, you can use bell peppers of any colour and still enjoy a delicious dish.
Red Onion
Red onions help create a slightly spicy taste in this dish. Since they’re only cooking for a few minutes, you’ll want to chop them as small as possible so they cook through.
Herbs
Like many chicken and chorizo recipes (pasta included), adding fresh herbs is a great way to bring a fresh flavour. They help balance out the richness of the chorizo and creamy sauce. Parsley and basil work great with this recipe.
Heavy cream
Cream helps create the deliciously decadent sauce. If you prefer a lighter sauce, consider using half and half for slightly fewer calories per serving.
How do you make creamy chicken and chorizo pasta?
- Start by adding the chorizo into a large frying pan over a low heat. Gently fry to allow the fat to render from the chorizo for around 7 minutes (Image 1).
- Remove ⅓ of the crispy chorizo from the pan to use as a topping, then add the onion and chicken into the pan. Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Fry for around 5 minutes, then add the paprika, dried parsley, garlic and tomato puree to fry for 3 minutes (Image 2).
3. During this time, add your spirali to heavily salted boiling water. Set your timer to the packet time minus 2 minutes (Image 3).
4. Add 4 ladles of pasta water into the pan with the chicken & chorizo. Stir to combine, then add the cream and hard cheese (Image 4).
5. Transfer the undercooked pasta & spinach into the pan with a few more ladles of pasta water. Stir to combine and continue to cook for 2 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and glossy (Image 5).
6. To serve, top with the crispy reserved chorizo, chilli flakes and optional fresh basil (Image 6).
Tips for the best result
Brown the chorizo first
Since you’ll be using raw chorizo for this chicken and chorizo creamy pasta, it’s essential to cook the chorizo first. This step helps provide crispy chorizo bits and ensures you aren’t eating undercooked sausage.
Remove some of the grease from fattier chorizo
Not all chorizo is made the same. Some chorizo leaves behind more grease than others. If your pan has too much grease left over, feel free to soak up some of it with a paper towel when making this chicken and chorizo pasta (creamy sauce version).
Leave some chorizo grease behind
While it’s okay to soak up some of the grease when making chicken and chorizo pasta, leaving some behind to cook with is essential. The grease in this easy chicken and chorizo pasta recipe adds a lot of flavour to the other ingredients.
Consider making these other delightful chorizo dishes during the week: One Pot Chorizo and Lentil Soup, Spicy Red Lentil and Chorizo Burgers, or Spicy Chorizo and Red Lentil Soup.
FAQs
This yummy chicken and chorizo pasta will stay good for up to three days in the fridge.
Simply reheat the chicken chorizo pasta recipe in the microwave for a few minutes until it’s warm all the way through. You may need to add a tablespoon of water so the pasta is not dry.
While it’s common for chorizo to be made from pork, some varieties are made with chicken, turkey, beef, or venison. Chorizo also includes a good amount of spices, which create a reddish colour and delicious flavour.
In some cases, you should remove the skin. In other cases, you can eat chorizo with the skin on. If you’re cooking with raw chorizo, you’ll want to remove the casing as it’s often made from plastic. Pre-cooked/smoked chorizo typically has an edible skin. Sometimes, this skin can be tough, so you may still want to remove it before eating.
You’ll know when chorizo is done when it is a darker colour than it started. There will also be some browning on the chorizo, it will be crunchy, and it will no longer be sticky.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the dish before microwaving the pasta. This will help ensure the sauce and noodles are not dried out while reheating.
When reheating the pasta sauce, use a small amount of water to keep it from separating. It’s also necessary to remove it occasionally from the microwave to stir the dish.
Add some greenery and nutrients to the menu by making one of these yummy salads with the chicken and chorizo pasta: The BEST Halloumi Salad, Panzanella Salad with Halloumi, or Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad.
Explore More Recipes
If you tried this Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
Ingredients
- 150 g chorizo sausage, sliced into small chunks (£2.50)
- 1 onion, finely diced (£0.15)
- 300 g chicken breast, sliced into thin chunks (£3.00)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (£0.39)
- 5 tbsp tomato puree (£0.65/2)=(£0.33)
- 500 spirali or pasta of choice (£0.75)
- 150 ml cream (£1.20/2)=(£0.60)
- 70 g hard cheese, finely grated (£1.74/2)=(£0.87)
- 150 g spinach (£1.00/2)=(£0.50)
- Optional fresh basil to serve
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt & Pepper
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- Chilli flakes
Method
- Start by adding the chorizo into a large frying pan over a low heat. Gently fry to allow the fat to render from the chorizo for around 7 minutes.
- Remove ⅓ of the crispy chorizo from the pan to use as a topping, then add the onion and chicken into the pan. Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Fry for around 5 minutes, then add the paprika, dried parsley, garlic and tomato puree to fry for 3 minutes.
- During this time, add your spirali to heavily salted boiling water. Set your timer to the packet time minus 2 minutes.
- Add 4 ladles of pasta water into the pan with the chicken & chorizo. Stir to combine, then add the cream and hard cheese.
- Transfer the undercooked pasta & spinach into the pan with a few more ladles of pasta water. Stir to combine and continue to cook for 2 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and glossy.
- Top with the crispy reserved chorizo, chilli flakes and optional fresh basil.
Notes
- Cook raw chorizo before adding other ingredients for crispy texture and to ensure it's fully cooked.
- Remove excess grease from fattier chorizo using a paper towel to control the oil content in the dish.
- Leave some chorizo grease in the pan, as it enhances the flavour of the chicken and chorizo pasta recipe.
Nutrition
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