Spanish Paella with Seafood (Print)

A vibrant Spanish saffron rice dish with seafood, chorizo, and fresh vegetables perfect for gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 7 oz chorizo sausage, sliced
02 - 9 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
03 - 9 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
04 - 9 oz mussels, cleaned and debearded
05 - 7 oz calamari rings (optional)

→ Rice and Broth

06 - 2 cups short-grain paella or Arborio rice
07 - 4 cups chicken or seafood stock, heated
08 - 1/2 tsp saffron threads
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Vegetables

10 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
11 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
12 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
13 - 2 medium tomatoes, diced
14 - 1 cup frozen peas
15 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Spices & Seasoning

16 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
18 - 1 bay leaf

→ Garnish

19 - Fresh parsley, chopped
20 - Lemon wedges

# Steps:

01 - Steep saffron threads in 3 tablespoons of hot stock and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large paella pan or wide deep skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and chicken; cook 5–7 minutes until browned. Remove and set aside.
03 - Add onion and bell peppers to the pan; sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and tomatoes; cook 2 minutes more.
04 - Stir in rice and smoked paprika, coating grains evenly with oil and vegetables.
05 - Return chicken and chorizo to pan. Pour in saffron-infused stock, remaining stock, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir gently to combine.
06 - Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes without stirring.
07 - Nestle shrimp, mussels, and calamari into rice; scatter peas over top. Cover loosely with foil and cook 10–12 minutes until seafood is cooked and mussels open.
08 - Remove from heat and let rest covered for 5 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels.
09 - Sprinkle chopped parsley and arrange lemon wedges before serving.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It's actually more forgiving than you think—the pan does most of the work while you sip wine and chat with guests.
  • Every bite tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but you've really only invested an hour of your time.
  • There's something magical about feeding six people from one stunning, fragrant pan.
02 -
  • Don't stir during that 15-minute simmer—the rice needs undisturbed contact with the heat to develop that precious golden, slightly crispy bottom layer.
  • Keep your stock hot in a separate pot; cold stock will shock the rice and cook it unevenly, and you'll lose all that carefully built momentum.
  • Mussels open when they're ready and close when they're stressed; treat them gently and they'll reward you with perfect tenderness.
03 -
  • Use a paella pan or a wide, shallow skillet—the wider surface means more rice makes contact with heat, and that's where the magic happens.
  • Don't peek constantly while it simmers; every time you lift that lid or stir, you're releasing steam and messing with the cooking process.
  • Taste a grain of rice before you think it's done; it should be tender but still have a tiny bit of resistance in the center, not mushy.
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