In this version of the classic Spanish seafood paella dish, chicken, chorizo sausage, shrimp and mussels are combined with rice simmered in a rich saffron-infused broth. An easy dinner recipe and a great way to impress your friends at a dinner party!
Paella is one of my all-time favorite dishes to make! We eat this every month, usually with friends or family on a Saturday night. It's one of those dishes where you can just put the whole thing, in its pan, in the middle of the dinner table and everyone can just help themselves.
Each time I make this, it's a little different, sometimes I'll add different color bell peppers, sometimes clams, sometimes mussels. So you will see a variety of photos from my paella meals here, of course I can't resist taking photos of it when it's cooked. Always looks so tasty!
You just need to remember to stick to the same ratio of rice to the broth so make sure your paella isn't too wet or on the other hand, undercooked. It is the broth that cooks the rice and flavors it nicely.
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Most of the time I make this, I use chicken thighs and a variety of seafood. I keep supplies in the freezer, other than mussels which I buy fresh. How much of each ingredient can vary, and I usually allow for 2 chicken thighs per person, plus the added seafood. It's quite a filling dish and the flavor is out of this world!
When we have had some leftovers, we simply reheat it in the microwave the following day and eat it for lunch. It still tastes just as good!
As for the paella pan, they do vary in size. I use a large one, which will feed up to 10 people. If you're only cooking for 2 - 4 people, you would be better off using a smaller, 10-inch paella pan. they're not expensive to buy, and if you go for a nonstick one, they're super easy to clean too!
What does Paella mean?
Paella means "frying pan" in Valencian.
Where does Paella Originate?
Paella is a Spanish rice dish originally from Valencia. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. For this reason, many non-Spaniards view it as Spain's national dish, but Spaniards almost unanimously consider it to be a dish from the Valencian region.
It's traditionally made with meat and cooked on an open fire. This simple paella recipe uses a mix of meat, seafood, and colorful vegetables for a delicious combination of flavors and textures
This seafood paella recipe is really special. It's not quite a traditional paella recipe, but it's packed with chicken thighs, garlic, saffron, seafood, and some lovely chorizo.
Does authentic paella have chorizo?
Chorizo, is a smoked Spanish sausage with a sweet or spicy flavor. Traditionally, it is not used in paella, however, we think the addition of chorizo in this recipe should be added, simply because the flavor it adds is amazing! Try it with and without and you can decide for yourself!
What makes a good paella?
To make the perfect paella make sure of the following;
- The rice should be medium grain. A good Spanish paella rice which you can buy from most grocery stores will work perfectly.
- A true paella pan is wide, round, and shallow and has splayed sides. Often they are huge, and when we make paella, we use 3 hob rings and rotate the pan during cooking so as to get an even distrubution of heat. If you have a large BBQ, by all means, use that to place your paella pan.
- I have seen smaller paella pans on Amazon, which are better suited for 2 - 4 people sized servings.
- Try to find a heat source that can accommodate the whole paella pan otherwise you will need to rotate the pan over your stove top for even cooking
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
40 - 60 minutes
Serves
6 people
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon saffron strands
- 600ml or 1 ¼ pints chicken or vegetable broth
- 450 ml or 1 pint Boiling hot water
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 125g or 4 ½ oz chorizo, roughly chopped
- 500g or 1 lb skinless chicken breasts or thighs (or a mix). If using breast, cut into bite sized pieces.
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 250g or 1 ⅓ cups Spanish paella rice
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato paste or puree
- 2 Fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped
- 125g or 4 oz raw prawns - Shells on (thawed if frozen)
- 125g or 4 oz raw prawns - Shells off (thawed if frozen)
- 250g or 8 oz Raw Mussels and or Clams- Shells on
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve
- 1 whole lemon, sliced into wedges
- Salt and Pepper to taste
* Optional, you can also add squid and other seafood to your liking or some garden vegetables such as garden peas, other colored peppers etc
Instructions
- Stir the saffron strands into the hot broth and set aside to infuse while you prepare the rest of the paella.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a paella pan or a large deep frying pan with a lid. Add the chorizo and fry until crispy and the oil has been released. Remove the chorizo and drain on kitchen paper, leaving the oil in the pan.
