Paella Master Recipe
Updated June 23, 2025
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- ½pound meat, like boneless chicken thighs, chorizo or pork, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1onion, chopped
- 1bell pepper, chopped
- 2cups short-grain rice, such as Bomba, Calasparra, Calrose or Arborio
- 1pinch of saffron threads (optional)
- 3½cups hot chicken, lobster or vegetable stock; water; wine; or a combination
- ½pound seafood, like shrimp, mussels or squid
- ½pound vegetables, like olives, tomatoes, snow peas or mushrooms
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
584 calories; 18 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 848 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add about ½ pound of meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until nicely browned. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until soft. (If you want a meatless paella, skip right to the onion.)
- Step 2
Add 2 cups rice and a pinch of saffron, if using, and cook, stirring, until shiny with olive oil. Add 3½ cups hot stock and stir until just combined, then stir in seafood or lay it on top of the rice. (Skip the seafood if you want vegetarian paella.)
- Step 3
Cook over medium-high heat, undisturbed. If the pan is too big for your burner, move it around a little; but otherwise, leave it alone. About halfway through the cooking (about 10 minutes), add any vegetables, taste and season with salt and pepper, and stir gently, just once. When the mixture starts to dry out, begin tasting the rice. If the rice seems quite tough, add another ½ cup or so of liquid. And if you can smell the bottom starting to burn, lower the heat a bit.
- Step 4
The rice is done when tender and still a bit moist; if the mixture has stuck to the bottom of the pan, congratulations: you have socarrat, a characteristic of good paella. Serve the paella in the pan, in the middle of the table, and dinner guests — up to six — should fight over it.
Private Notes
Comments
I was taught that the foundation of a good paella is a good sofrito -- made of chopped tomato, onion and garlic and seasoned with smoked paprika, it forms the basis for much Spanish cooking. I think that's a good addition here if you have the time. I make it in the pan before adding anything else.
The dish turns out better if the liquid is very hot before it is added to the rice. Also, I've noticed the overall taste improves if the broth is "as salty as the sea," as one paella expert told me!
Prepare sofrito first: 1cup diced tomatoes with juice (from can), 1 med to leg white onion, 3-4 garlic cloves, 1 red bell pepper. After done sautéing add 1 teas of Spanish smoked paprika Well heat 2 cups of chicken before adding to rice. Add 1/2 cup of white wine Use Bomba rice or Calrosa rice. Don’t add seafood until last five minutes.
I made this using Lesa's advice to add the sofrito step, although I sauteed the onion first and added the garlic and tomato later. I also added smoked paprika, since I see it's an essential ingredient in every other paella recipe I've seen. I also heated up the stock before I added it (I used a little white wine, too). The results were astonishing!
Made this on 9/3/25. Browned boneless/skinless chicken thighs and removed them before making the sofrito with a diced onion, orange bell pepper, smoked red paprika, and a can of diced tomatoes. Added Bomba rice, and hot chicken stock (4 cups), along with more paprika and saffron. Cooked for about 5 mins. and then added thawed seafood, and Spanish chorizo, frozen peas and corn. Needed a bit more salt, but came out great, with good socarrat.
A small amount of Smoked paprika works at the end, after defining the saffron flavor. I like garlic, green and red pepper with a pinch of cayenne. Yes to tomato if you’re using green peppers. It works well when you increase spice heat. Wine and a touch of the saffron water creates a rich broth along with the chicken broth. My favorite seafood paella is shrimp, mussels, and scallops.
Agree to add smoked paprika. Used 1 tsp. A week ago 2 tsp was “too smoky”. Added hot broth and made own stock with white wine. Used Matiz Paella rice which was great. The taste needs a bit of a kick, so don’t forget to grind pepper on top when serving and consider serving with some diced hot peppers.