Campfire Paella

An impromptu camping trip to the Oregon coast offers us the chance to incorporate some local shellfish into this one-skillet seafood campfire paella recipe.

The Oregon Coast is absolutely stunning – if you can see it through the fog. While this rugged coastline offers spectacular vistas, lush vegetation, and picturesque campgrounds, the weather there can be infamously uncooperative. Weeks of nonstop rain, heavy fog, and gusting winds prompted one camp host from Yuma, AZ to tell us that it had turned his southwest tan into pacific northwest rust.

So when we saw a weather forecast that predicted two consecutive days of sun, we decided to jump on it. With little under 24 hours notice, we packed the car and were heading to the coast.

How To Make Paella

We arrived in Newport, a small port town known for fresh seafood. As we cruised along the docks we saw rows of crabbing boats that had come in earlier that morning. Seals barked in the harbor and bearded men in yellow rubber waders sat outside smoking cigarettes. This was a salty fishing town if we ever saw one. So we did the only thing we could and stopped by a local fishmonger to pick up a few supplies for dinner.

We were planning on making campfire paella so we decided to get some mussels, clams, and shrimp. Wrapped in brown paper, we placed our catch in our cooler and made our way a little further up the coast to Beverly Beach campground.

Oregon is one of the few places in the country where you are allowed to build fires on the beach. We had briefly entertained the romantic notion of cooking our meal out on the beach, but despite the clear skies, it was a still a little too blustery for that. So instead, we made dinner at the campsite among the coastal redwoods.

Campfire Cooking: Campfire Paella

While it might seem a little intimidating at first, paella is actually a perfect meal to make when camping. It’s super versatile, can be easily cooked over a campfire, and best of all – the recipe calls for just a glug of wine, leaving a nearly full bottle leftover. No possible idea what we’d do with that…

Back at the campsite, we got a small fire going. In a 10″ cast iron skillet, we sauteed some onions and garlic in olive oil, while grilling some cherry tomatoes off to the side. We then added the tomatoes, rice, and various spices to the pan and stirred to coat with olive oil.

At this point, we were supposed to add the white wine but had a momentary panic attack when we realized we had forgotten to pack a corkscrew. A few swears and pointed fingers later, we remembered our wine had a twist top. Crisis averted! After that, the wine went in, followed by broth. We both had a drink.

Recipe: Spanish Paella On The Campfire

As the liquid simmers, the rice begins to cook. When the rice was looking al dente (about 15 minutes in) we added the seafood. With all the steam rising off the rice, the seafood cooks very quickly. So you want to avoid adding it too early, otherwise, it will overcook.

With the liquid nearly gone, the rice done, and the seafood fully cooked, we pulled the pan off the fire. The pictures here don’t really do this meal justice. The aroma coming off this thing was just absolutely incredible. In fact, we didn’t even bother plating it. Instead, we ate it right out of the cast iron.

After finishing the paella and half the bottle of wine, we were feeling pretty good. But we couldn’t let go of the idea of a beachside bonfire. We were so close. So we quickly cleaned the dishes, packed our backpacks, and walked down to the beach. Thankfully, the wind had died down a little and it looked like we were in for a golden sunset.

Campfire Arroz Con Pollo / Paella

These types of experiences never cease to amaze us. Just how quickly things can change. Only 24 hours ago we were watching Netflix and scrolling through the weather on our phones. And now we were sitting on a beach having a fire and watching the sunset over the Pacific ocean. It’s a great reminder that adventure is out there. You just need to go out and find it.

INGREDIENT NOTES Saffron can be pricey, but it does add to the distinct flavor of paella. Trader Joe’s has the best price we have found so far ($5.99 for a small jar, which we can make 3 paellas from).

CAMPFIRE COOKING It’s good to keep in mind that campfires are not consistent heat sources the way that kitchen stoves are, so cook times can change based on variables such as how hot your fire is or how close the grill grate is to the flame. We’ve given times based on our experience, but they should be taken as guidelines only. We’ve added some visual indicators to help you adapt based on your particular fire.

The Paella Company

Fresh Off The Grid is a culinary resource for the outdoor community. We offer a collection of recipes, how-to guides, and camp cooking gear to help you enjoy great food in the great outdoors!We love camping as much as the next family but given our propensity to think through our stomachs, we tend to put as much thought and effort into planning our camp menu as we do into choosing a destination, and despite the restrictions of an esky and a single burner camp stove or fire, never skimp on flavour. But of all our camp cooking favourites, this easy campfire paella is number one on our kids’ culinary hit parade.

Dating back to mid-18th century Valencia, Paella was born to be cooked over fire. In fact, back in the day, the Valencians used wide, flat pans (

) to cook their rice outside over wood fires, using whatever meats and vegetables were available. The most important ingredient is the rice, and while

Open Fire Paella — Passion For Dining And Nutrition

While our Paella at home is cooked in a carbon steel pan that heats quickly and doesn’t retain too much heat, when we’re camping anything goes and we find our cast-iron pan works just fine.  The only thing to remember is whatever dish you use, you must not stir your paella as it cooks, as the

Though this time we whipped up our easy campfire paella up our camp stove, we think it cooks best over coal, just like in  the old days. Just remember to get your fire prepped about an hour before cooking so there are plenty of hot coals, not blazing flames, as they offer more constant temperatures. It’s also worth noting that while cooking over coals does take a little more time, the smoky result is worth every extra minute.

An award-winning travel writer and photographer, Aleney de Winter was fresh from school when she first set off to explore the far reaches of Australia with a two-man tent and a beaten-up Kingswood for company. Three decades, and two kids later, and she's still on the go, with her itchy-footed offspring in tow.

Campfire Paella Foil Packet

I’m Aleney! A mum, award-winning travel writer, magazine editor and gallivanting glutton. He’s Raff, the “boy” in , and a fearless foodie, adventurer and eco-warrior. Along with his all-singing, all-dancing, all-adventurous sister, Sugarpuff, we’re exploring the world’s colour, culture and cuisine on a food safari for the junior set.