Easy Chicken Paella

This One Pan Healthy Paella recipe is a quick, delicious dinner! This easy paella is packed with chicken for protein, veggies + whole grain brown rice.

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If you’re looking for an easy, delicious dinner that is full of flavor- try this Chicken Paella recipe. Made with no seafood, it’s a rich and yummy one pan meal that is simple to make!

All In One Paella

Paella is a Spanish dish that is typically made with rice, saffron, chicken, and seafood. It’s cooked low and slow in a large pan so that the flavors of the dish can really come together.

Paella has a unique taste. The combination of paprika and saffron is delicious. It’s not spicy at all, but it has a rich savory flavor. Combine with the sweetness of the veggies – it’s a really unique, delicious flavor!

What is so special about paella? Paella is a delicious dish that is super hearty and filling. It has unique flavors and is loaded with protein and veggies making it the perfect healthy dinner.

Simple Chicken Paella Recipe

What rice is used for paella? I used brown rice in this recipe but short grain bomba rice is typically used in paella.

Meat:Typically paella is made with chicken, chorizo, and seafood. You can add chorizo to this recipe – brown it with the chicken, set it aside with the chicken, and add it back in when you add the chicken in. If adding shrimp, add it at the very end when there are about 5-10 minutes so that it cooks.Do notadd the shrimp in at the beginning because it will overcook. You can also substitute chicken thighs for chicken breasts in this recipe.

Veggies:You can substitute in carrots, sugar snap peas, green beans, more peppers or even mushrooms interchangeably. This is a flexible recipe. You can also add more peas if you like.

Easy Shrimp And Chicken Paella • Curious Cuisiniere

Saffron: Saffron is pricey and can often be difficult to find. You can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of Sazon Goya but omit the extra salt from this recipe as that has a lot of salt.

Vegetarian: We have not tried making this recipe without the meat. The chicken does absorb some of the broth, so the ratios might be off.

Freezing:I haven’t tried freezing paella, but I think it might work. The chicken might get a little bouncy when defrosted and the rice could get soggy.

How To Make Easy Paella Without Saffron

Can this recipe be made ahead? Sure! When you’re ready to reheat, you may want to add a little broth. Heat on the stove until warm

Can this recipe be reheated?Yes, this paella recipe tastes great when reheated. You can reheat in the microwave, in the oven set at 350°F until the center is cooked through, or sauté on the stove until warm.

This chicken paella is a complete meal in itself. There’s no need to make anything to serve it with. If you do want to serve it with something, here are some ideas:

Instant Pot Chicken Paella {fast + Easy}

Important Note: This is not an authentic paella recipe. My goal is always to share recipes that are a bit healthier and made with affordable, accessible ingredients so everyone can enjoy them regardless of their food allergies or dietary restrictions. Click here for an authentic paella recipe.

Typically paella is made with rice, saffron, veggies, chicken, chorizo, and seafood. Traditional paella is made differently depending on the region it is cooked. Some people use seafood only, some people use a mix of chicken and seafood.

The most important ingredient in paella is rice. The rice absorbs all the flavor in this recipe and cooks perfectly alongside the veggies/chicken

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Chicken Paella Recipe

The best paella seasoning is saffron. Saffron is a thread that comes from a flower. It’s very expensive but essential for paella! You can use sazon goya in place of it but it will not be the same.

The 3 main types of paella are chicken paella, seafood paella, or mixed paella which has both chicken, seafood, and sometimes chorizo. All are delicious

Looking for other easy dinner recipes? Check out these healthy chicken recipes or click here to download a free 30 minute dinners guide!Easy Chicken Paella — If you’re never made paella before, here’s how with this EASY recipe ready in 45 minutes!! Juicy chicken and tender rice with onions, peppers, tomatoes, and more! So much FLAVOR in every bite!!

Quick & Easy Paella Recipe With Chicken & Prawns

I am by no means a paella expert. Here’s what I did back in 2016, here’s how the recipe came about, we loved it, and I have been making it again and again ever since.

With that said, here’show I stumbled into having to try my hand at a centuries-old Spanish dish with no clue about where to begin.

I’m an avid runner, and on a warm Saturday afternoon I ran by a local artisan grocery store and there was a man, Luis, making paella on the sidewalk in a huge paella pan over an open fire. I stopped because the smell was amazing and he asked me if I wanted to try some.

Easy Shrimp Paella With Smoked Chicken Sausage

I said I didn’t have any money with me because I was just out running and he said, no it’s free. In San Diego, nothing is free except the sunshine and this very generous portion of paella.

It was beyond excellent. The rice was perfectly tender and scented with saffron, there were red bell peppers and onions for flavor and texture, and the chicken was soft and moist.

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I knew I had to recreate it so went home and started researching paella online. I came across a million different recipes and ways to make it and every one was different and one more confusing and complex than the next. I almost gave up.

Spanish Paella Recipe

Until I was running the next weekend and Luis was outside again making paella. This time I picked his brain about how to make it and what he did.

He explained the steps to me and that’s how I made this easy chicken paella with a few tweaks of my own, including scaling down the recipe from massively huge to large family-sized.

The paella was ready in about 45 minutes, far exceeded my expectations, my family raved about it, and I’m really glad I challenged myself to make this recipe. You never know until you try is the advice I always give my readers and I’m glad I took my own advice!

Easy Chicken Paella Recipe: A Flavorful Spanish Delight

I strongly recommend going with that because there are so many different spices in authentic paella and unless you want to buy all of them, or really know what you’re doing and are a paella expert, a packet of seasoning mix is the easiest!

Since I didn’t make it that way, I can’t give specific cooking times and when within the process of the rice cooking you add the ingredients and all seafood cooks at a very different rate. Do some research online and cross-reference some recipes and you’ll likely add seafood towards the end of the overall cooking time.

Yes, you sure can and I have this Instant Pot Shrimp Paella recipe that is fast, easy, and every bit as good as the stove top version!

Easy Spanish Chicken Paella Recipe

Storage: Paella will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

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Easy Gluten Free Paella (without Saffron Option)

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This Easy Chicken Paella Recipe Is Perfect If You Are In No Mood To Cook