Elevate your weeknight dinners with a flavourful twist on classic egg-fried rice. Chorizo Fried Rice is a delicious family meal that’s super quick and easy.
I absolutely adore fried rice. Whether it’s an easy way to use up leftover meat and vegetables or a super simple family tea with chicken nuggets or Ikea veggie balls on top, it’s easy, yummy, and filling, and you can throw everything and anything in!
Most of my fried rice recipes follow a family-similar pattern. Meat, frozen veg, rice, eggs, soy sauce and hoisin. Maybe a little Chinese Five Spice if I’m feeling funky!
This chorizo fried rice is a little bit different. The oil from the chorizo means that the rice will be red and lightly spiced, which wouldn’t work with those traditional Chinese fried rice flavours.
These oils also mean you don’t need to add sauces or butter. So, I just add some spices to heighten the chorizo flavour, and that’s about it.
*This post may contain affiliate links to products I find useful when making this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.*
Why I Love Chorizo Fried Rice
Chorizo fried rice is a fantastic midweek meal because:
- It’s quick and easy.
- It uses store-cupboard ingredients.
- This easy chorizo fried rice recipe is cheap.
- It’s a little spicy, but not too much.
- Fried rice with chorizo is a fantastic way to use leftover white rice (as long as it’s been stored safely and is suitable for eating!).
- It’s an absolutely delicious main course and fantastic comfort food.
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Ingredients For Chorizo Fried Rice
When I make this recipe for chorizo fried rice, I use:
Chorizo
Onion
Garlic Puree
Bell Pepper – I used green on this occasion, but any will do.
Frozen Peas
Cooked Rice – I cook my rice for a few minutes less than specified in the packet instructions. I like a bit of bite; if it’s overcooked, it will go mushy in the pan. I use white but you could use wholewheat.
Smoked Paprika
Chilli Powder
Cumin
Salt and Black Pepper
Eggs – I love chorizo fried rice with egg.
You’ll Also Need
All you need to make this fried rice recipe is a chopping board and knife to prepare your ingredients, something to cook your rice (saucepan or rice cooker) and a large non-stick frying pan and spatula to cook.
Nothing fancy!
How to Make Chorizo Fried Rice – Step-by-Step Instructions
Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One
Cook the rice to packet instructions, but for a few minutes less, so it has an al dente texture. Drain and leave to cool while you prepare your other ingredients.
Step Two
Warm a large flameproof, non-stick frying pan over medium heat on the hob.
Step Three
Add the chorizo and fry for five minutes, stirring often, until it’s released lots of oil. Doing this first means that you don’t need to use olive oil or any other cooking oils.
Step Four
Add the diced onion and fry for five more minutes, stirring often until they are starting to soften.
Step Five
Stir through the garlic puree. If you use fresh garlic, fry for a few minutes; if you use puree, you can move straight to the next step.
Step Six
Add the pepper and fry for another five minutes, stirring often.
Step Seven
Stir in the frozen peas.
Step Eight
Add the rice, paprika, chilli, cumin, salt and pepper and stir well.
Step Nine
Make a well in the centre of the pan and crack in the eggs.
Step Ten
Fold through well, constantly moving the rice to scramble the eggs in.
Step Eleven
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often until the rice is piping hot and the eggs are totally cooked.
Serve immediately.
Top Tips
For the perfect fried rice, my top tips are:
- Use a good quality non-stick pan.
- Keep the rice and egg moving. This will stop it from sticking and help you get that nice eggy texture.
- Make sure your chorizo has had a chance to release lots of oil before you add anything else.
- Use cold rice. It just works better.
- Make sure the rice is piping hot before serving.
Serving Suggestions
I serve my fried rice as it is straight out of the pan. There’s rice, meat, eggs, and veggies; it’s a one pot meal that covers everything.
Variations
There are a few things that you can do differently.
Scramble the Eggs Separately
I scramble mine straight into the pan to minimise time and washing up.
But a lot of recipes scramble the eggs first and set them to one side to fold in later. This way is probably a bit easier, and the egg is less likely to stick to the pan. But I don’t think it spreads through the rice as well, and you can end up with some pretty big eggy bits.
Another option is cooking it my way but whisking the eggs in a jug before tipping them in.
Add Chicken
Chicken and chorizo fried rice would be lovely. Brown diced chicken breasts first, remove them from the pan, and then add them back in with the rice. Make sure they are cooked through and piping hot before serving.
Add Prawns
I haven’t actually done this one, but prawn and chorizo is a great combination, and I’m sure chorizo and prawn fried rice would be incredible.
Add cooked prawns with the rice and make sure they are piping hot before serving.
Change the Spice Level
This is a reasonably spicy chorizo fried rice. But it’s also a family-friendly chorizo fried rice.
I’d skip the chilli powder if you don’t want it to be as spicy. If you want it to be spicier, add an extra teaspoon of smoked paprika or a pinch of chilli flakes.
Leftovers
I don’t recommend saving leftover fried rice because you’ve already cooled and reheated the rice once, and generally, the more you reheat, the more risks there are.
Disclaimer: While I aim to be as accurate as possible, any advice in this post, including but not limited to, cooking times, quantities, nutritional information and storage and freezing guidance is based on my own experience. Please use your own skills, knowledge and judgement, and get up to date food safety information.
Storage
If you do want to save leftovers, make sure they are kept in a sealed tub in the fridge, don’t keep them for longer than a day, and make sure it’s piping hot before serving.
But again, I don’t recommend saving leftovers.
FAQ
Chorizo sausage can be spicy, but you can also get mild options.
I love chorizo with most things. It goes well with chicken, prawns, and halloumi cheese. I love it with rice and pasta dishes. Chorizo is a very versatile ingredient.
Yes, as long as your leftover rice has been stored safely and it’s piping hot when you serve it, you can make chorizo fried rice with leftover rice.
This simple chorizo fried rice is fairly healthy. It doesn’t use any extra oils and contains vegetables. But chorizo is quite fatty.
Other Recipes
If you like this chorizo fried rice recipe, you might also enjoy:
- Prawn and Chorizo Risotto
- Chicken and Chorizo Pie
- Sausage and Chorizo Casserole
- Halloumi and Chorizo Pasta
- Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya
- Chorizo and Butterbean Stew
- Prawn and Chorizo Pasta
- Chicken and Chorizo Pasta Bake
Recipe Card
Chorizo Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 225 g Chorizo (Sliced)
- 1/2 Onion (Finely Diced)
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Puree (Or two cloves crushed garlic)
- 1 Bell Pepper (Deseeded and Diced)
- 150 g Frozen Peas
- 200 g Cooked White Rice (Cook to an al dente texture, drain, and leave to cool. 200g is the uncooked weight)
- 2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
- Pinch Salt and pepper
- 2 Eggs
Instructions
- Warm a large flameproof, non-stick frying pan over medium heat on the hob.
- Add the chorizo and fry for five minutes, stirring often.
- Add the diced onion and fry for five more minutes, stirring often until they are starting to soften.
- Stir through the garlic puree.
- Add the pepper and fry for another five minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the frozen peas.
- Add the rice, paprika, chilli, cumin, salt and pepper and stir well.
- Make a well in the centre of the pan and crack in the eggs.
- Fold through well, constantly moving the rice to scramble the eggs in.
- Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often until the rice is piping hot and the eggs are totally cooked.
Notes
- Read the post above for tips and advice, especially if you’d rather scramble the eggs separately.
Nutrition
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
