Paella is the ultimate one dish meal! Rice is the star of this versatile dish, which varies according to the cook and region of Spain. Paella can be made with a variety of seafood, meats and/or vegetables. Get comfy, I’m going to tell you everything I’ve learned about paella and teach you how to make paella in your kitchen!
When we lived in Spain for 18 months, we consumed our fair share of paella in restaurants. Most of the paella we ordered were less than memorable. I often askedlocals where to find the best paella, and guess what the answer was over and over again? En casa. AT HOME.. I agree!
While in Spain, we were talking to one of our sons on the phone, and Grant told him I had just made paella. He asked “What is paella?” Grant’s response ” You know, that giant pan with food in it!” I laughed and wrote down the quote, because it was so funny to me, but he was right. Paella is actually the name of the pan, and it is, in fact, filled with food!
Classic Spanish Paella Recipe: Tips, Ingredients, And Techniques
Paella is a dish that consists mainly of rice with a variety of meat, seafood or vegetables, cooked in liquid in a large shallow pan on the stovetop. Paella is the considered to be the national food of Spain. It is usually eaten on special occasions and Sunday, which is a family day in Spain. Most businesses are closed so families and friends can gather to enjoy time together. While we lived in Spain, we often saw families gathering and cooking paella on an outdoorburner, hooked up to a propane tank.
Some people have burners in their kitchens as well. Paella was traditionally cooked on a wood fire outside. Paella is considered to be a meal only served at lunchtime, or medio-dia, because it is too filling to serve in the evening.
Paella originated in Valencia, located about 3 hours south of Barcelona. Valencia is a city, but also a region. Paella was first made by farmworkers in the fields at lunchtime over an open fire. They used rice, which was grown in the region, and anything else available to throw in the pan. In Valencia, snails, rabbit and chicken were plentiful, along with beans. That is why to this day, Valenciana Paella contains those ingredients!
Spanish Paella Recipe (seafood, Chicken, & Chorizo)
Is what our Spanish amigos refer to as authentic paella. Paella Valenciana needs to have its own post! It is different from the paella I’m sharing today in method and ingredients.Later, I will share a recipe for Paella Valenciana and more about my experience making paella in Valencia!
In this post, we will go over the basics of making paella, along with tips from my friend Marga, who was raised in Spain and an incredibly talented cook. Marga taught me how to make paella step-by-step, in her Spanish kitchen. Marga explained the why to each step in our paella making session!
I answer some of the most FAQ I have received when sharing about my experience making paella on Instagram, and also questions I had myself! One warning. Do not be intimidated by the length of the recipe! I broke it down into steps with make-ahead or preparation leading up to the actual cooking of the paella.
The Best Spanish Seafood Paella 🥘 Recipe
Preparation is key to this dish. Cooking is the least labor intensive part of making paella. If you prepare, it is really nothing more than cooking meat and veggies in a pan, cooking rice and then combining the two!
Asking a native Spaniard about the best paella recipe, is like asking for the best potato salad recipe, or the best chocolate chip cookie or stuffing recipe back home. Everyone has their own twist and (strong) opinion on this popular favorite dish. Tradition also comes into play as well!
Many people native to Spain will say there are ingredients that have no business showing up in paella. Some of those ingredients are: chorizo, onions, tomatoes … It is all a matter of preference. Some say it is not proper to mix land and sea in a paella. Others say when using seafood, stick to either fish or shellfish, and it is ok to mix shellfish with chicken, and or rabbit (yes, rabbit is commonly eaten in Spain). We have found, when dining out in Spain, there are no rules as far as paella goes. Where paellais served, anything goes!
Read Seafood Paella Recipe Online
If you do have the good fortune to visit Spain, be careful about where you eat paella. Many of the restaurants in Spain cater to tourists who are anxious to try this traditional Spanish dish. Unfortunately, some restaurants buy paella frozen and then place it in a pan, heat it up and toss on a few pieces of seafood or vegetables on top. Do your research before choosing a restaurant!
You can also look carefully at the set up in the kitchen. If they only have room for a microwave and there are no stoves in site, your food is most likely being purchased frozen. Look for reputable restaurants that cook from scratch before spending your hard earned money.
Marga has been making paella for years. She learned a few tips for making paella from a Michelin chef that she passed along to me. The first is add
Traybake Paella Recipe
. I had never heard or seen this done previously, but I can tell you this. Marga’s paella remains my all-time favorite! The nuts give a slightly earthy flavor to the paella. They are not overpowering and they also help to thicken the liquid a bit.
. Marga places the threads of saffron in the microwave for 10 seconds on a plate before crushing with her fingers. Just enough time to toast the threads and help to release the flavor.
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And use it in the base of the paella. Sofrito is a mixture of tomatoes, onion, garlic and salt cooked in olive oil over a slow flame. Some Spanish recipes for Sofrito include parsley, red peppers, paprika, or other peppers. Marga uses a simple base, slow cooked, and then blended together until smooth. I love her version and highly recommend making a batch to keep on hand in your fridge or freezer!
Best Paella Ever · I Am A Food Blog
Last Michelin chef tip: Bring the broth to a boil, remove one cup of broth. Add the toasted threads of saffron to the cup of broth, along with
Marga uses half fish stock and half chicken stock in her paella. Since fish stock varies all over the board from excellent-to-awful, I recommend using chicken stock in this recipe. If you are making a seafood paella, and would like more fish flavor, you may also use part bottled clam juice.
More is not better. When I first started making paella, I added a whole container of saffron threads (which should have covered 4-5 paella) to one pan. I didn’t necessarily think more was better, I just didn’t look carefully at the package to see a few threads were enough!
Mixed Paella Recipe
It is also tempting to add more rice than called for in this recipe. Remember, Bomba rice is specially grown to absorb 2-3 times its weight and will swell considerably while cooking. The rice should not be thicker than “a finger” in the bottom of the pan. Which means about 1/2 to one inch thick at most.
If you add too much rice, it will require more liquid to cook properly and the flavors in the dish will diminish and get lost in excess rice. As a rule of thumb, allow 1/2 cup (uncooked) or 100 grams of rice per person. If the amount of people increase, the size of the pan also needs to increase for the rice to cook properly. You may also use an additional pan if needed! I use a 16-18 inch pan for this recipe. See FAQ below for more info on pans.
. It is the crispy, caramelized layer of rice on the bottom of the paella. After the rice is completely done cooking, and all of the liquid has been absorbed, the paella is left on the flame or heat for a few minutes until the rice begins to make a crackling sound (Marga had me put my ear to the pan to listen for the sound). This is the rice being crisped on the very bottom layer and the most desired part of the paella!
Authentic Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe
If possible, it is best to stay away from using a non-stick skillet when making paella because the socarrat is more difficult to develop. Cast iron is also not recommended because it retains too much heat for proper cooking of this dish. That said, if you really want to make paella, and you only have non-stick, this recipe will work, but don’t wait too long for the Socarrat to form!
Note: there are some affiliate links included in this section of the post, which means I receive a small commission on items purchased thru Amazon. You can also find ingredients in specialty grocery stores.
Every recipe for paella varies and you will have your own likes and dislikes according to your taste. Some people like their paella to be
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