Quick and Easy Paella

Spanish Paella in a paella pan with plate and a cup of beer in the background

This quick and easy Paella recipe is easy enough for a weeknight meal, yet fancy enough to serve to dinner guests.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Spanish

Prep Time 18

Cook Time 20

Total Time 38

Servings

Calories 711kcal

Author Oriana Romero

Equipment

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups chicken broth (see notes)
1 teaspoon saffron threads (see notes)
1 lb fresh or frozen medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (if using frozen allow to thaw)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 link Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced
2 cups boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces ( 2 - 3 chicken breasts approx.)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup red pepper, finely diced +
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups paella rice (see notes)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 cup frozen peas
6 strips roasted red pepper (optional)
Fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Instructions

Combine chicken broth and saffron in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and keep it warm over low heat. Do not boil.
Rise and pat dry the shrimp with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
In a large paella pan, or a very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add chorizo to the skillet, sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add chicken to the same skillet and cook for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add onion and red pepper; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add uncooked paella rice; cook (toast) for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in hot chicken broth, cooked chorizo, lemon juice, sweet paprika, and 2 tablespoons olive oil; mix to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to simmer; cook for about 10 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed most of the broth and is almost tender.
Scatter the peas over the rice. Reduce heat to low, cover with foil or a lid, and cook for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, arrange shrimp and roasted red pepper strips over the rice, cover, and continue cooking for 5 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with lemon, if desired.

Notes

Broth: This recipe turns out great using chicken broth, but if you want to make it even more special you can use this Cooking Broth for Valencian Paella. If using paella broth mix 1 container (4 cups - 1000ml) + 1/2 cup chicken broth. You can omit the saffron because it is included in the paella broth.

Rice: I used Uncle Ben's original rice (long grain) because it was the one I had on hand, but Paella is supposed to be done with medium grain rice. Some stores, such as Sur La Table and World Market, sell authentic rice for paella. You can also find it on Amazon.

Saffron: If you do not find/have the saffron you can use an envelope of this seasoning mix that is easy, and cheaper, to buy in any grocery store.

Paella Pan: This is the paella pan I used. If you don't have a paella pan, use a 13- 15 inch or larger skillet. Try to find a heat source that can accommodate the whole paella pan or skillet. Depending on the configuration of your burners, you'll need to place the pan over two burners or set it on your largest burner. Either way, you'll have to move and rotate the pan to distribute the heat.

Variations: You can add some mussels if you want. Add them in step 5, after arranging the shrimp. Make sure to discard any shell that is not open after cooking.

Store: Paella leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Please, if you’re going to make this recipe read the whole post content to get lots of tips, tricks, and variations.

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Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate and it can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition