Paella Valenciana Recipe

Traditional Paella Valenciana is a great dish to share with family and friends! If you can’t get to Spain to taste one then here is your chance to make one yourself!

Paella is a Spanish rice dish that originated in Valencia many years ago. Nowadays you can find paellas made with all sorts of ingredients but the traditional authentic one is called Paella Valenciana.

It was traditionally cooked outside on an open fire using orange or pine wood. I can imagine families & friends having a good time, all chatting away while waiting for it to be cooked.

Chicken Paella Recipe

We have eaten paella many times since coming to Spain whether it was in restaurants, tapas places or at local fiestas. The quality and taste of every one of them was always different and so was the price. Of all these places the best paella we have eaten so far was made in the biggest paella pan I’ve ever seen and served hundreds of people at once. It was at one of our local fiestas!

Even though I’ve eaten this dish on many occasions, I have cooked it only a few times at home. The problem was that all my pans were quite small and if I wanted to follow the authentic traditional way of preparing it, I would barely get a portion or two.

So finally I have invested in a paella pan. Well, actually it’s called just “paella”. Some people call the pan “paellera” but I’ve read that this is wrong.

Paella Valenciana (valencian Paella) Recipe

One of the most important things to know about paella (the dish) is paella (the pan). It should be as wide as possible (I got a 30cm in diameter – claiming that it is for 4 portions but soon enough I’ve learnt that it’s not as large as I thought would be).

However, I could not go any larger than and it’s still larger than my ordinary frying pans so I am happy). If you don’t have a paella pan, don’t panic, a frying pan will do the trick but you need at least 30cm wide pan (the wider the better-wok is NOT a good option).

Second important thing is the rice. There is special rice for paella that can be found in any shop in Spain (for obvious reasons) but you’ll be fine with any short grain rice if you can’t get your hands on the paella rice.

Ultimate Valenciana Paella Recipe

Third important thing is the meat. Traditionally, the Valencian paella is made with both chicken and rabbit meat. However, I think the best way of doing it is to use small chicken thighs with the skin on.

As for the rabbit: Well, as much as I like rabbit I have to say that I prefer only the chicken thighs. But as I made Paella Valenciana I wanted to stay as authentic as possible.

Another important thing is the way you make it: The difference between paella and risotto is that you got to stir risotto like crazy in order for the risotto rice not to get stuck to the pan while with paella you don’t stir it at all! You want the rice to stick to your pan.

Paella With Rabbit And Snails (paella Valenciana)

Once you add the rice, stir around (as evenly as possible) and let it be! Rice stuck to the pan, slightly burnt is one of the best parts (that’s what I was told). So the next time you will touch the rice is when serving it (or tasting beforehand).

I am sure that if I was to visit different families in the Valencia region I would be shown slightly different methods. But what they all have in common is the incredible taste!

And of course there are other specific steps & ingredients to follow but this is to be found in the recipe below.

A Paella Valenciana

Traditional Paella Valenciana is a great dish to share with family and friends. If you can’t get to Spain to taste one then here is your chance to make one yourself.

Every cooker cooks differently so be careful not to burn the paella totally. I suggest you check the paella several times when cooking for the first time. You may taste or check if the bottom is too wet/dry/burnt and adjust the heat accordingly.Paella may be one of the most popular rice recipes coming from Spain. And Paella Valenciana is amongst the most popular variations! This one pot paella recipe is brought together with a wonderfully hearty mix of chicken and seafood.

I love eating paella. And one of my favorite things about it is how many different ways there are to make it. Honestly, no two Paella Valenciana recipes will be alike, and I love that.

Paella Valencia Recipe By Vivek Rana

Paella Valenciana is, simply put, paella from the Valencia region – it is generally considered to be the most authentic and traditional version of paella. Which begs the question, what is paella? Paella (meaning “frying pan”) is a Spanish rice dish made using a variety of ingredients. The rice is noticeably yellow due to the use of saffron in the recipe.

What ‘authentic’ paella Valenciana is comprised of has been a debated issue. As with many traditional rice dishes, every family has a separate way of preparing their “authentic” version of paella Valenciana.

The ingredients vary from household to household but the premise remains the same, a delicious Spanish rice dish filled with a variety of flavors. Many accounts of authentic Spanish paella Valenciana list chicken, rabbit, and varieties of Spanish green beans as the original ingredients.

Easy Paella Valenciana Recipe

By that account, this paella recipe is probably not the most classical take as it involves a mixture of chicken and seafood (which is sometimes called

However, this version was shown to me and referred to as an authentic paella Valenciana by a lovely Spanish chef, and out of respect to her, I’m calling it a (Seafood) Paella Valenciana too.

Paellas use quite a few different ingredients (don’t skimp, or you risk losing that hearty paella feel!), but they come together wonderfully.

Paella A La Valenciana

While there are several ingredients involved in making a paella, there are thankfully only a few steps required to make this delicious chicken and seafood paella.

Start by heating a paellera (or any large flat skillet) over a medium-high heat and adding olive oil. Once it’s hot, add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper and saffron (this is called the sofrito, and forms the base of your paella’s flavor).

Cook for around ten minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture becomes fragrant. Push the sofrito to one side (or, if your pan isn’t large enough, you can move the mixture to another bowl temporarily), add the chopped chicken and cook until golden brown. Set the chicken aside.

Paella Valenciana Recipe The Traditional Paella Valenciana

Add the rice to your paellera, and cook for two to three minutes, mixing with the paella sofrito already in the pan. Add the seafood stock, season to taste with salt and pepper. Once the stock begins to boil, add in the calamari, shrimp, mussels, roasted red peppers, and peas.

Cook at low to medium heat for approximately fifteen minutes, or until the rice is completely cooked through. (The fish often cooks quicker than the rice, but double-check your seafood is cooked too please!) Mix the cooked chicken back into your paella.

One of the best things about one pot recipes like this paella Valenciana with seafood is that it can come together in one pot, or rather, a single paellera . That said, if you don’t have a specialized paella pan, you can use a large, flat nonstick pan. Make sure it’s large and flat – a deep saucepan may prevent some of the required evaporation. It’s good to use a skillet that’s on the thinner side as well, as thicker pans tend to hold more heat, potentially overcooking your paella dinner!

Easy Chicken Paella Recipe

For added benefit, set aside a ladleful of the seafood stock. Pour it in after the initial amount of stock has been mostly absorbed. This helps to make sure nothing in the pan has been missed and left uncooked!

If you’re not sure that your paella rice has cooked through, simply try a spoon from the edge of the paella dish. The rice the farthest from the center of the dish (you know, where the heat usually is) cooks slowest.

Don’t forget to spoon out the crispy socarrat from the bottom of the pan! The ‘crust’ of a paella is often considered the best part! If you find that a socarrat doesn’t naturaly occur when you cook this paella with seafood, try bumping up the heat to high for the last one minute of cooking!

Authentic Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe

Traditionally, there are two popular types of rice used to cook paellas: bomba and senia. While you’ll find a lot of restaurant chefs opt for senia, you’ll find that bomba rice is a little more forgiving. I find that senia is very easy to overcook.

If neither of these is available to you, opt for a long grain rice. Short grain options like arborio rice tend not to provide the best results.

Yeesh! There are said to be hundreds of paella variations. So let’s keep this simple…you can mix up the components of this recipe quite easily. Don’t like calamari? No worries, swap

Authentic Paella Does Not Contain Fish, Chorizo Or Peas, Say Valencian Cooks