• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • meet the team
  • blogger resources
  • Contact Me
My Account
Member Dashboard
40 Aprons Premium (Ad Free!)

40 Aprons

Delicious, Healthy-ish Meals for the Whole Family

  • All Recipes
  • Most Popular
    • Cheryl’s Favorite Recipes
    • 30-Minute Recipes
    • Creamy Soups
    • Copycat Recipes
    • Casseroles
    • One-Dish Wonders
  • Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Baking
    • Crockpot
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • Sous Vide
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Cooking Basics
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Dips & Salsas
    • Dessert
    • Main Course
    • Meal Prep
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Cuisine
    • American
    • Asian
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican & Latin
    • Southern
Home Blog Course Main Course

Healthy Spanish Chicken and Rice Stew (Whole30, Low Carb, Keto)

Cheryl Malik
Cheryl Malik Posted: 07/10/18 Updated: 12/22/22
4
/5
3 Comments
Jump to Recipe
DF Dairy Free GF Gluten Free K Keto LC Low Carb P Paleo

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew recipe is Whole30, paleo, low carb, and keto, thanks to cauliflower rice! Absolutely loaded with flavor, it's an easy dinner recipe that's so filling and nourishing.
This healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew recipe is Whole30, paleo, low carb, and keto, thanks to cauliflower rice! Absolutely loaded with flavor, it's an easy dinner recipe that's so filling and nourishing.
Pot of healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew, and a serving of healthy chicken stew in a white bowl.

This post was generously sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market but all opinions are my own.

This healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew is keto and low carb thanks to cauliflower rice! Loaded with lovely Spanish flavor, this Whole30 recipe makes such a filling and nourishing dinner. 

Healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew in a bowl with a pot of the stew next to it

Can we talk about Spanish food for a second? Because I’m not cool with this.

You probably don’t know, but we are Spain fanatics. We took our toddler when he was just about one, and we’re planning to take our daughter when she’s the same age. But uh, beyond that? We’re actually planning to buy property there and eventually would like to split our time between living there and in the U.S.

Translation: We hella love Spain.

It’s the culture! And the wine and the architecture and the art and the sangria and the food. Oh, oh, the food. But you know what I’m not cool with?

Pot of healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew

Spanish food totally gets the attention short stick when it comes to European cuisine. We get it: French food is awesome. I know: fish and chips are pretty damn good. Hey, I freaking love pasta, too. OK! But if you’ve ever had real Spanish food? You know that it deserves all the glory, too.

I was inspired by the flavors I fell in love with in the Iberian to make this healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew, loading up on Spanish Manzanilla olives, sofrito (a base of aromatics native to Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin cuisine), and prosciutto. The result is something somehow simple but insanely complex, filling and nourishing. It fits beautifully into any Whole30, low carb, or keto dieting, totalling out at 6.9 net carbs!

Why this recipe works

  • The layering of flavors makes this recipe so delicious without being overpowering.
  • The ingredients makes this healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew flavorful without being complicated to make.
  • Braising the chicken makes it so tender and is quite easy!
  • Using cauliflower rice makes this recipe Whole30, low carb, and even keto.

Healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew in a bowl with a hand holding on to the side and a pot of the stew next to it

Tips for success

  • Don’t skip the browning of the chicken! This is key to gorgeous flavor and tender chicken.
  • Even if you’re not a big olive fan, I highly recommend you keep the olives in the recipe. I honestly can’t even taste them as an ingredient when I eat the stew, but they add so much to the flavor.
  • Make sure you simmer your chicken long enough to be cooked through but not so long that it overcooks. 20 minutes is a good benchmark for boneless pieces; 30 for bone-in.
  • Use cheaper cuts of chicken, like chicken thighs and drumsticks, to make this recipe super economical.

How to make this recipe

Here’s what you need! I get everything from Sprouts Farmers Market.

Healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew ingredients

Season your chicken pieces liberally with adobo seasoning. I use the adobo seasoning from the bulk spices section at Sprouts, which makes it super easy. But you can make your own, too.

Season chicken with adobo seasoning

Brown your chicken on all sides in a Dutch oven with a bit of avocado oil. Transfer to a plate.

Brown chicken on all sides

Add your sofrito mixture to the Dutch oven with a little extra oil and sauté until tender and softened.

Sauté sofrito until softened

Add your chicken stock and bay leaves to this mixture when softened, then return your chicken to the pot.

Return chicken to pot

Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Braise chicken until cooked through

Uncover the Dutch oven and increase heat to medium. Stir in your cauliflower rice and heat through, simmering for about 5 minutes. Season with plenty of salt then serve with extra green olives, if you like them, and more fresh chopped cilantro.

FAQs

Is this recipe Whole30 compliant?

Yep! Just make sure your prosciutto is Whole30 compliant, as well, but most are. Be sure to read the ingredients on your chicken stock carefully, too; way too many include sugar of some form. I love Sprouts’ bone broth – it’s compliant as well as especially nourishing!

