Paella

I love a one-pan rice dish, and this paella is the fanciest one I’ve ever had. Paella is a popular seafood and rice dish from Spain that’s made in a wide, shallow pan to create a crispy crust– yum! I love the contrast of the moist rice, crispy crust, and flavorful meat and seafood. It’s summer in a pan!

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Ever since I first tried paella, I’ve been obsessed. This dish seems so complicated, but it all comes together in one pan, which makes for easy cleanup and simple prep. It makes me feel so fancy when I make paella at home, and it always impresses my guests.

Tips for Beginners

I recommend that you don’t rinse the rice for this dish. Rice is covered in starch, and that helps thicken up the paella as it cooks.
Check your mussels carefully for freshness. If any are slightly open, gently press them shut. If the shells stay closed, they are safe to eat; it the shells reopen, toss the mussel.
Don’t stir the paella as it cooks, otherwise, you won’t get that crispy crust and the rice will turn mushy.
To achieve the crispiest crust, after the liquid is mostly absorbed, increase the heat for a couple of minutes until you can smell the rice toasting at the bottom, then remove from heat.

Paella Recipe

I love a one-pan rice dish, and this paella is the fanciest one I've ever had. Moist rice, veggies, and plenty of meats and seafoods—yum!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Spanish

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 495kcal

Author Sabine Venier

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more if needed
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces Spanish chorizo* sliced into ½-inch rounds
1 onion finely chopped
1 red bell pepper seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tomatoes peeled and finely diced
1½ cups short-grain Spanish rice** such as Bomba or Calasparra
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth warmed
1 pinch saffron threads***
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley divided
½ cup frozen peas
12 large shrimp**** peeled and deveined
1 dozen mussels***** scrubbed and debearded
lemon wedges optional, for serving

Instructions

In a 14-inch skillet or paella pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown for about 5-7 minutes. Remove the meat and set aside.

2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In the same pan, add the chorizo and cook until browned. Remove and set aside with the chicken.

8 ounces Spanish chorizo*
Add more olive oil if needed and sauté onion, red bell pepper, and garlic until onion is translucent.

1 onion, 1 red bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic
Stir in the tomatoes and cook for an additional 3 minutes to create the sofrito. Push the sofrito to the sides of the pan.

2 tomatoes
Add the rice to the center of the pan and toast it for 1-2 minutes, then mix it with the sofrito.

1½ cups short-grain Spanish rice**
Pour in the warm chicken broth and saffron, spreading the rice and vegetables evenly in the pan. Do not stir after this point.

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 pinch saffron threads***
Return the chicken and chorizo to the pan and sprinkle over the smoked paprika and half of the parsley. Gently shake the pan to settle everything.

½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Simmer for about 15 minutes.
Then sprinkle the peas over the rice and arrange the shrimp and mussels on top, pushing them down into the rice slightly. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the seafood is cooked and the mussels have opened (discard any that don't open).

½ cup frozen peas, 12 large shrimp****, 1 dozen mussels*****
Remove from heat and cover the paella with a lid or foil. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

lemon wedges

Notes

*I used Spanish chorizo, which is cooked and cured. If it’s not available, use a firm, dry-cured sausage like kielbasa, which can be sliced and used similarly.

**Bomba or Calasparra are the traditional for paella, but short-grain Arborio rice will work too. If using Arborio rice, reduce the amount of chicken broth to 3 cups.

***Saffron tends to be expensive, so if it’s not in budget, you can color the rice with a mixture of turmeric and regular paprika.

****I like large peeled and deveined shrimp. If buying frozen, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

*****I like black mussels because they are more flavorful, but green mussels also work. Again, if buying frozen, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Nutrition

How to Make Paella Step by Step

Brown the Chicken: In a 14-inch skillet or paella pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces, season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, and brown for about 5-7 minutes. Remove the meat and set aside.

cooked chicken and chorizo on a white plate.

Cook the Chorizo: In the same pan, add 8 ounces of sliced Spanish chorizo and cook until browned. Remove and set aside with the chicken.

Sauté the Onion and Pepper: Add more olive oil if needed and sauté 1 finely chopped onion, 1 finely chopped red bell pepper, and 2 minced cloves of garlic until onion is translucent.

Make the Sofrito: Stir in 2 peeled and finely diced tomatoes and cook for an additional 3 minutes to create the sofrito. Push the sofrito to the sides of the pan.

rice and sofrito tossed together in a pan.

Add the Rice: Add 1½ cups of short-grain Spanish rice to the center of the pan and toast it for 1-2 minutes, then mix it with the sofrito.

Pour in the Broth: Pour in 4 cups of warm chicken broth and a pinch of saffron threads, spreading the rice and vegetables evenly in the pan. Do not stir after this point.

Simmer the Paella: Return the cooked chicken and chorizo to the pan and sprinkle over ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika and ¼ cup of finely chopped parsley. Gently shake the pan to settle everything. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add the Seafood: Sprinkle ½ cup of frozen peas over the rice and arrange 12 large peeled and deveined shrimp and 12 scrubbed and debearded mussels on top, pushing them down into the rice slightly. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the seafood is cooked and the mussels have opened (discard any that don’t open).

Steam and Serve: Remove from heat and cover the paella with a lid or foil. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with the remaining ¼ cup of finely chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

overhead view of a serving of paella on a white plate.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover paella in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a covered skillet over medium-low heat until warm. Add a splash of water or stock if the rice seems dry.

overhead view of a pan of paella with a serving spoon.

Serving Suggestions

Paella is a classic Spanish seafood dish that pairs beautifully with a glass of Spanish white wine or sangria. I like to serve some light and fresh gazpacho as an appetizer to this rich and filling dish, but I recommend you keep it simple—you don’t want to fill up on apps when you have this delicious meal to look forward to.