Midweek hug in a bowl

A great midweek-er, this chicken and chorizo winter warmer uses great flavours and hearty beans.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Serves: 2 – 3
Difficulty: easy
Ideal for: midweek meal, weekend meal, winter warmer

A Hug-in-a-Bowl Kind of Supper

Some dishes wrap themselves around you like a big, woolly jumper, and Chicken, Chorizo winter warmer is one of them.

It’s the sort of meal that quietly bubbles away, filling the kitchen with smoky warmth and the promise of comfort. A proper winter midweek hero.

And with some lovely butter beans soaking up the flavours of the broth and chorizo flavours, how can you go wrong.

Imagine paprika drifting through the air, the richness of beans softening into the sauce, and chicken turning wonderfully tender as everything melds together.

The Beauty of High-Welfare Chicken

Let’s start with the chicken, because it truly makes the difference.

Choosing high-welfare, slow-grown chicken isn’t just the ethical route — it’s the flavour-forward one. Birds that live better lives develop meat with texture, juiciness, and real savoury depth.

Industrialised chicken, by comparison, can taste diluted and lack structure.

And more importantly, the birds have a better life if they can run around outside instead of being cooped up.

In a hearty dish like this, you want chicken that can hold its own alongside bold chorizo and hearty beans — and high-welfare chicken does exactly that. It brings honesty and character to the pot.

Chorizo: The Mighty Flavour Bomb

Then comes chorizo — that glorious, brick-red sausage that transforms the pot with its paprika-rich oils.

As it cooks, those vibrant, smoky oils seep into every corner of the dish, giving the beans their creamy richness and the chicken its fiery warmth. Chorizo is the magic ingredient that turns simple winter staples into something deeply satisfying.

Cooking Chorizo vs Cured Chorizo: What’s the Difference?

A quick word on the chorizo itself — because not all chorizo is created equal, and choosing the right one makes all the difference.

Cooking chorizo (sometimes called fresh chorizo):

Soft, raw, and needs cooking
Juicy, tender, and releases lots of paprika-infused oil
Perfect for dishes where you want that oil to form the base of the sauce
Mild or spicy varieties, both great in a stew

Cured chorizo (the firm, ready-to-eat type):

Air-dried and doesn’t need cooking
Firmer, more intense in flavour, slightly drier
Great for slicing into salads, tapas plates, or as a topping
Can be added to cooking, but won’t release as much oil

For this dish, cooking chorizo is the star — it melts into the pan, seasons the beans beautifully, and creates that deep, smoky foundation you want in a winter warmer.

Beans That Pull Their Weight

Beans may be humble, but here they’re the quiet heroes.

They soften, thicken, and greedily drink up all that paprika-rich stock.

Their creaminess balances the spicy chorizo and savoury chicken, giving the dish body and comfort.

On a cold night, there’s nothing more grounding than a bowl full of beans doing exactly what they do best

Why It’s the Perfect Winter Midweek Meal

This is everything you want on a chilly evening — warming, rustic, simple, and deeply flavourful.

It doesn’t demand much from you: a bit of chopping, a gentle simmer, and suddenly your kitchen smells like a cosy escape from the weather outside.

It tastes like you’ve put in hours, but it’s weeknight-friendly. A pot you’ll want to revisit all winter long.

A Dish That Brings Everyone to the Table

Chicken, chorizo and beans is the sort of meal people hover over before you’ve even called them to the table.

It’s generous, bold, comforting, and crowd-pleasing, especially when served with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Proof that winter cooking doesn’t need to be complicated — it just needs heart and good ingredients.

Print Pin