What if I don’t have a Dutch oven?

Use your heaviest pot instead. You’ll want to make sure it’s pretty big, since, after adding all the ingredients, this recipe makes a pretty good amount!

Pot of healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew

Can I make this stew recipe as meal prep?

Absolutely! This Whole30 recipe tastes even better the next day, and it makes quite a lot with not a lot of effort. It’d be such a fantastic, filling lunch during the week.

Is this recipe keto?

Yep! The net carbs (Total carbs minus dietary fiber) come out to less than 7g carbs. For your whole dinner! Whoa.

Help! I can’t find adobo seasoning.

If you can’t find adobo seasoning, make your own! This recipe is really simple and so flavorful.

Did you make and love this recipe? Give it your review below! ? And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

Healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew in a bowl with a pot of the stew next to it
4 from 1 vote

Healthy Spanish Chicken and Rice Stew (Whole30, Low Carb, Paleo)

Prep:5 minutes minutes
Cook:55 minutes minutes
Total:1 hour hour
This healthy Spanish chicken and rice stew recipe is Whole30, paleo, low carb, and keto, thanks to cauliflower rice! Absolutely loaded with flavor, it's an easy dinner recipe that's so filling and nourishing. 
Print Save Saved! Click Here to Remove Ads
8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3.5 lbs. chicken pieces like drumsticks or boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 8-10 pieces
  • 2 Tbsp. Adobo seasoning from Sprouts bulk spices section
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. avocado oil divided
  • ⅓ cup prosciutto diced
  • 3 12- ounce bags Sprouts Organic Riced Cauliflower
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

Sofrito

  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 12 manzanilla pimiento-stuffed olives chopped

Equipment Needed

  • Dutch oven

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, combine adobo seasoning and 1 tsp. salt. Sprinkle adobo seasoning mixture liberally over both sides of all the chicken pieces.
  • Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, carefully add chicken pieces to pot and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
  • Add 1 Tbsp. oil to pot and reduce heat to medium. Add sofrito ingredients and sauté sofrito until tender, 5-8 minutes. Add prosciutto to pot and stir well. Add chicken stock and bay leaves sofrito-prosciutto mixture, then return chicken to pot and stir.
  • Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook 20-30 minutes. Bone-in pieces like drumsticks or bone-in thighs will take longer, about 30 minutes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will only take about 20 minutes. If using a mixture of bone-in and boneless pieces, cook 30 minutes or until bone-in pieces are all cooked through.
  • Uncover and increase heat to medium; stir in cauliflower rice and stir well. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add salt. Garnish with extra green olives and fresh chopped cilantro.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 518kcal, Protein: 39g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 149mg, Sodium: 854mg, Potassium: 667mg, Total Carbs: 9g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Net Carbs: 7g, Vitamin A: 800IU, Vitamin C: 49.4mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 2.4mg

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @40aprons on social and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!

Rate Recipe Tag Me on Instagram

Cheryl Malik

Meet Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

Read more...

You may also like...

  • chicken fricassee in a skillet with a spoon
    Chicken Fricassee
  • Baked keto granola on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon
    Keto Granola
  • Keto buckeyes readu to eat
    Keto Buckeyes

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Melissa says

    Posted on 2/18/19 at 12:30 pm

    Great recipe.skipped the prosciutto and cilantro as I didn’t have on hand but still turned out great! Will make again.4 stars

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 2/18/19 at 3:22 pm

      Ahh good to know! I’m glad you liked it! 🙂

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

What’s Popular?

A casserole dish, angled on a table, filled with banana stuffed french toast casserole topped with strawberries.

Tonga Toast French Toast Casserole

Overhead view of a cast-iron skillet filled with cream cheese sausage dip surrounded by tortilla chip scoops.

3-Ingredient Sausage Dip (Stovetop or Crockpot)

Top-down view of a large bowl, lined with parchment paper, holding several orange-sauced buffalo chicken wings.

Boneless Chicken Wings

Overhead view of one bowl and one partial bowl of cajun chicken pasta soup on a wooden table.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Soup

In Season

Zoomed out photo of two mimosas glasses holding apple cider mimosas rimmed with brown sugar cinnamon sitting in front of a bowl of apples.

Apple Cider Mimosas

Two slices of Whole30 meatloaf plated with green beans and mashed potatoes on a grey-blue plate with silverware on a table.

Whole30 Meatloaf

Close-up, angled view of soft and fluffy air fryer pizza on a white plate.

Air Fryer Pizza

close up image of king ranch casserole being lifted out of the baking dish

Cheesy King Ranch Casserole

As seen on:

More Goodies + NO Ads!

Become a 40 Aprons Premium Member!

All the 40 Aprons content you love - now even better.

  • Member-Exclusive Recipes
  • Meal Plans & Grocery Lists
  • eBooks
  • NO ADS!
Join now

Privacy Policy

Accessibility

Disclaimers

Contact

© 2023 40 Aprons
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
1541 shares