Citrus Herb Chicken Chorizo Instant Pot Recipe

A delightful citrus herb chicken chorizo dish that’s meant to share. It’s seasoned with sun-dried tomatoes, orange juice, floral thyme and salty olives.

Are you ready to introduce your taste buds to a delicious Spanish chicken dish? This recipe was inspired by the simple yet bold flavors of Basque cuisine from Northern Spain.

Although the main instructions are for an instant pot, you can make this citrus herb chicken on the stove top instead. The pressure cooker just speeds up the cooking.

Why you'll love it

This dish has a hybrid of flavors but certain ingredients like the oranges and chorizo really stand out. The amazing combination is sure to be loved by all.

The combination of citrus and herbs pairs well with the chicken and chorizo sausage. Adding chewy sun-dried tomatoes and the rich salty taste of olives brings the flavor combination to a whole new level.

But the best part of the dish is that's it's so simple to prepare!

Ingredients

The recipe combines a few ingredients that you may not include in your usual meals. So it's a dish you may have to plan for. However, you shouldn't have any trouble finding them at your local grocery store.

Chicken

It's best to use skinned chicken thighs with bones for the best flavor. But you can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.

Chorizo

For the most authentic taste, be sure to use a Spanish chorizo sausage and not Mexican chorizo. They have different flavor profiles. The Spanish version is typically made with garlic and smoked paprika while Mexican pork chorizo usually has vinegar and chile peppers.

Onion and garlic

Onions add a subtle sweetness to the dish after browning and garlic heightens the flavor. You can reduce the amount of onions to cut back on the carbs.

Olives

Don't skip the olives! They not only add in some saltiness, but they also give the dish some chewy bits.

Chicken broth

You'll need adequate liquid to pressure cook. Although water can be used, chicken stock or both provides additional flavor.

Sun-dried tomatoes

For added color and texture, sun-dried tomatoes are included in the dish. They also add in an intense tart yet sweet flavor.

Orange

To give the dish a touch of citrus, fresh squeezed orange juice is used. However, if you're concerned about the sugar added from the juice, you can use fresh lemon juice or lime juice instead as they are not as sweet.

Fresh herbs

Fresh thyme leaves are sprinkled into the dish before cooking and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro is added as a garnish.

Note: You'll find the full amounts used in the recipe card with green background at the bottom of this post.

Tips

• Try a tomato base. You can easily change the flavor by omitting the citrus and make a tomato base instead. Just add in crushed tomatoes or some tomato paste.
• Cook the meat together. To save time, the chicken and chorizo can be sautéed together. The sausage will also cook faster if cut into pieces.
• Add a touch of wine. A little white cooking wine can be poured in after sautéing the meat to deglaze the pan and add flavor.

Instructions

Just follow these step by step instructions for cooking this simple recipe perfectly in the Instant Pot or on the stove top.

Brown chicken

Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and brown the chicken on the "Sauté" setting of your Instant Pot. Or, brown the chicken over medium-high heat on the stove top.

Add seasonings

After removing the chicken from pot, add another tablespoon of oil and sauté the onion, garlic, thyme, and salt for several minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.

Sauté chorizo

Add the chorizo to the onion mixture and sauté it for about five minutes.

Add remaining ingredients

The rest of the ingredients are then added to the pot and given a quick stir before covering with a lid.

It's then cooked on the "Poultry" setting of an Instant Pot for 20 minutes. You can also simmer it on the stove over medium heat for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Final cooking

After the cooking time is up, open the valve on the pressure cooker and allow for a quick pressure release before opening the lid. If cooked on the stovetop, just remove from the heat.

????️ Serving suggestions

It's best to serve the dish immediately. It's recommended to garnish with some fresh cilantro.

Chorizo chicken goes well with plain cauliflower rice or roasted radishes. Because of the complex flavor, I'd stick with a simple side. But cilantro lime cauliflower rice is a nice complement.

FAQs

Let's go over some common questions that people often ask about chorizo as they may not be familiar with the Spanish sausage.

Related recipes

Are you looking for more keto Instant Pot recipes to get more use out of your electric pressure cooker? You'll find a few of our favorites below.

• Coconut dairy-free yogurt is really easy to make in your pressure cooker if you have a yogurt setting.
• Pressure cooker whole chicken speeds up the time it takes to cook a whole chicken.
• Instant Pot bone broth is a great way to make homemade broth quickly.

Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!

Recipe

Citrus Herb Chicken Chorizo in the Instant Pot

5 from 2 votes

This delightful chicken dish is full of spicy chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet and tangy orange juice, floral thyme and salty olives. It’s meant to be shared family style with those you love.

Prep Time:5 mins

Cook Time:30 mins

Total Time:35 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Basque

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Servings: 4 people

Calories: 769

Video

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 tablespoon grass-fed butter, ghee or avocado oil 43 g, divided
• ▢ 4 bone-in chicken thighs or two whole legs
• ▢ 1¼ teaspoon sea salt 4 g, divided
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion thickly sliced
• ▢ 4 fresh garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 5 fresh thyme sprigs leaves removed and stems discarded
• ▢ ½ lb chorizo 230 g, casing removed
• ▢ ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes 18 g
• ▢ ½ cup pitted green olives 67 g
• ▢ ⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice 79 ml
• ▢ ¾ cup chicken bone broth 177 ml
• ▢ Handful of fresh cilantro for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Add 2 tablespoons (29 g) of healthy fat of choice to the Instant Pot and press “Sauté.” Once the fat has melted, add the chicken thighs, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of sea salt and brown for about 2½ minutes per side. Remove the browned chicken to a plate and set aside. 
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (14 g) of healthy fat of choice, onion, garlic, thyme leaves and the remaining ¾ teaspoon of sea salt, sautéing for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the chorizo and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, orange juice and bone broth. Give it a good stir. Add the browned chicken, making sure it’s submerged and some of the liquid is ladled over it.
• Place the lid on the Instant Pot, making sure the steam release valve is sealed. Press the “Poultry” setting, then increase the time using the “+” button until you reach 20 minutes.
• When the Instant Pot is done and beeps, press “Keep Warm/Cancel.” Using an oven mitt, “quick release”/open the steam release valve. When the steam venting stops and the silver dial drops, carefully open the lid.
• Serve immediately, topped with fresh cilantro.

Notes

Recipe reprinted with permission from The Art of Great Cooking With Your Instant Pot by Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri, Page Street Publishing Co. 2017.

Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25recipe | Calories: 769 | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 987mg | Potassium: 234mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 400IU | Vitamin C: 9.9mg | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Additional Info

Net Carbs: 7 g | % Carbs: 4.2 % | % Protein: 28.2 % | % Fat: 67.6 % | SmartPoints: 23

Values

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    [calories] => 769
    [carbohydrates] => 8
    [protein] => 47
    [fat] => 50
    [saturated_fat] => 13
    [monounsaturated_fat] => 2
    [cholesterol] => 23
    [sodium] => 987
    [potassium] => 234
    [fiber] => 1
    [sugar] => 4
    [vitamin_a] => 400
    [vitamin_c] => 9.9
    [calcium] => 0
    [iron] => 0.4
    [serving_unit] => recipe
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Notes on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

Copyright

© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.

First published on November 8, 2017. Updated on February 13, 2022, with new photos, additional recipe information, and cooking tips.