You can make a delicious, authentic Paella–the most popular dish of Spain–in your own kitchen with simple ingredients like rice, saffron, vegetables, chicken, and seafood. If you love cooking International food, you will fall in love with this comforting dish!
If you love Spanish food, don’t miss my other popular recipes like Torijas and Tortilla de Patatas.
My goal with this paella recipe was to use the tutelage I received while living in Madrid to create a traditional Spanish paella that anyone can make (and without special equipment, like a paella pan). After lots of trial and error, I am so excited to share everything I know and have learned about making Paella, as authentically and practically for the home cook, as possible.
What I LOVE about this recipe:
- I learned to make it in Spain, from the woman I lived with for several months while attending school in Madrid. She was an incredible cook and I wrote down her basic instructions for paella, in my notebook. I have since tested the recipe many times on my own to perfect the exact ingredient amounts and method for making it in my U.S. kitchen.
- No paella pan needed: You can use a regular large skillet for this recipe. See tips below.
- One-pot meal: All in one pan meals mean quicker cooking and clean-up!
- Adaptable: There are many ways of adapting this traditional paella recipe. Read on.
What is Paella?
Paella (pai·ei·uh) is a classic Spanish rice dish made with rice, saffron, vegetables, chicken, and seafood cooked and served in one pan. Although paella originates from Valencia, it’s recognized as the national food of Spain and there are several different varieties. The most common types of paella are chicken paella, seafood paella, or mixed paella (a combination of seafood, meats, and vegetables).
Ingredients:
The main ingredients in every paella dish are rice, saffron, chicken, and vegetables. From there, ingredients vary depending on the type of paella or region where it’s made. The ingredients in this easy paella recipe include:
- Produce: onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, frozen peas.
- Spices: bay leaf, paprika, saffron, salt and pepper.
- Saffron: this may be the most important ingredient, so it’s best to buy high quality. If your grocery store doesn’t carry it, try an International food market, or Amazon. If necessary, substitute 1 teaspoon saffron powder.
- Seafood: jumbo shrimp, mussels, calamari.
- Chicken thighs: I prefer thighs to breasts in the recipe since they don’t dry out as easily during longer cook times.
- Olive Oil: Spanish olive oil , or any good quality olive oil.
- White wine.
- Spanish Rice: See my notes below about the rice, and possible substitutions.
- Chicken Broth: Authentic paella would include making your own fish stock from the discarded shells of seafood. I usually substitute chicken broth, for convenience.
How to Make Spanish Paella:
1. Sauté: Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf, paprika, saffron, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add white wine. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add chicken & rice. Add chopped parsley and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add broth. Pour the broth slowly all around the pan and jiggle the pan to get the rice into an even layer. (Do not stir the mixture going forward!). Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Give the pan a gentle shake back and forth once or twice during cooking.
5. Cook uncovered: Cook paella uncovered for 15-18 minutes, then nestle the shrimp, mussels and calamari into the mixture, sprinkle peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 more minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender. (If for some reason your rice is still uncooked, add ¼ cup more water or broth and continue cooking).
6. Cover and let rest. Remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid or tinfoil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
7. Serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Serve.
Rice for Paella:
Spanish rice (also called “bomba” rice, calaspara rice, arroz redonda) is traditional in Paella, and it’s what I recommend using. It’s a short grain rice that absorbs more water than regular rice, without turning mushy. You can buy Spanish rice on Amazon, World Market or an international food market.
- Substitution for Spanish rice: If necessary you can substitute medium grain rice, like Calrose rice which can be found at Walmart or most grocery stores. Reduce the chicken stock in the recipe to a total of 3 ¾ cups. (I don’t recommend using Arborio rice or long-grain rice for Paella).
- Don’t wash the rice before cooking because we want to keep the outer layer of starch.
- Don’t stir the rice while cooking! Traditional paella cooks a crusty, flavorful rice layer at the bottom of the pan called the socarrat. The socarrat is a key component of authentic paella. Also, stirring the rice will make it mushy.
Seafood for Paella (What to know):
If you don’t like seafood, leave it out and substitute more chicken and vegetables. You can use any combination of your favorite seafood including clams, scallops and chopped pieces of fish. Frozen seafood is a great accessible option if you don’t live near the ocean. (Costco sells a great mixed seafood bag in their freezer section with shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, and calamari.) Be sure to thaw frozen seafood in the fridge overnight before using.