- Add the chicken into the pan and fry over a high heat until the meat is golden. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the paella pan, then add the chopped onion and garlic. Gently fry over a medium heat until softened but NOT brown. Add the bell pepper and smoked paprika and sautee for a further 1-2 mins.
- Add the rice and stir so it is well-coated in the oil, then pour in the saffron-infused broth plus the boiling hot water, making sure you loosen any sticky brown bits from the bottom of the pan as they are full of flavor! Turn the heat down to low so the rice can gently simmer.
Whilst simmering, add the browned chicken pieces to the pan, then add the chopped tomatoes.
Using foil, cover the pan and cook on medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken pieces are cooked and the rice has almost absorbed all the broth and water.
Scatter the peas (if using), all the prawns, mussels, and fried chorizo over the top, cover again, and leave to cook a further 5-10 minutes, or until the rice is just cooked and the seafood is cooked through.
If your paella pan is larger than your stovetop hob ring, you can arrange the pan to sit over 2 – 3 rings (set on a low to medium heat) and rotate the pan a quarter of a turn every 10 minutes of so to ensure even cooking. Make sure you cover the pan with foil so the food steams underneath!
Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat, and leave to rest, covered for 5 minutes.
Stir to mix the ingredients, season to taste, and scatter over the chopped parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.
We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Recipe Card
Classic Spanish Seafood Paella
Classic Spanish Seafood Paella. In this version of the classic Spanish dish, chicken, chorizo sausage, and shrimp combine with rice simmered in broth and flavored with saffron threads, garlic
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon saffron strands
- 600ml or 1 ¼ pints chicken or vegetable broth
- 450 ml or 1 pint Boiling hot water
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 125g or 4 ½ oz chorizo, roughly chopped
- 500g or 1 lb skinless chicken breasts or thighs (or a mix). If using breast, cut into bite sized pieces.
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 250g or 1 ⅓ cups Spanish paella rice
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato paste or puree
- 2 Fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped
- 125g or 4 oz raw prawns - Shells on (thawed if frozen)
- 125g or 4 oz raw prawns - Shells off (thawed if frozen)
- 250g or 8 oz Raw Mussels and or Clams- Shells on
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve
- 1 whole lemon, sliced into wedges
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Stir the saffron strands into the hot broth and set them aside to infuse while you prepare the rest of the paella.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a paella pan or a large deep frying pan with a lid. Add the chorizo and fry until crispy and the oil has been released. Remove the chorizo and drain on kitchen paper, leaving the oil in the pan.
- Add the chicken into the pan and fry over high heat until the meat is golden. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set it aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the paella pan, then add the chopped onion and garlic. Gently fry over medium heat until softened but NOT brown. Add the bell pepper and smoked paprika and saute for a further 1-2 mins.
- Add the rice and stir so it is well-coated in the oil, then pour in the saffron-infused broth plus the boiling hot water, making sure you loosen any sticky brown bits from the bottom of the pan as they are full of flavor! Turn the heat down to low so the rice can gently simmer.
- Whilst simmering, add the browned chicken pieces to the pan, then add the chopped tomatoes.
- Cover the pan and cook on medium heat for 10 mins, stirring once or twice. Scatter the peas, prawns, and fried chorizo over the top, cover again and leave to cook a further 5-10 mins, or until the rice is just cooked and most of the liquid in the pan has been absorbed.
- Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat, and leave to rest, covered for 5 minutes. Stir to mix the ingredients, season to taste, and scatter over the chopped parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Recommended Products
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Award Winner Saffron (world's no.1) Divine Healing Saffron All natural organic (Highest Super Negin- Limited Supply) Spice for Paella, Risotto, Tea's, and all Culinary Uses -
Mabel Home Paella Pan + Paella Burner and Stand Set on Wheels + Complete Paella Kit for up to 20 Servings - 23.65 inch Gas Burner + 25.60 inch Enamaled Steel Paella Pan
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Machika Polished Steel Paella Pan 10 inch (26 cm)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 599Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 216mgSodium: 1037mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 56g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
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