Risotto is a brilliant comfort food. This Prawn and Chorizo Risotto is tasty, filling, and easy to make. Perfect for a date night dinner or a family feast.
I love risotto. It’s comforting and can seem a little fancy, but as long as you’re not snobby about it and ignore some of the ‘rules,’ it’s actually really easy to make.
My kids like risotto too, so they often feature in our meal plans, but with this one, if I’m honest, they’d probably avoid the prawns.
Alternatively, risotto with prawns would make a fantastic date night dinner if you wanted to half this recipe.
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Why I Love this Prawn and Chorizo Risotto Recipe
I really love this Chorizo and Prawn Risotto, and I hope you will, too, because:
- It’s a fairly Healthy Prawn and Chorizo Risotto.
- If we ignore the pan to keep the stock warm, it’s a one pot dinner.
- It’s absolutely delicious.
- Prawns and chorizo go together really well.
- It’s super warming and tasty. Ideal for cold nights.
- Risotto is impressive but easier than you think.
Ingredients for Prawn and Chorizo Risotto
When I make this Simple Prawn and Chorizo Risotto recipe, I use:
Chorizo – I use spicy, but any kind is fine.
Red Onion
Arborio Rice
White Wine – You can skip this if you prefer, but it adds a lovely flavour.
Chicken Stock – Veg stock is okay, too.
King Prawns – I buy chilled, peeled, cooked prawns, so they just need warming up. You can use little ones, too. If you use uncooked prawns, make sure you follow packet instructions and that they are piping hot before serving.
Spinach
Butter
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
You’ll Also Need
I cook my prawn and chorizo risotto in my large cast-iron dish, but any large, non-stick, flameproof frying pan (preferably with a lid) is fine too.
I prefer a large cast iron dish instead of a smaller one so that my risotto cooks in a thin layer instead of deep.
You’ll also need a large saucepan to keep your stock warm, a spatula to stir, and a sharp knife and chopping board to prepare your chorizo prawn risotto.
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.
How to Make Prawn and Chorizo Risotto – 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 – Prepare
Dice the chorizo and red onion, and make the stock. I make my stock with water from the kettle in a large saucepan and then keep it warm on a very low heat on the hob.
Step Two
In a large, non-stick, flameproof pan or dish, fry the chorizo for around 3 minutes over medium heat until it’s released lots of oil and you can smell it.
Step Three
Add the onion and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often.
Step Four
Reduce to medium/low heat, add the rice and stir well for 2-3 minutes.
Step Five
Pour in the wine and simmer for around 3 minutes, stirring constantly until the rice has absorbed all the wine.
Step Six
Add the stock ladle at a time, stirring very often. Wait until the rice has absorbed most of the stock before adding the next ladle.
It should take around 30 minutes to use up all of the stock.
Step Seven
After the last ladle, while there’s still some liquid, stir through butter and black pepper before adding the prawns and spinach.
Step Eight
Turn the heat right down and cover for 3-5 minutes, until the prawns are piping hot and the spinach has wilted. Stir well and serve.
Top Tips
I’m not as fussy as some people when making risotto, so I apologise if my method isn’t authentic. But I like it.
I also believe that you should cook to your taste. I like my risotto to have a bit of bite and still be a little bit saucy. If you prefer very soft rice or a drier risotto, add more stock and cook for a little longer.
- You need to stir the rice for a Creamy Prawn and Chorizo Risotto, but you don’t need to stir constantly or vigorously. Simmering will agitate the rice, letting it do a lot of the work for you. Stir to make sure it doesn’t catch to the pan, but don’t worry if you need a break, and don’t think you have to toss it about like mad.
- Keeping the stock warm on the hob means that you don’t have to heat each ladle up as you add it. This speeds things up a lot.
- Don’t rinse the rice before adding.
- I don’t like my risotto to be soupy or totally dry. For the right consistency, I run my spatula down the middle of my dish. It leaves a groove, which fills slowly.