When buying fresh seafood make sure to smell it to make sure it’s fresh. It should not have a strong fishy odor. Most of the seafood used here will smell like nothing, or just like the ocean (slightly salty). Be sure to clean it properly (remove “beards” from mussels, if necessary).
Do I need a paella pan?
No, you can us a regular large skillet to make Paella (I use a 12×2 inch skillet and this recipe fills it to the brim). Traditional paella is cooked in a large paella pan because it allow the rice to be spread out into a thin layer and cook more evenly.
Adaptations:
- Use different rice: if needed, you can substitute a medium grain rice, like Calrose rice which can be found at Walmart or most grocery stores. Reduce the chicken stock in the recipe to a total of 3 ¾ cups. (Long grain rice or arborio rice are not good substitutes for paella.)
- Substitute pork: Substitute boneless pork loin, cut into ½ inch cubes. Brown the pork pieces in hot oil as step one in the recipe. Then set it aside as you sauté the vegetables. Add the pork back to the pan in step 3 before boiling.
- Substitute Turkey or rabbit: Brown the meat in hot oil as step one in the recipe. Then set it aside as you sauté the vegetables. Add the meat back to the pan in step 3 of the recipe, before boiling.
- Substitute chorizo: Add 1 chorizo sausage cut into ½ inch discs. Brown the sausage in hot oil as step one in the recipe. Then set it aside as you sauté the vegetables. Add chorizo back to the pan in step 3 of the recipe, before boiling.
- Vegetarian Paella: Omit the meat and seafood and add extra vegetables, like artichoke, green beans, mushroom, olives and asparagus. Add vegetables in step one of the recipe along with the bell peppers.
- Valenciana Paella: this version of paella is often made with rabbit, chicken, artichokes and green beans.
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Recipe
Spanish Paella
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive Oil (Spanish EVOO if you have it)
- 1 Onion , diced
- 1 bell pepper , diced (I like to use ½ red and ½ green)
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 3 roma tomatoes , very finely diced (or 8 oz. tomato sauce)
- Bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon paprika , sweet or smoked
- 1 pinch saffron threads*
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup white wine
- 4 boneless , skinless chicken thighs , cut into pieces*
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley chopped, divided
- 2 cups Spanish Rice*
- 5 cups Chicken Broth*
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- ½ lb Jumbo Shrimp or prawns , about 12 – peeled, tail on
- 1/2 lb Mussels (about 10-12), cleaned properly (beards off)
- 8 oz calamari rings
- Lemons , for garnish
Instructions
- *Please note, this is my version of Paella Mixta I learned to make while living in Madrid, Spain. I've simplified the recipe as best I could for anyone to be able to make without a special pan or equipment. There are MANY variations to Paella so please be respectful that my authentic recipe may be different from yours!
- Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf, paprika, saffron salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add white wine and cook for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Add chicken pieces, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and rice to the pot. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour the broth slowly all around the pan and jiggle the pan to get the rice into an even layer. (Do not stir the mixture going forward!).
- Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Give the pan a gentle shake back and forth just once or twice during cooking. (We don't ever stir the rice, so that a crispy crust forms at the bottom, called a socarrat).
- Cook for about 15-18 minutes (uncovered), then nestle the shrimp, mussels and calamari into the mixture, sprinkle peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 more minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender. (If for some reason your rice is still not cooked, add ¼ cup more water or broth and continue cooking).
- Remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid or tinfoil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Serve.
Notes
If buying fresh seafood, smell it to make sure it’s fresh. It should not have a strong fishy odor. Most of the seafood used here will smell like nothing, or just like the ocean (slightly salty). Be sure to clean it properly (remove “beards” from mussels, if necessary). *Saffron: this may be the most important ingredient, so it’s best to buy high quality. If your grocery store doesn’t carry it, try an International food market, or Amazon. If necessary, substitute 1 teaspoon saffron powder. Adaptations:
- Use different rice: if needed, you can substitute a medium grain rice, like Calrose rice which can be found at Walmart or most grocery stores. Reduce the chicken stock in the recipe to a total of 3 ¾ cups.
- Substitute pork: Substitute boneless pork loin, cut into ½ inch cubes. Brown the pork pieces in hot oil as step one in the recipe. Then set it aside as you sauté the vegetables. Add the pork back to the pan in step 3 before boiling.
