Mexican Paella Recipe

Our easy “Paella Mexicana” recipe is a meat & seafood lovers dream, featuring pork ribs, chicken thighs & drumsticks and fresh seafood like shrimp.

We love serving this Mexican Paella recipe as an entree in the summer with fresh guacamole and a thirst quenching tequila cocktail.

You’ll love forking through a steaming plate of Paella Mexicana featuring flavourful ingredients like saffron, olive oil, chicken thighs & drumsticks, pork ribs, shrimp, onion, garlic, plum tomatoes, sweet paprika, sweet bell pepper, and short grain rice.

Easy Chicken Paella Recipe

The famous Spanish recipe takes its name from the wide, shallow pan used to cook the dish on an open fire, “paella”being the word for afrying paninValencia’s regional language.

As a dish, it may have ancient roots, but in its modern form it is traced back to the mid-19th century, in the rural area around theAlbuferalagoon adjacent to the city ofValencia, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.

Paella Valencianais the traditional paella of theValencia region, believed to be the original recipe, and consists of round grain rice, bajoquetabeans, rabbit, chicken, snails, sometimes duck andgarrofó(a variety oflima or butter bean) cooked in olive oil and chicken broth.

All In One Paella

The dish is often seasoned with wholerosemarybranches. Traditionally, the yellow colour comes fromsaffron, butturmericcan be used as a substitute.Artichokehearts and stems may be used as seasonal ingredients.

Since Paella now has a worldwide appeal, many home cooks and chefs create rifts on the original Spanish recipe to showcase a unique taste of their own culinary traditions.

Paella Mexicana, also known as Mexican Paella, is similar to Spanish Paella in preparation but in our rendition includes pork ribs, chicken drumsticks and shrimp.

Chicken Paella Recipe

As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, from traditional markets to award winning restaurants.

For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for the best Mexican Paella recipe. I’ve embarked on culinary adventures at local restaurants in Cuba, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Curacao, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.

In Mexico, I’ve forked through steaming bowls of Paella Mexicana at restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Mexico City, Merida, Chichen Itza and Playa del Carmen.

Mexican Style Chorizo And Seafood Paella Recipe

Mexican Paella is a meat and seafood lovers dream. We suggest serving the hearty main course with fresh lime wedges, guacamole and your favourite tequila cocktail.

Haven’t traveled to Mexico before? It may be helpful to first sample Paella Mexicana at a local restaurant to better understand how it is served. You’ll get an idea for the best meat to rice ratio, variety of seafood to include and side dishes to accompany the rice dish at the table.

InToronto, the best Mexican restaurants that may offer Paella Mexicana include El Rey, La Carnita, Playa Cabana, El Catrin, Campechano, El Trompo, Fonda Lola, Hot Mess Tex Mex, Rosalinda, Reposado Bar, Grand Electric and Milagro.

Brown Rice Shrimp Paella Recipe With Chorizo

I first made this Mexican Paella for my family on a sunny summer day, which we enjoyed al fresco on our backyard patio.

I knew my parents would love this Paella recipe because they love chicken, pork, seafood, rice dishes like risotto and Mexican food.

Since the recipe makes a large amount of food (for 6 hungry adults) it’s the perfect dish to prepare when company is coming. Or if you’re serving less mouths the leftovers make for easy lunches throughout the week.

Spanish Vegan Paella

Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.

Onions are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of onions can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.

It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.

Grilled Vegetable Paella Recipe

Rich in a group of phytochemicals called carotenoids, tomatoesmay help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and provide protection against cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C.

Bell Peppers are an incredible source of vitamins C and A, which support your skin and immune system. They also provide beneficial carotenoid compounds such as beta-carotene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Pork is an excellent source of protein and provides several important vitamins and minerals. It’s an excellent source of thiamin, selenium, niacin, vitamin B-6 and phosphorus, zinc, riboflavin and potassium.

Easy Fideuà Recipe (catalan Pasta Paella)

Seafood is a high-protein food that is low in calories, total fat, and saturated fat. High in vitamins and minerals, seafood has been shown to have numerous health benefits including decreasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, obesity, and hypertension.

