Spanish seafood paella is the ultimate one-pot meal full of rice, smoky chorizo, and a variety of delicious seafood! This easy paella recipe features chorizo, mussels, and shrimp, but you can easily swap or add more seafood like clams, calamari, or scallops! If you have a family of seafood lovers, Spanish seafood paella is always a great dinner choice!
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Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Heat a large oven-proof skillet or paella pan over medium heat and cook the chorizo. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat as you cook for 4 minutes or until some of the fat has rendered and the chorizo is browned.
Reduce the heat to low and add the onion and garlic. Stir often until softened and starting to brown, roughly 8 minutes.
Stir in the diced tomatoes, arborio rice, and water with dissolved saffron. Season to taste with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is al dente and the liquid has been absorbed.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat until it is shimmering and hot. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper then add it to the skillet. Cook until pink, about 3 minutes, flipping just once halfway through.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to the prepared rice and discard the oil.
Use a paper towel to wipe out the shrimp skillet before returning it to the stovetop. Add the lemon juice and white wine followed by the mussels. (The optional clams, calamari, and/or bay scallops can be added at this point if using). Cover and cook, shaking the pan frequently until the mussels open up (about 3 minutes).
Pour the cooked mussels (and any of the optional proteins) as well as their juices over the prepared rice.
Cover your paella and pop it in the oven to bake for 5 minutes or until heated through. Remove it from the oven, garnish with parsley and green onions, and serve.
Notes
½ cup canned diced tomatoes is approximately 3.5 ounces, or use fresh diced tomatoes.
Cooked chicken can be added to the paella as well, use 1 ½ cups of cooked and diced chicken. I prefer dark chicken meat for my paella.
If you only have saffron powder on hand, 10-15 saffron threads is equal to between ¼ and ⅛ teaspoon of powder.
Don't worry if some rice sticks to the bottom of the pan, it's all good. The layer of crispy rice stuck to the bottom of the skillet is actually called socarrat and it is a delicious part of most traditional paellas.
Remove any shells before storing and allow paella to cool fully before placing it in the fridge in a shallow airtight container. Your leftovers are best enjoyed within the first 1-2 days, but can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°F) and place the Spanish seafood paella in a baking dish. Sprinkle broth or water over the top and tightly cover with foil. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until hot.