Easy Breakfast Chorizo Paella with Bacon and Eggs
A comforting hearty breakfast is great for the soul every now and then. My Easy Breakfast Chorizo Paella with Bacon and Eggs is the best way to enjoy traditional paella plus classic eggs and bacon.
This aromatic breakfast paella is perfect for any brunch menu and is a great alternative to eggs Benedict.
Home cooks don’t fear- Paella is easier than you think! All you need is a large Paella pan or a large cast iron skillet.
Why this recipe works
- The flavors are amazing yet simple.
- This breakfast paella can be enjoyed anytime of the day as a main course or as a sharable side dish for a large group.
- Versatility: Paella can cater to different tastes and dietary choices. If you want to make it vegetarian, you can. Or add in different meats or seafood.
- Paella brings a certain festiveness to the table.
- Anything topped with bacon is a yes!
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If you’re ready for more paella, be sure to check out my Foolproof Chicken and Seafood Paella.
Ingredients for Breakfast Paella
- Extra virgin olive oil.
- Red bell pepper.
- Sweet onion. Red onion or white onion can be used as well.
- Chorizo. Chorizo is packed with flavor! You can always change up the meat mixture by adding chicken breasts or chicken thighs or thowing in some seafood.
- Garlic cloves.
- Arborio rice. Short grain rice or Calasparra rice also works.
- Chicken broth.
- Saffron threads. This is the key ingredient to paella.
- Spices: dried oregano, paprika, ground thyme, dried rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Eggs. The eggs can be prepared any which way you want. I prefer over easy because the runny egg yolk is delicious with the paella.
- Bacon. Crispy bacon crumbles finish off this breakfast paella.
- Italian parsley.
How to make
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, add the chicken stock and saffron threads. Let the chicken broth heat up but not boil.
2. Over medium heat, add about a tablespoon of olive oil into a large paella pan. Add the red peppers and onions. Turn down the heat just a bit and saute for 10 minutes or until the vegetables start to sweat. Season with a touch of salt and pepper. Transfer the peppers and onions to a plate and set aside.
3.Add another teaspoon or so of olive oil to the pan. Add the ground chorizo. Break up the meat with a large wooden spoon. Cook the chorizo until brown about 10 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a plate and set aside.
4. Add another teaspoon of olive oil (if needed) to the pan and add back the peppers and onions. Also add the garlic and spices. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add the chorizo back to the pan along with the arborio rice. Stir gently for a couple of minutes.
5. Pour 3 cups of the hot broth into the pan. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 12 minutes. Gently stir so the bottom of the pan doesn’t burn.
6. Then add the remaining chicken broth and let it continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes. Let the rice cook and gently stir. Place the paella in the oven to finish off cooking- for 10 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the oven when it’s done. Let the cooked paella sit for 15 minutes, so that the rice can continue to cook.
8. Top with eggs of your choice, bacon crumbles and parsley.
9. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up 3 days.
Helpful tips for Breakfast Chorizo Paella with Bacon and Eggs
Paella has a lot of prep work and is something you definitely want to plan out. You can cut up the peppers and onions the night before. You can cook up the chorizo ahead of time as well.
When making the breakfast paella, add the broth in batches and mix it up so the seasonings don’t burn in the bottom of the skillet. The paella rice needs additional cooking time and is to be finished off in the oven. When you pull the rice out of the oven, let it sit for an additional 10-15 minutes.
To make this vegetarian paella, use vegetable broth instead of chicken and omit the chorizo and sub with your favorite vegetables.
When choosing a paella pan: A 15 inch pan will serve 8 people and works on the stove top. There are other sizes available. If you are using a carbon steel pan, it is very important that you don’t air dry it. After you wash it, be sure to dry it right away and then “season” it by rubbing it with vegetable oil. When you are ready to use it again, simply remove the oil by washing it with hot soapy water. Fully dry it before use. If you don’t have a Paella pan, you can use a large skillet that is oven proof or cast iron skillet. The main thing is to have the pan be shallow, wide and oven safe.
I don’t season the eggs in this paella since the chorizo and bacon both have lots of sodium.
Serve with the eggs of your choice. Not everyone in my family likes the runny yolk, so I cook scrambled for them and over easy for myself. Other ways to prepare eggs are to poach them or use hard boiled eggs and slice them on top of the paella.
Bacon is best cooked in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 10-14 minutes.
Serving suggestions
Prawns are a nice addition to breakfast paella. Serve with lemon wedges. Fresh prawns with the shell on look nice for presentation purposes. Scallops are yummy too.
Green beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and peas are delicious in paella.
Serve with breakfast beverages such as orange juice, mimosa’s or white wine.
If serving this as a part of a tapas style brunch, try it with my Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese Empanadas, Braised Italian Bison Meatballs, or my White Sangria Mocktail.
Recipe inspiration
I was inspired by a vegetarian breakfast paella I had recently while traveling to Canada. They made theirs with orzo and it was more of a tomato sauce base and was loaded with delicious vegetables.
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Easy Breakfast Chorizo Paella with Bacon and Eggs
Equipment
- medium sauce pan
- large wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 medium sweet onion sliced
- 1 pound chorizo
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 24 ounces chicken broth
- pinch saffron threads
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 5 large eggs over easy or cooked to your liking
- 5 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley minced
- kosher salt as needed
- black pepper as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, add the chicken broth and saffron threads. Let the chicken broth heat up but not boil.
- Over medium heat, add about a tablespoon of olive oil into a large paella pan. Add the peppers and onions. Turn down the heat just a bit and saute for 10 minutes or until the vegetables start to sweat. Season with a touch of salt and pepper. Transfer the peppers and onions to a plate and set aside.
- Add another teaspoon or so of olive oil to the pan. Add the ground chorizo. Break up the meat with a large woode spoon. Cook the chorizo until brown about 10 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a plate and set aside.
- Add another teaspoon of olive oil (if needed) to the pan and add back the peppers and onions. Also add the garlic and spices. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add the chorizo back to the pan along with the arborio rice. Stir gently for a couple of minutes.
- Pour 3 cups of the hot broth into the pan. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 12 minutes. Gently stir so the bottom doesn't burn in the pan.
- Then add the remaining chicken broth and let it continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Let the rice cook and gently stir. Place the paella in the oven to finish off cooking- for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven when it's done. Let the cooked Paella sit for 15 minutes, so that the rice can continue to cook.
- Top with eggs over easy, bacon crumbles and parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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