Paprika is rich in vitamin A, capsaicin, and carotenoid antioxidants. These substances may help prevent inflammation and improve your cholesterol, eyehealth and blood sugar levels.

Nearly 50% of the people in the world get over 50% of their daily calories from rice. If eating brown rice featuring nutritious bran you’ll enjoy health benefits like cancer risk reduction and diabetes control.

Chicken And Chorizo Paella Recipe

The hearty dish serves 6 adults so we suggest preparing it when company is coming or if you have a large family. If you’re cooking for a smaller group enjoy leftovers for lunch throughout the week.

Calories: 681 kcal | Carbohydrates: 62.3 g | Protein: 51.3 g | Fat: 24.3 g | Saturated Fat: 5.7 g | Cholesterol: 241 mg | Sodium: 791 mg | Potassium: 655 mg | Fiber: 3.8 g | Sugar: 5 g | Calcium: 113 mg | Iron: 5 mg

Some of the links in this story use affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through our site, will earn a small commission atno extra cost to you. Your support helps us to produce comprehensive content.This simple Spanish Paella recipe delivers amazing flavor from chorizo, shrimp, and traditional paella ingredients. It’s quick and easy enough for a weeknight family meal, but impressive enough for dinner guests!

Weeknight Paella Recipe

Traveling is not really my thing – I’m quite happy being a homebody, plus I hate flying. But there are some countries on my bucket list to visit, including Spain. Mainly to experience authentic Paella. Is that weird? It’s their most beloved dish and too many American restaurants screw it up.

Not at all surprising how much I love paella…because RICE. Give me a big bowl of my Cilantro Lime Rice, Spanish Rice, and Rice Pilaf, and I am happy!

Paella is an iconic rice dish of Spain and practically synonymous with Spanish cuisine. It’s a colorful mixture of flavored rice and various meats or seafood, getting its name from the paellera, the flat, round pan in which it’s cooked.

Vegan Chicken And Chorizo Paella

While it’s incredibly easy to make, it’s also easy to get it wrong. There are 4 elements that separate it from just any ‘ol rice dish.

For real authentic Paella, yes. A true paella pan is large, round, and shallow with two looped handles. The emphasis is on diameter, rather than height. The flat bottom ensures the rice cooks in a thin layer and is what helps develop that awesome socarrat that I mentioned above. The pan is actually so important that it’s where the name comes from – the word “paelle” means “pan.”

If you don’t have a paella pan, an acceptable alternative is a skillet. Use one that is stainless-steel or aluminum. Stay away from cast-iron (which retains too much heat) or nonstick pans (which will never give you the socarrat we’re after.) Try to use a heat source that can accommodate the whole paella pan or skillet. If your burners are a bit spaced out, you’ll need to move and rotate the pan a bit while cooking to evenly distribute the heat.

Mexican Chefs Beat The Spanish Competition To Win Best Paella Award

Interestingly enough, true authentic paella, dating back to the 1800’s, usually consisted of rabbit, snails, chicken, maybe some eel, and lima beans. Sounds delicious, right? Not. Luckily, that list is in the history books and not typically used today. But purists will argue anything other than those ingredients and you’ve simply got arroz en paella (rice in a paella pan.) But I say if you stick with the 4 elements I talked about, it’s Paella!

Now that I’ve probably scared you off from making this paella recipe, make it anyway! LOL. The fact is, paella, while super easy, does take practice to get it right, and I still bungle it from time to time. Even if you don’t have the right size pan, or burners close together, or accidentally use too much liquid, or stir it one too many times, this is still a delicious dish!

I simplified the steps and ingredients to make this easy and a great option for any weeknight meal. You’re going to love it!

Spanish Paella Recipe (seafood, Chicken, & Chorizo)

I hope you love this delicious and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full onFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest, andYouTube!

This simple Paella recipe has amazing flavor from chorizo, shrimp, and traditional paella ingredients. Made easy enough for a weeknight family meal!

Calories: 457 kcal | Carbohydrates: 49 g | Protein: 28

The Paella Recipe