Spanish Paella

Each luxurious bite of this paella delivers moist chicken, smoky chorizo, a trio of seafood, aromatic vegetables, and wine-infused, saffron-scented rice.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Spanish

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword easy paella recipe, one pan meal, paella, spanish recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 637kcal

Author Robin Miller

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil divided
8 ounces cooked Spanish or Mexican chorizo casings removed, sliced into rounds
1 yellow onion diced
1 bell pepper any color, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic minced
3 Roma/plum tomatoes seeded and diced
1 teaspoon paprika sweet or smoked
1 pinch saffron threads
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups Spanish rice see note above
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 pound extra-large or jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined, tail on, I used extra-large shrimp
12-14 fresh mussels cleaned, beards removed
1/2 pound calamari cut into rings
1/2 cup frozen peas kept frozen until ready to use
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Lemon slices for garnish

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer the chorizo to a plate.
Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes, paprika, saffron, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 2 minutes. Return the chorizo to the pan with any accumulated juices from the plate. Add the chicken and rice and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute without stirring.
Gradually add the broth, pouring it all over the ingredients. When all the broth has been added, jiggle the pan so the rice is in an even layer.
Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, shaking the pan gently back and forth every 5 minutes; do not stir (we don’t stir the mixture because the goal is to create a crispy, slightly fried bottom crust).
After 15 minutes of cooking, nestle the shrimp, mussels, and calamari rings in the rice mixture. Pour the peas over top.
Cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the liquid is absorbed, the rice is tender, and the seafood is cooked. If your rice is not tender at this point, add 1/4 cup of chicken broth or water and cook until the rice is tender. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Top with fresh parsley and serve with lemon slices.

Nutrition