Easy Paella Recipe Without Saffron

The best thing is you can make it yourself. Even if you do not have a paella pan or saffron. You can still make this Spanish classic to feed a crown.

Paella is made in a big flat pan that is used only for paella in Spain. But is no problem if you do not own this type of pan.

There are a lot of paella varieties and if you make a seafood paella you can leave out the meat or chorizo.

Easy Shrimp And Chicken Paella • Curious Cuisiniere

To give your paella that characteristic yellow color you add saffron. It is very expensive but you only need a small amount.

Preheat a paella pan or big skillet with olive oil and add the chicken. Brown the chicken, then add the chopped bell pepper and onion.

Now it is time for the rice. Add it to the skillet and let it absorb the color. Stir the rice through the skillet.

Mixed Seafood Paella

As the rice is similar to risotto you need a lot of liquids for the rice to absorb before it is cooked.

Bring the rice to a light simmer. Once the broth cooks down you can add the squid and stir it through the rice.

You have several rice options to make a paella. You need rice that can absorb a lot of liquid and cook dry.

Chicken And Chorizo Paella

Can you use arborio rice also known as risotto rice for a paella? This is not your typical rice to use but if you want to make paella or if you are not able to find any of the other rice grains you can use arborio.

If you have leftover paella, you have several ways to store it. In all cases let the rice cool completely first before storing:

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases without additional cost to you.Classic Seafood Paella is a delicious meal to serve on special occasions to family and friends. This Spanish one-dish meal is loaded with seafood flavors and floral saffron.

Easy Seafood Paella

If you’re a seafood lover, you’ll adore this easy paella recipe. We will give the home cook an easy, step-by-step paella for the paella novice suited for cooking on the stove top, not an open flame in the backyard.

Paella is a Spanish dish often made with rice, seafood, chicken, and saffron, which are cooked in a large, shallow pan. I’ve had amazing family-style paellas out and about and wanted to try it at home.

Paella was first cooked over wood fires in the fields of Spain and made with rabbit, chicken and snails. In the states, these flavors probably wouldn’t go over too well.

Easy Gluten Free Paella (without Saffron Option)

In the states, the most commonly used proteins are clams and mussels, as well as chicken thighs. Seafood stock or chicken broth is used for the rice regardless of the other proteins being added.

Small amounts of saffron were used for fragrance and color, but not necessarily for flavor. Afterall, saffron was expensive and the hue of your rice could symbolize your stature in society. The more you used, the wealthier your family!

What is a paella pan? Most paella pans are flat, shallow, and made of carbon steel. Carbon steel is an excellent conductor of heat which makes for excellent, even cooking. Tiny divots or simples in the bottom of the pan help to maintain its shape and provide even cooking.

Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe: How To Make Classic Paella At Home!

Paella pans are meant for fire cooking- either an open flame, on a grill or even a gas stovetop. They do not work as well and might scald on an electric cooktop.

Are there alternatives to paella pans? Surely! Just because you don’t have the special pan or have the ability to cook with fire, doesn’t mean you can make delicious paella at home. The best alternative to a paella pan is cast iron. Also a great conductor of heat, it cooks evenly and is oven safe should you need to swap them back and forth.

The ingredients for paella change from recipe to recipe and like Italian’s with their red sauce, every family has their own “best seafood paella recipe”. There is no one right way, but a million really good ways to prepare it. With the exception of the rice to liquid ratios, the rest of the ingredients can be altered depending on what you have on hand.

Easy Paella Recipe With Yellow Rice

Common variations include adding crushed red pepper for heat, green beans, a bay leaf, whole garlic cloves (creates a garlic confit inside the dish) and tomato paste instead of fire roasted tomatoes.

The best paella is not known for being spicy. This is a common misconception. Actually, paella shouldn’t be spicy at all. If you like spice, feel free to add a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

Simply put, tomato sauce with peppers, onions and garlic. It is the foundation to many Spanish dishes, as it rounds the flavour of the stock and provides sweetness and depth to the rice. In this recipe, the peppers, onions and garlic are cooked separate with the tomato added later. This is an easy paella recipe and meant to be a shortcut, we recognize and do not claim this to be “authentic”.

Chicken Seafood Paella

The showstopper of this Classic Seafood Paella is the socarrat, a layer of crunchy, caramelized rice on the bottom of the pan, created by applying high heat at the end of the cooking process. Rice will also cook faster since it is in a thin layer as opposed to being cooked in a saucepan.

How do you reheat seafood paella? Unfortunately, seafood has the tendency to get rubbery when reheated. The best way to prevent this is by gently reheating in a skillet over low-medium heat on the stovetop. You can certainly microwave it, but this increases the probability of it being a little tough, it is unavoidable with this cooking method.

Salmon Croquettes are a southern classic! Full of salmon, peppers, onions and seasoning, this versatile dish is sure to be loved by all!

Spanish Paella Recipe

This Asiago Mushroom Salmon is one of my favorite pan fried salmon recipes! You only need 10 minutes to make this easy weeknight meal!

If you’re a seafood lover, you’ll adore this paella. My Classic Seafood Paella recipe gives you an easy, step-by-step paella for the paella novice.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop to prevent seafood from becoming rubbery.

Healthy Paella Recipe

Calories: 302 kcal , Carbohydrates: 45 g , Protein: 24 g , Fat: 1 g , Cholesterol: 203 mg , Sodium: 1142 mg , Potassium: 400 mg , Fiber: 2 g , Sugar: 2 g , Vitamin A: 565 IU , Vitamin C: 32.1 mg , Calcium: 154 mg , Iron: 2.6 mg

Jessica the mom, wife and food lover behind Savory Experiments. She is obsessed with butter, salt and bacon and spends all her time in the kitchen and behind a camera. Jessica is a contributor to PopKitchen by Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!