Prawn and Chorizo Risotto

Succulent prawns and smoky chorizo are a great couple! Stir them through a traditional creamy risotto and you have yourself an award-winning dish! Easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but also decadent and full of flavour to impress your fanciest guests, this Prawn and Chorizo Risotto is a keeper! Eight simple ingredients and some patient stirring of the risotto are all you need to have a wonderful dinner dish that everyone will ask for seconds of!

Jump to:

• Ingredients and Substitutions
• Tips & Tricks for Creamy Risotto
• Step-By-Step Method
• Recipe FAQs
• Reader Review
• What to Serve Prawn and Chorizo Risotto With?
• Other Delicious Risotto Recipes
• Other Dishes Using Chorizo
• Prawn and Chorizo Risotto

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you! Thank you!

Ingredients and Substitutions

This is a simple recipe requiring only a few key ingredients, half of which you're likely to find in your kitchen, waiting to be cooked. And if you don't fancy seafood, you can always substitute prawns with chicken - simply head to our Chicken & Chorizo Risotto recipe. 

And if you LOVE seafood, you must try our Prawn and Fennel Risotto next!

• chorizo: a famous Spanish sausage is world-renowned for a reason. Smoky, slightly spicy and with bags of flavour, this is the most important ingredient to add to this risotto for the biggest flavour impact! Choose spicy or mild chorizo - both work great!
• risotto rice: Arborio and Carnaroli rice work well. 
• onion: brown, white or red onion will work just fine in this recipe. You can even substitute it with shallots. 
• stock: we used vegetable stock, but chicken stock will work too. 
• prawns: known as shrimp in the US. We used defrosted frozen cooked prawns without shells and tails.
• spinach: completely optional, but we think no meal is complete without some green vegetables. You may also use some red peppers or green peas as variations of this risotto. 
• butter: unsalted butter is better, as chorizo, parmesan and stock add enough seasoning to this risotto. 
• parmesan: can be substituted with another hard cheese, like Grana Padano. 

You can find a full ingredients list and instructions in a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

Tips & Tricks for Creamy Risotto

If you're cooking risotto for the first time, have a look at the tips below, or head to our article about How To Make A Perfect Risotto:

• Choose the Right Rice for Risotto: Risotto rice needs to be short, starchy and able to withstand long cooking. The most popular varieties are Arborio rice and Carnaroli (and out of the two, our vote goes to Carnaroli). Both types of rice are perfect for slow cooking, allowing the flavours of stock to be infused into the grains without losing their shape. 
• Toast the Rice: An important step in any risotto preparation is toasting the rice in a pan before adding any stock. This process seals the surface of the rice, helping it preserve its shape and retain the al dente texture. 
• Keep the Stock Hot: Put your stock in a pan and keep it on low heat. This ensures an even cooking temperature. If you use cold stock, it will prolong the cooking time and your rice may become soggy in the process. 
• Add Stock Little By Little: Not adding all the stock at the same time allows the rice to release its starch at a slow rate, making the risotto creamy. Another advantage of adding the stock gradually is being able to control how much of the stock is actually needed before the rice is cooked. 

Step-By-Step Method

1. Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the chorizo cubes and fry until the oil has been released and the chorizo crisps up. This should take 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure even browning on all sides.

2. Make the stock and keep it on a very low heat. 

3. When the chorizo is cooked, remove it from the pan and add the cooked (defrosted) prawns and stir for a minute to cover them in chorizo oil. Remove the prawns and reserve the pan for later. 

4. On low heat, heat the reserved large pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the finely chopped onion and saute it for 5-6 minutes until softened. Increase it to medium heat, add the rice and stir, carry on cooking for a couple of minutes, until the rice starts to crackle and turn translucent.

5. Pour in a ladleful of the hot stock and stir until it is all absorbed by the rice. Then add another ladleful and keep stirring. Keep adding stock once the previously added liquid has been fully absorbed. Keep stirring, as it helps the rice release the starch, making your risotto creamy.

6. When the rice is cooked al dente (soft but with a bit of texture in the middle), add the prawns and half of the cooked chorizo alongside any oil/juices at the bottom of the bowl. Add the spinach. Stir for a minute to warm the prawns through and for the spinach to wilt.

7. Take the risotto off the heat and stir in the butter. Season with extra salt and black pepper, if needed. Finally, scatter the parmesan cheese and the rest of the crispy chorizo on top. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

What to Serve Prawn and Chorizo Risotto With?

Typically, we serve risottos on their own, without any side dishes. However, if you fancy a little something extra with your risotto, consider having some of the following: 

• Quick-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes 
• Raw Courgette Ribbon Salad with Honey & Earl Grey Dressing
• Lemon & Garlic Tenderstem Broccoli 

Other Delicious Risotto Recipes

We love a good risotto in all seasons of the year. Have a look at our Risotto Recipes section. Some of our absolute favourites include: 

• Salmon Risotto
• Risotto al Nero | Squid Ink Risotto
• Smoked Salmon Risotto
• Spinach and Mushroom Risotto with Pecan & Garlic Drizzle (Vegan)
• Blue Cheese Risotto with Sweet Potatoes & Walnuts (Vegetarian)

Other Dishes Using Chorizo

And if you are left with some Spanish sausage to use, we have a couple of wonderful recipes using Chorizo that are sure to impress. 

• The Best Chorizo Quiche With Tomatoes
• 20-Minute Chicken and Chorizo Pasta With Creamy Tomato Sauce
• Huevos Rancheros | Mexican Breakfast