Chicken with Chorizo & Manchego

This is a dish where fat does the work. Chorizo melts into the pan, chicken stays moist by cooking gently in its own juices, and Manchego finishes everything with a salty, rounded note instead of heaviness.

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs or thick chicken breast pieces
• Chorizo sausage, sliced
• Olive oil (only if needed)
• 1 small onion, sliced
• Garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• Smoked paprika
• Black pepper
• Manchego cheese, grated or shaved
• Fresh parsley or thyme

Instructions

1. Start with a cold pan. Add the sliced chorizo and place it over medium heat so the fat renders slowly. Remove the chorizo once it turns glossy and fragrant, leaving the fat behind.
2. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Place it in the same pan and cook gently, letting it take on flavor without browning too hard.
3. Add the onion and garlic around the chicken. Lower the heat and let everything soften together, keeping the pan partially covered.
4. Sprinkle in smoked paprika and return the chorizo to the pan. Spoon the juices over the chicken as it cooks — this is what keeps it juicy.
5. When the chicken is cooked through but still moist, turn off the heat.
6. Scatter Manchego over the top and cover briefly, just until the cheese softens.
7. Finish with fresh herbs and serve immediately.

Tips:

• Chicken thighs stay juicier than breasts, but both work if heat is controlled.
• Don’t add extra oil unless the chorizo is very lean.
• Manchego should melt gently, not bubble.

Related recipes: Creamy Chicken in Gentle Sauce, Shrimp & Mango Sandwich, Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemon Cream & Greens