- If you think you need to add a little extra liquid to stop it from sticking when you cover it after adding the prawns and spinach, pour in a little water.
Serving Suggestions
Chorizo and Prawn Risotto could be served with something like salad or garlic bread, but to be honest, I often have it how it comes.
Variations
There are a few variations. Because I fry my chorizo first, I don’t use olive oil. If you fry your onions first, you’ll need a little oil or spray.
Add peas for a Prawn Chorizo and Pea Risotto.
Brown and add some diced chicken for a Chicken Chorizo and Prawn Risotto.
You might also want to add Parmesan cheese before serving. I don’t think it needs it.
Cherry tomatoes could make a great addition, either instead of or as well as spinach. I’d cut them in half and grill for a few minutes before adding.
Leftover Prawn and Chorizo Risotto
You can reheat prawns, so if you want to save your leftovers, reheat in the microwave or with a bit of water or stock on the hob. Either way, make sure your rice and prawns are piping hot, and only save for 1-2 days.
Personally, I don’t like reheating prawns, and I think the rice goes quite mushy when it’s cooked again, so I try to eat it all the first time and don’t keep leftovers.
Storage
If you are saving leftovers, remove them from the cooking dish and place them in a clean tub or bowl. Leave to cool on the side before covering and putting in the fridge. I’d only keep it for a day or two, and wouldn’t freeze.
Don’t ever freeze if your prawns were frozen in the first place.
FAQ
Risotto is generally made of rice, stock, veggies and often meat.
Risotto is a rice dish.
You can add almost anything to risotto. I love chicken. Mushrooms are great. Even sausages work well. You can also make a veggie risotto and serve it as a side dish.
Adding stock slowly and stirring often will help you to get an excellent creamy risotto.
Risotto is something that should be cooked slowly, but you don’t want to turn the hob right down, or it will take forever to cook. I start on medium heat and reduce very slightly when adding the rice. If it seems to be taking a very long time for your stock to absorb, or it’s never reaching a simmer (each ladle should take a couple of minutes), turn the temperature up a little, but make sure you are stirring to avoid sticking.
Adding the stock slowly helps the rice to release lots of starch, helping to create a creamy texture and flavour.
No, you need the starch.
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
If you enjoy this chorizo risotto recipe, you might also like:
- Leftover Roast Chicken Risotto
- Leftover Turkey Risotto
- Chicken and Chorizo Risotto
- Sausage Risotto
- Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya
- Prawn and Chorizo Pasta
- Chorizo Fried Rice
- Butternut Squash and Chorizo Risotto
Recipe Card
Prawn and Chorizo Risotto
Ingredients
- 200 g Chorizo (Diced into small chunks)
- 1 Red Onion (Finely diced)
- 250 g Arborio Rice
- 200 ml White Wine
- 1 litre Chicken Stock (Kept warm in a large saucepan over low heat on the hob)
- 300 g King Prawns (or a combination of king and smaller)
- 150 g Spinach
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- Good Pinch Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a large, non-stick, flameproof pan or dish, fry the chorizo for around 3 minutes over medium heat until it’s released lots of oil and you can smell it.
- Add the onion and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Reduce to medium/low heat, add the rice and stir well for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and simmer for around 3 minutes, stirring constantly until the rice has absorbed the liquid.
- Add the stock ladle at a time, stirring very often. Wait until the rice has absorbed most of the stock before adding the next ladle.
- It should take around 30 minutes to use up all of the stock.
- After the last ladle, while there’s still some liquid, stir through butter and black pepper before adding the prawns and spinach.
- Turn the heat right down and cover for 3-5 minutes, until the prawns are piping hot and the spinach has wilted.
- Stir well and serve.
Notes
- I use cooked, peeled prawns that only need warming up. If you are using raw prawns, they’ll need cooking for longer. Read the packet instructions and make sure they are piping hot before serving.
- Turn the temperature up if it’s taking a long time for the rice to absorb the stock or the liquid isn’t simmering.
- I cook in a large cast-iron dish.
- Read the post above for more tips and advice.
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.
