Basque Style Braised Chicken and Chorizo (Chicken Basquaise)

Today, we’re making Basque Style Braised Chicken and Chorizo – a truly spectacular one-pan meal that will knock your socks clean off.

Occasionally I will share a recipe that breaks my “10 ingredients and under” rule to which I typically adhere on My Kitchen Little. I usually only do that when I’m honoring a classic recipe or a dish that was never mine to begin with. I love to walk around the world via the food I cook in my kitchen, and trying recipes and dishes from other cultures and countries will never not be my favorite thing to do, cooking wise.

So today, we’re going to the Basque Country – the beautiful pocket of northern Spain – and were diving into a big pan of gorgeous, flavor-packed Chicken Basquiase. This is a winner if ever there was one …

If there is one type of recipe that tends to pop up here more than any other, it is a one-pan chicken recipe. No doubt about it. I reach for chicken more than any other protein due to its wide availability, affordability, and universal appeal to each member of my little family. So, if you are thinking to yourself Dang! This gal really shares a ton of chicken recipes …

Then, you’re right. I do. And I don’t suppose I’ll let up any time soon. Today’s recipe – this unreal Chicken Basquaise – is such a cool one. It marries the flavors of spicy chorizo sausage with my favorite chicken thighs, and calls upon the aromatic assistance of things like crushed garlic, onion, thyme and bay leaves (optional but lovely), tomatoes and tomato paste, and for a slightly sweet note – an apple.

Yes! There is a chopped apple in the mix as well, and I think the traditional Basque approach would have you serve fresh apple right on top of the finished dish, but I loved the idea of cooking it right into the braising liquid, along with the savory elements, and it adds the perfect subtle note of sweetness.

Basque Style Braised Chicken and Chorizo: The Breakdown

The ingredients list for this one might read a little bit longer than my recipes usually do, but it’s still an affordable, quick-to-make, one-pan meal that comes together really easily. Here’s how we do it:

What you’ll need:

Olive oil, for cooking

4 or 5 chorizo sausage links

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Salt and pepper, as needed

1 large Spanish onion, sliced

2 cups (give or take) halved baby gold potatoes (quartered if they’re huge)

6 or 7 sprigs of thyme (optional)

¾ cup diced apple

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 TBSP tomato paste

1.5 cups dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

9 or 10 jarred piquillo peppers roughly chopped (you can sub roasted red peppers, if you can’t find)

1 tsp smoked paprika

Toasted crusty bread for sopping up the juices

What are Piquillo Peppers?

Piquillo peppers are a Spanish sweet red pepper (no heat!) and they’re widely available in supermarkets today – you’ll find them in a jar. If you have trouble finding them in your store, though, you can substitute roasted red peppers. They’ll work just fine.

Oh, and “piquillo” means “little beak.”

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
2. Add about 1 TBSP olive oil to a large, tall-sided/heavy-bottomed skillet set over med-high heat. Brown the chorizo on all sides until golden brown; about 8 to 10 minutes total. NOTE: I use a splatter screen or just the pan lid during this part, as sausage tends to really sputter and spit as it cooks. 
3. Transfer the chorizo to a sheet pan or tray, and add a little more oil to the pan (if needed). Season the chicken thighs lightly with salt and pepper, and brown them on each side; about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the tray with the sausage, for now. Reduce the heat to medium and again, add a little more oil if needed. Add the onion, potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, apple, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, to help the veggies tenderize. 
4. Add the wine to the pan and stir to pick up any browned bits on the bottom. Add the chicken stock and the piquillo peppers to the pan; just tuck them in. Slide the sausages and chicken thighs into the pan, submerging them as best you can. Sprinkle with the smoked paprika. 
5. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully tender and the sausages are done in the centers. Serve with crusty bread for sopping. 

If you like the looks of this Basque Style Braised Chicken and Chicken and Chorizo (Chicken Basquaise), you might also enjoy:

Six-Ingredient Simplified Chicken Marbella

Filipino Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice

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