Paella is a versatile rice-based dish full of flavor and hearty ingredients like vegetables and protein, traditionally cooked in a shallow pan over an open flame. The paella ingredients are added in layers and cooked slowly to create a savory fragrant Spanish classic. But you don’t need a paella pan to cook this zesty easy paella recipe! You can make delicious seafood paella using a large skillet on the stovetop.
While there are different variations of paella, this recipe is an iconic Spanish paella version, known for the flavorful mix of seafood, sausage, and chicken with short grain rice and vegetables. It is simple to make and loaded with gourmet flavor, perfect to serve family style at your next gathering! If you are looking for more easy seafood recipes that are great to serve groups, then try my seafood pasta recipe, crab soup recipe, and bouillabaisse recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Chicken Broth – choose a high-quality, low-sodium chicken stock for the best paella recipe that’s not too salty. Alternatively, you can use fish stock.
Spices – a fragrant mix of saffron threads and smoked paprika punch up this dish with the perfect amount of spice (that’s not too spicy!).
Spanish Chorizo – this spicy sausage adds tons of flavor and protein. You can use sliced pork or beef chorizo. Be sure to choose Spanish chorizo instead of Mexican, as it is dried and cured and has the best texture and flavor for this dish!
Chicken – use boneless skinless chicken thighs, which have a bit more fat than chicken breasts, for the best juicy flavor. Cut them into chunks for the quickest cooking and distribution of the protein amongst the rice.
Tomato – one ripe tomato, diced or grated, is best if they are in season. Canned crushed tomatoes are a great substitute.
Garlic – peel fresh garlic cloves and smash them with the flat edge of a knife, using your hand to crush the cloves. Add the cloves crushed and whole to the recipe as directed.
White Wine – choose a light, dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc to cook in this recipe. It helps to bring out the flavor of the seafood without overpowering it.
Rice – I suggest bomba rice, also known as paella rice. This short-grain rice will have the best texture in this dish. Alternatively, you can use arborio rice.
Shrimp – choose ½ pound of fresh or frozen jumbo shrimp or 21-25 count. Or use ¾ pound of 16-20 count shrimp. If using frozen, thaw completely before starting this recipe.
Mussels – get one pound of fresh mussels (about 12) with closed shells. Scrub them under cold running water to remove any debris and remove any “beards”, or the stringy threads around the edges, by gently tugging them away from the shells.
How to Make Paella
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken stock and saffron threads. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to low heat, and partially cover the pot with a lid to keep it warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced chorizo and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the chorizo is crisp on both sides. Remove it with a slotted spoon and put on a plate to use later.
3. Add the chopped chicken to the skillet and season with ½ teaspoon of paprika and ½ teaspoon of salt. Increase the heat to medium-high. Let the chicken cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. When the chicken easily releases from the bottom of the pan, stir until the center of the chicken is no longer pink, for 3 to 5 more minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and add it to the same plate as the chorizo.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and finely diced onion to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Add the diced red bell pepper, tomatoes, crushed garlic cloves, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the moisture from the tomatoes has mostly evaporated, for about 6 minutes.
5. Add the rice to the skillet. Stir it in to coat it with the vegetable mixture and let it cook until it smells nutty, for about 2 minutes.
6. Stir in the white wine, and let it cook until it is almost fully evaporated, for about 3 minutes.
7. Scatter the cooked chorizo and chicken over the rice mixture, then pour in the warm broth. Stir a few times with a spoon to allow the mixture to settle into an even layer in the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, without stirring, until the rice is peeking through the surface of the broth.
8. Evenly distribute the shrimp and mussels on top of the mixture in the skillet. Cover with a lid or large piece of aluminum foil, and cook until the shrimp is pink and the mussels start to pop open, for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and increase the heat to high for 2 minutes to create a crispy rice bottom. Remove the skillet from the heat and cover again. Let the skillet rest for 5 minutes to allow the rice to absorb any remaining liquid and for the mussels and shrimp to finish cooking. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and garnished with chopped parsley, if desired.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Use a quality broth. The secret to a good paella is the quality of the broth. Do not substitute the broth for water in this recipe! It is essential to use a good chicken broth or seafood stock for the best overall paella flavor.
- Crisp the rice. Increase the heat at the end of the cooking process to create a wonderfully crispy bottom, also called soccarat. This crispy thin layer of rice is a signature of the dish and one of my favorite parts about paella!
- Use different proteins. Add more seafood like calamari or scallops, swap the chicken for turkey or boneless pork loin for the chorizo, or omit the meat entirely if you prefer just seafood. There are several variations of paella depending on the region they are made. For example, “Paella Valenciana” (known as the traditional paella) is made with chicken, rabbit, and sometimes duck. Mix and match ingredients as you please, just be sure to use the recommended amounts in the recipe.
