Hearty Breakfast Paella with Chorizo, Bacon and Eggs

My Breakfast Paella with Chorizo, Bacon and Eggs is a hearty breakfast twist using class Spanish Paella. This Spanish rice dish comes together using Mexican chorizo, bacon and eggs along with fragrant spices. Home cooks don’t fear- Paella is easier than you think!

Original Post: December 2023 | Post Updated: October 2026

I was inspired by a vegetarian breakfast paella I had recently at a restaurant 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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Ingredients you’ll need

• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Red bell pepper.
• Sweet onion. Red onion or white onion can be used as well.
• Mexican Chorizo. Chorizo is packed with flavor and I try to use it every now and then with dishes like this Spanish Tortilla with Mexican Chorizo. You can always change up the meat mixture by adding chicken breasts or chicken thighs or throwing in seafood like in this Shrimp Shakshuka or use ground turkey just like this Ground Turkey Shakshuka. 
• 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 it 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 Breakfast Paella

Step One: 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. 

Step Two: Over medium heat, add about a tablespoon of olive oil into a large paella pan. Add the ground chorizo. Break up the meat with a large wooden spoon. Cook the chorizo until brown for about 10 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a plate and set aside. 

Step Three: Add another teaspoon or so of olive oil to the 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. 

Step Four:  Add another teaspoon of olive oil (if needed) to the pan and 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. 

Step Five: Pour 3 cups of the hot broth into the pan. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer uncovered for 12 minutes. Gently stir so the bottom of the pan doesn’t burn.

Step Six: 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. 

Step Seven: 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.

Step Eight: Top with eggs of your choice, bacon crumbles and parsley.  

Storing and reheating

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Helpful tips for Breakfast Paella

• 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. 

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.