Paella Spanish Seafood Rice (Printable)

A colorful medley of saffron rice, chorizo, chicken, and seafood with peppers and peas.

# 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 teaspoon saffron threads
09 - 2 tablespoons 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 and Seasoning

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

→ Garnish

19 - Fresh parsley, chopped
20 - Lemon wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - Steep the 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 thighs; cook for 5 to 7 minutes until browned. Remove and set aside.
03 - Add onion and bell peppers to the pan; sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and diced tomatoes; cook for 2 more minutes.
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 mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes without stirring.
07 - Nestle shrimp, mussels, and calamari into rice. Scatter peas on top. Cover loosely with foil and cook for an additional 10 to 12 minutes until seafood is cooked and mussels have opened.
08 - Remove from heat and let rest covered for 5 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels.
09 - Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-quality but comes together in about an hour, which means you can actually pull it off on a weeknight or for unexpected guests.
  • The saffron gives it this subtle, almost magical flavor that makes people think you've been cooking all day.
  • It's designed to feed a crowd without requiring you to triple a recipe or use multiple pans.
02 -
  • Do not stir the rice once you've added the stock—I learned this the hard way by over-stirring and ending up with a gluey mess instead of individual grains with that perfect crispy bottom.
  • The seafood goes in toward the very end on purpose; if you add it with the rice, it'll overcook and become rubbery before the rice is even done.
  • If your mussels don't open, don't force it—they're telling you they weren't fresh, so discard them without guilt.
03 -
  • Keep your stock simmering in a separate pot throughout cooking so it's always hot when you need it; cold stock will lower the pan temperature and throw off your timing.
  • If you can find Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera), it's absolutely worth the search—it adds a depth that regular paprika just can't touch.
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