Authentic Paella

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!

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.

Spanish

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).

The Authentic Valencian Paella, Explore All Your Options

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:

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.

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.

Easy Paella Valenciana Recipe

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.

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.

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.

Easy Authentic Paella Recipe By Tasty

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).

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.

Traditional Paella Cooking Class In Valencia 2023

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.

*Rice: Spanish rice (also called “bomba” rice, calaspara rice, arroz redonda) is traditional in Paella, and it’s what I recommend using. (If your grocery store doesn't carry it, try Amazon, World Market, or an International food market). If necessary you can substitute medium grain rice, like Calrose rice which can be found at Walmart or most grocery stores, and reduce the broth to 3 ¾ cups. (I don’t recommend using Arborio rice or long-grain rice for Paella).

*Broth: Authentic paella would include making your own fish stock from the discard shells of seafood. I usually substitute chicken broth for convenience.

Traditional Paella, Amazing Disposition Hit A 78% Discount

*Seafood: If you don’t like seafood, leave it out and substitute more chicken or 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. 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).

Seafood

*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.

Calories: 535 kcal Carbohydrates: 59 g Protein: 37 g Fat: 15 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Cholesterol: 260 mg Sodium: 1159 mg Potassium: 805 mg Fiber: 3 g Sugar: 3 g Vitamin A: 1408 IU Vitamin C: 58 mg Calcium: 125 mg Iron: 4 mg

Where To Find Best Authentic Paella In Barcelona

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.When I cook paellas I like to make them big! I only do it about once every year, using a ginormous paella pan I purchased about 20 years ago.

This is one I made as requested by my daughter for her birthday. As it’s lockdown at the moment, the leftovers were all delivered to hungry neighbour.

This is a recipe I developed after watching paellas being cooked on our numerous vacations to Spain. The traditional paellas there are amazing but they are also quite expensive.

Do You Know Authentic Paella?

In fact, I prefer making my own like this because I can serve a group of 20 for about the same price as it would cost to order a paella for four in Spain.

This authentic paella recipe is really easy to make. The key to the perfect paella is using the freshest ingredients you can get your hands on. There’s no point going to the trouble of making a paella with substandard ingredients.

Traditional

I purchased all my meat from a local farm shop and ordered my seafood just out of the water from my fishmonger. You really can taste the difference.

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Although not essential, I make a lot of parsley and garlic sauce for people to scoop over their paella at the table.

To make the optional parsley and garlic sauce for this traditional paella, blend parsley, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt together until smooth.

For this large paella, I blended 200g (7 oz) of parsley with eight large cloves of garlic, 250ml (1 cup) extra virgin olive oil and the juice of two lemons. I added salt to taste.

Hearty & Traditional Paella Valenciana

I highly recommend getting everything prepared and ready before you start cooking. There are a lot of tasty ingredients in this recipe and each takes some time to prepare.

If there is one thing I should emphasise, it is that the seafood should be handled with care. Many chefs simply throw their seafood in with the other ingredients while cooking.

I find it better to cook seafood like scallops and squid in a pan first. These ingredients only need a couple of minutes in a hot pan. Cook them longer and they could be come tough.

Traditional

Spanish Paella Recipe (paella Valenciana)

Get all of your vegetables prepared ahead of time too. If you have everything ready to go when you start cooking, it’s a much simpler process.

You could of course cook indoors. All you need is a good heat below your pan and you’re set to go. For me though, this is one that just needs to be cooked outside. It’s party food!

I used chicken thighs, pork loin and of course chorizo which was freshly made at my local farm shop. Do you have to use these meats too? Nope. Add whatever meat you like or leave it out.