- Substitute Turkey or rabbit: Brown the meat in hot oil as step one in the recipe. Then set it aside as you sauté the vegetables. Add the meat back to the pan in step 3 of the recipe, before boiling.
- Substitute chorizo: Add 1 chorizo sausage cut into ½ inch discs. Brown the sausage in hot oil as step one in the recipe. Then set it aside as you sauté the vegetables. Add chorizo back to the pan in step 3 of the recipe, before boiling.
- Vegetarian Paella: Omit the meat and seafood and add extra vegetables, like artichoke, green beans, mushroom, olives and asparagus. Add vegetables in step one of the recipe along with the bell peppers.
- Valenciana Paella: this version of paella is often made with rabbit, chicken, artichokes and green beans.
Nutrition
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I made this recipe tonight for family and everyone absolutely loved it!! We recently took a trip to Barcelona and this recipe is even better than then paella we had on La Rambla. Thank you Lauren
I have a guest who cannot eat any garlic. Can I substitute with shallots, chives and/or olive infused oil?
Absolutely, substituting garlic with shallots, chives, and garlic-infused olive oil is a great idea to maintain flavor without the actual garlic. Each brings a unique taste that can complement the paella beautifully. Your guest will appreciate the thoughtfulness, and you’ll still end up with a delicious dish.
This is my third time making this recipe, one of my go to meals when I have company for supper. It is easy to follow ad taste great when finished. I follow the recipe almost exactly, don’t really measure seasonings or how much shrimp or chicken to put in and I don’t eat calamari so I leave that out. I always get great reviews with this meal, thanks for posting it!
Served this to dinner guests last Saturday night.
They scraped the paella pan clean!!
It was a resounding success. I used shrimp, mussels, scallops and squid.
I’m sure this recipe is absolutely wonderful, but mine sadly turned into mush ☹️ the liquid just never fully absorbed. I followed the right measurements and ingredients but I failed. I’m going to try again in the future, the bag of rice for this costs me $13 so I’m going to wait a bit before trying again. Maybe watch some videos to see where I went wrong!
We have had paella in Spain in several regions.
I love that the substitutions are explained, which reflects that.
There is a lot of prep work, but so worth the labor.
My go to is shrimp…Argentinian, ( frozen) as it has a lot of flavor, with loose Chorizo sausage. Here in Arizona, not a lot of fresh fish. I also use more tomatoes …canned San Marzano are delicious. Thank you for this!
What size paella pan for this recipe? Will this fill a 40 cm pan?
Made this for Valentine’s Day dinner– 10/10! Huge hit with my sweetheart <3 I made it with seafood (scallops, clams, mussels) and chorizo, cause that's my favorite when I've had it at restaurants. I also got socarrat on the bottom! Seriously fantastic. Since this is such a solid base recipe for paella, next time I want to experiment with a more saffron heavy flavor. I plan on cutting back a bit on the amount of bell pepper and tomato to balance the amount of sofrito accordingly, to make that saffron flavor really POP. But for sure I will be making it exactly as written again as well. 🙂
I made this for the first time and followed every step. It came out delicious! I did boil frozen seafood and used some of that stock in the rice with a little less chicken stock. I even got socarrat on the bottom! Love this recipe!
Delicious! This is my go to recipe. The cooking time is off though. At medium low, it takes another 15-20 mins. for the rice to cook & produce socarrat.
I’m sorry, but I’m from Spain, specifically from Valencia (where valencian paella is from) and I have to say this is not how a paella is done. More than half of the ingredients are wrong. This is not intended to offend but just understand how sad it is when a dish that you love and is part of your culture, its recipe is spread so wrong. That is something very common when we prepare dishes from other countries, and for sure I make these mistakes too when I try to cook recipes that are unfamiliar to me. But as the fun part of cooking is to evolve and improve, I just wanted to share my point of view
Hi Clara, You’re welcome to your opinion, but this is the Spanish Paella that my native Spaniard host makes, in Madrid. There are many, many different variations of Paella, and this is based on hers.
I have made plenty of paellas and this is the first time I followed this recipe. The quantity of broth required(5 cups) is too much. The rice is supposed to be dry and this was a wet rice. Terrible! The flavor was okay but not as good as the other ones I’ve made.