Slow Cooker Chicken with Chorizo and Lemon

This is a meal perfect for summer, lemon and spice work so well together, plus using a slow cooker in the heat we are having, means we can still eat well without turning the oven on.

I have been testing a new slow cooker from a great online shopping company called Wayfair, see here, its smaller than I usually use. A 3.5 litre capacity, most meals in our house are for 5 people all adults so this is a tad small for a big family casserole. But a summer evening dish for 3-4 perfect.

This is a complete concoction of favourite foods and flavours all mixed with a fingers crossed approach.

Chicken and potatoes is a good start for me, I used chicken breast, this could be thighs for more flavour, though these needed using. I imagine I will be trying this in my large slow cooker with a whole chicken, stuffing the lemon inside and resting on the potatoes and chorizo.

For this meal I made a mix of chilli, smoked paprika and rubbed into the chicken use a little or a lot according to your taste, don't use at all if you like a mild version. You can place straight into the slow cooker,without frying, but for photos and for just a nicer look on the plate, I fry first.

I had a bag of Jersey Royal new potatoes, actually this time of year I always do, they are used many times a week, again my finger break, means no peeling so a cinch for me.

Chorizo is such a good complement to chicken and potatoes,I decided to use the new Eng

Now I still make all my meals as Slimming World friendly, cooking chorizo as a treat is not too bad in syns. Sainsbury’s Spicy and Succulent mini Chorizo  is 2 syns per sausage, I have two halved. 

Tomatoes make a good base, I added in a stock cube for oomph, a glug of rosé to keep the summer theme.

I had a lemon in the fridge, intended for another recipe and it got forgotten,so it was a pure add it and see. I would use half a lemon next time or not squeeze before cooking. It was definitely the dominant flavour, we adore citrus foods so for us it was lovely.

3-4 chicken breasts

Fillipo Berio Olive Oil spray

Jersey Royal potatoes

1 lemon

8 x Cooking Chorizo sausage split or halved to let the red juices run.

1 tin chopped tomatoes

Chicken stock melt or cube

Smoked paprika

Chilli powder for rub

1/2-1 tsp Chilli powder 

Rosé wine (optional) or water

If using a rub,make slashes in the chicken breast and sprinkle a mix of paprika and chilli, rub into the breast, and leave for at least 30 minutes.

Place the potatoes, tomatoes,garlic, quartered lemons (squeezed if a strong lemon flavour is liked), a couple of glugs of rosé or water and chilli into the slow cooker dish. Mix thoroughly.

Spray a heavy pan with a few squirts of oil spray,heat and fry the chicken until golden on one side. Turn over and cook, adding the chorizo and frying until the red juices flows a little.

Place the chicken and chorizo onto the potato mix. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

I served with a green salad.