Piaia Dish

You can make a delicious, authentic Paella–the most popular dish of Spain–in your own kitchen with simple ingredients like rice, saffron, vegetables, chicken, and seafood. If you love cooking International food, you will fall in love with this comforting dish! 

My goal with this paella recipe was to use the tutelage I received while living in Madrid to create a traditional Spanish paella that anyone can make (and without special equipment, like a paella pan). After lots of trial and error, I am so excited to share everything I know and have learned about making Paella, as authentically and practically for the home cook, as possible.

Paella (pai · ei · uh) is a classic Spanish rice dish made with rice, saffron, vegetables, chicken, and seafood cooked and served in one pan. Although paella originates from Valencia, it’s recognized as the national food of Spain and there are several different varieties. The most common types of paella are chicken paella, seafood paella, or mixed paella (a combination of seafood, meats, and vegetables).

Paella For A Crowd Recipe (with Video)

The main ingredients in every paella dish are rice, saffron, chicken, and vegetables.  From there, ingredients vary depending on the type of paella or region where it’s made.  The ingredients in this easy paella recipe include:

1. Sauté:  Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf, paprika, saffron, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add broth.  Pour the broth slowly all around the pan and jiggle the pan to get the rice into an even layer. (Do not stir the mixture going forward!). Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Give the pan a gentle shake back and forth once or twice during cooking.

Authentic Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe

5. Cook uncovered: Cook paella uncovered for 15-18 minutes, then nestle the shrimp, mussels and calamari into the mixture, sprinkle peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 more minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender.

6. Cover and let rest.  Remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid or tinfoil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Spanish rice (also called “bomba” rice, calaspara rice, arroz redonda) is traditional in Paella, and it’s what I recommend using. It’s a short grain rice that absorbs more water than regular rice, without turning mushy. You can buy Spanish rice on Amazon, World Market or an international food market.

Chicken Seafood Paella

If you don’t like seafood, leave it out and substitute more chicken and vegetables. You can use any combination of your favorite seafood including clams, scallops and chopped pieces of fish. Frozen seafood is a great accessible option if you don’t live near the ocean. (Costco sells a great mixed seafood bag in their freezer section with shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, and calamari.) Be sure to thaw frozen seafood in the fridge overnight before using.

When buying fresh seafood make sure to smell it to make sure it’s fresh. It should not have a strong fishy odor. Most of the seafood used here will smell like nothing, or just like the ocean (slightly salty). Be sure to clean it properly (remove “beards” from mussels, if necessary).

No, you can us a regular large skillet to make Paella (I use a 12×2 inch skillet and this recipe fills it to the brim). Traditional paella is cooked in a large paella pan because it allow the rice to be spread out into a thin layer and cook more evenly.

Spanish Asian Fusion Paella Fried Rice

You can make a delicious, authentic Paella--the most popular dish of Spain--in your own kitchen with simple ingredients like rice, saffron, vegetables, chicken, and seafood.

*Rice: Spanish rice (also called “bomba” rice, calaspara rice, arroz redonda) is traditional in Paella, and it’s what I recommend using. (If your grocery store doesn't carry it, try Amazon, World Market, or an International food market). If necessary you can substitute medium grain rice, like Calrose rice which can be found at Walmart or most grocery stores, and reduce the broth to 3 ¾ cups. (I don’t recommend using Arborio rice or long-grain rice for Paella).

*Broth: Authentic paella would include making your own fish stock from the discard shells of seafood. I usually substitute chicken broth for convenience.

Spanish Paella Recipe

*Seafood: If you don’t like seafood, leave it out and substitute more chicken or vegetables. You can use any combination of your favorite seafood including clams, scallops and chopped pieces of fish. Frozen seafood is a great accessible option if you don’t live near the ocean. (Costco sells a great mixed seafood bag in their freezer section with shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, and calamari.) Be sure to thaw frozen seafood in the fridge overnight before using. If buying fresh seafood, smell it to make sure it’s fresh. It should not have a strong fishy odor. Most of the seafood used here will smell like nothing, or just like the ocean (slightly salty). Be sure to clean it properly (remove “beards” from mussels, if necessary).

*Saffron: this may be the most important ingredient, so it’s best to buy high quality. If your grocery store doesn’t carry it, try an International food market, or Amazon. If necessary, substitute 1 teaspoon saffron powder.

Calories: 535 kcal Carbohydrates: 59 g Protein: 37 g Fat: 15 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Cholesterol: 260 mg Sodium: 1159 mg Potassium: 805 mg Fiber: 3 g Sugar: 3 g Vitamin A: 1408 IU Vitamin C: 58 mg Calcium: 125 mg Iron: 4 mg

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Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.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!

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!

Best Paella Ever · I Am A Food Blog

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.

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.”

Paella Given Official Cultural Recognition What This New Status Means For The Iconic Dish

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.

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!

Seafood Paella Recipe

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

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!

Easy Spanish Paella I Panning The Globe

Calories: 457 kcal | Carbohydrates: 49 g | Protein: 28 g | Fat: 16 g |