Paella with chicken and chorizo
A hearty one-pan Spanish rice dish with chicken, sausage and vegetables.
Allergens: contains cereals containing gluten. Brands differ, so always check the labels on what you buy.
Per serving (approx.): 55g carbs · 5g sugars · 3g fibre. Estimates for carb counting, not medical advice. If you have diabetes, follow your GP or dietitian's advice.
Not every ingredient has a checked price at Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Morrisons, Iceland, so they aren't compared here.
Ingredients and prices
Swipe the table to see every supermarket.
| Ingredient | Tesco | Sainsbury's |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken thighsuse 500g | £2.991kg · £0.30 per 100g | £5.501.5kg · £0.37 per 100g |
| Sausagesnot compared | £1.79 | – |
| Long grain riceuse 300g | £1.25500g · £0.25 per 100g | £0.63480g · £0.13 per 100g |
| Chopped tomatoesuse 1 tin | £0.45227g | £0.45400g |
| Onionuse 1 large | £0.951kg · £0.10 per 100g | £0.953 pack · £0.32 each |
| Frozen mixed vegetablesuse 200g | £1.85240g · £0.77 per 100g | £1.651kg · £0.17 per 100g |
| Chicken stock cubesuse 1 cube | £1.001kg · £0.10 per 100g | £1.10100g · £1.10 per 100g |
| Spring onionsuse 3 | £0.69100g · £0.69 per 100g | £0.69100g · £0.69 per 100g |
| Basket total (full packs) | £9.18 | £10.97 |
| Cost of what this recipe uses | £4.79 | £3.77 |
| Per serving | £1.20 | £0.94 |
Not compared (a price wasn't found at every shop, so it isn't in the totals): Sausages.
From your cupboard
Not in the prices above. Check you have these before you start.
Prices checked on 3 October 2026 from each supermarket's own listing or a price-comparison site. Each shop's unit price (or pack size) is shown under its price, and "cost of what this recipe uses" compares like with like (tap a price to see its source). Cheapest in each row is ticked. Prices, offers and pack sizes change; loyalty-card prices are not included unless stated.
Method
The method is written for 4. For a different number, use the amounts in the table above.
- Prep: Chop the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Slice the sausages into rounds. Finely chop the onion. Trim and finely chop the spring onions, separating the white and green parts. Drain the tin of chopped tomatoes.
- Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large, deep frying pan (30cm) over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes, until browned and no pink remains. Remove from the pan and set aside. Medium 5-7 minutes Browned and no pink remains
- In the same pan, add the sliced sausages and cook for 3-4 minutes, until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. 3-4 minutes Browned
- Add the chopped onion to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables and cook for a further 2 minutes. 3-4 minutes (onion), 2 minutes (vegetables) Onion softened, vegetables heated through
- Stir in the rice, ensuring all grains are coated in the oil. Cook for 1 minute. 1 minute
- Pour in the drained chopped tomatoes and crumble in the chicken stock cube. Add 700ml of boiling water, season with salt and black pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the liquid has been absorbed. Low 20 minutes Rice cooked, liquid absorbed
- Stir in the cooked chicken, sausages, and the white parts of the spring onions. Cook for a further 5 minutes, until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. 5 minutes Heated through
- Sprinkle the green parts of the spring onions over the paella and serve immediately. Green spring onions scattered on top
Tips
- To make it cheaper, use chicken drumsticks instead of thighs and swap the sausages for chorizo.
- To batch-cook, prepare the paella as instructed, then cool, portion, and freeze. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat until steaming hot.
- To reheat safely, ensure the paella is steaming hot throughout before serving.
Nothing wasted: your leftover ingredients
Supermarkets sell set pack sizes, so you'll have some ingredients left. Here's how to keep them, and other recipes here that use them up.
- Chicken thighs · about 500g left
Freeze the raw meat you don't use, well wrapped and labelled, before its use-by date. Defrost in the fridge and cook within 24 hours. Use it in: One-pan chicken, potatoes and veg, Chicken and Sweet Potato Tray Bake, Chicken Stroganoff. - Sausages · about 800g left
Freeze the raw meat you don't use, well wrapped and labelled, before its use-by date. Defrost in the fridge and cook within 24 hours. Use it in: Pork and Vegetable Fried Rice, Pork Stir Fry, Spaghetti carbonara. - Long grain rice · about 700g left
Dry stores keep for months sealed in the cupboard, so nothing goes to waste. Use it in: Egg fried rice, Cheesy Bean & Rice Casserole, Jerk chicken with rice and peas. - Onion · about 775g left
Chop the rest and freeze it flat in a bag: it cooks straight from frozen in soups, curries and sauces. Whole onions keep for weeks somewhere cool, dark and dry. Use it in: Chilli con carne, Egg fried rice, Creamy Tomato & Hidden Veg Pasta Bake. - Frozen mixed vegetables · about 800g left
Keep the rest frozen: just reseal the bag. Use it in: Lentil and vegetable soup, Creamy Tomato & Hidden Veg Pasta Bake, Slow Cooker Lentil Chilli. - Chicken stock cubes · about 90g left
Keeps for months in the cupboard once sealed. Use it in: Lentil and vegetable soup, Slow Cooker Lentil Chilli, Creamy Chicken Risotto. - Spring onions · about 155g left
Chop the rest and freeze it flat in a bag: it cooks straight from frozen in soups, curries and sauces. Whole onions keep for weeks somewhere cool, dark and dry. Use it in: Chilli con carne, Egg fried rice, Creamy Tomato & Hidden Veg Pasta Bake.
Storing leftovers
Cool leftovers and put them in the fridge or freezer within 1–2 hours. Eat fridge leftovers within 2 days, or freeze them. Defrost in the fridge and reheat only once, until steaming hot all the way through (Food Standards Agency guidance).