- Make it vegetarian. This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the protein, swapping the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and adding more chopped vegetables like green beans, artichokes, mushrooms, and asparagus. Skip the meat and seafood cooking steps and add the vegetables with the red peppers in the recipe.
- Optional variations. Add one cup of fresh or frozen green peas or fava beans to the skillet along with the cooked chicken and chorizo for a delicious pop of green. Additionally, swap out the red bell pepper for any other color of bell pepper. If you want more spice, add black pepper or cayenne pepper to taste. You can also add a dried bay leaf to enhance the stew-like flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover paella in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The seafood will not last longer than 2 to 3 days, so I don’t suggest keeping it longer. Reheat covered with aluminum foil in the oven at 375º F for 10-15 minutes for the best texture. I don’t recommend freezing this paella recipe because the seafood will not keep its texture.
Traditional paella is served straight from the pan. Make it the centerpiece of your next dinner party or family meal, garnished with lemon wedges and fresh parsley. Serve with a side of roasted artichokes, roasted potatoes, toasted French bread, and a simple green salad to make it a full-spread meal. Top it off with a batch of homemade rosé sangria or serve with a lighter white wine like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or a Provençal rosé.
This paella recipe can be cooked in a 14-inch large paella pan or a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. I recommend using a 12-inch cast-iron skillet for even, consistent heat while cooking.
While you can use a paella pan, they are designed to cook over a fire, not small stove-top burners. Their thinner design and wide shape don’t hold the heat or cook as evenly as a skillet on the stovetop. If you use a 14” paella pan, I recommend moving the pan around the burner when crisping the rice so that each part of the pan heats and cooks equally.
If you’ve tried this Paella recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Paella
Equipment
- Large skillet or paella pan
Ingredients
- 3½ cups low-sodium chicken broth (840ml)
- ¼ teaspoon Saffron threads
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 2 ounces Spanish chorizo sliced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs chopped (450g)
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika divided
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 ripe tomatoes diced or grated (6 ounces/168g)
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- ½ cup dry white wine (120ml)
- 1½ cups Bomba rice (285g)
- ½ pound jumbo shrimp (225g)
- 1 pound mussels (450g)
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken stock and saffron. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to low heat, and partially cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the chorizo is crisp. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Add the chopped chicken to the skillet and season with ½ teaspoon of paprika and ½ teaspoon of salt. Increase the heat to medium-high. Let cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. When the chicken easily releases from the bottom of the pan, stir to cook the other side until the center is no longer pink, 3 to 5 more minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the same plate as the chorizo.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and onion to the skillet. Let cook for 4 minutes. Add the red bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the moisture from the tomatoes has mostly evaporated, about 6 minutes.
- Add the rice. Stir to coat with the vegetable mixture and let cook until it smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Stir in the white wine, and let cook until almost fully evaporated, about 3 minutes.
- Scatter the chorizo and chicken over the rice mixture, then pour in the warm broth. Stir a few times to allow the mixture to settle into an even layer in the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, without stirring, until the rice is peeking through the surface of the broth.
- Top with the shrimp and mussels. Cover with a lid or large piece of aluminum foil, and cook until the shrimp is pink and the mussels start to pop open, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and increase the heat to high for 2 minutes to create a crispy bottom. Remove the skillet from the heat and cover once again. Let rest for 5 minutes for the rice to absorb any remaining liquid and for the mussels and shrimp to finish cooking.
- Serve immediately, from the pan, with lemon wedges and garnished with chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Use a quality broth. The secret to a good paella is the quality of the broth. Do not substitute the broth for water in this recipe! It is essential to use a good chicken broth or seafood stock for the best overall paella flavor.
- Crisp the rice. Increase the heat at the end of the cooking process to create a wonderfully crispy bottom, also called soccarat. This crispy thin layer of rice is a signature of the dish and one of my favorite parts about paella!
- Use different proteins. Add more seafood like calamari or scallops, swap the chicken for turkey or boneless pork loin for the chorizo, or omit the meat entirely if you prefer just seafood. There are several variations of paella depending on the region they are made. For example, “Paella Valenciana” (known as the traditional paella) is made with chicken, rabbit, and sometimes duck. Mix and match ingredients as you please, just be sure to use the recommended amounts in the recipe.
- Make it vegetarian. This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the protein, swapping the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and adding more chopped vegetables like green beans, artichokes, mushrooms, and asparagus. Skip the meat and seafood cooking steps and add the vegetables with the red peppers in the recipe.
- Optional variations. Add one cup of fresh or frozen green peas or fava beans to the skillet along with the cooked chicken and chorizo for a delicious pop of green. Additionally, swap out the red bell pepper for any other color of bell pepper. If you want more spice, add black pepper or cayenne pepper to taste. You can also add a dried bay leaf to enhance the stew-like flavors.
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