If you're craving the taste of the Mediterranean, look no further than this mouthwatering seafood paella recipe.
This recipe is so simple to make, and is perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, and even gatherings.
Jump to:
- What pan should I use for paella?
- What is sofrito?
- What kind of rice should I use?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Cost To Make
- Ingredients
- Equipment
- Instructions
- Tips for Success
- Substitutions / Variations
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage
- FAQ
- What rice is used for what?
- Helpful Rice Cooking Tips
- More Mains Recipes
- Recipe
- Comments
This Spanish classic is a vibrant, aromatic dish that can be made easily in the comfort of your own home. With its rich flavors and striking presentation, this seafood paella recipe perfect to enjoy year round.
This easy seafood paella recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It’s a dish that is simple to make, and perfect for any occasion.
Seafood paella, also known as paella de marisco, is a hearty Spanish dish renowned for its rich flavors and vibrant presentation.
This savory rice dish typically features a combination of seafood, including mussels, shrimp, and squid.
Paella is known for its hearty and comforting nature, making it a popular choice for gatherings, family meals, and special occasions.
It's a one-pan dish that brings people together, and its generous portions make it perfect for satisfying appetites.
What pan should I use for paella?
When making paella, it's best to use a traditional paella pan, often referred to as a "paellera."
These pans are wide and shallow with a flat bottom and sloping sides, which allows for even cooking and the development of the prized socarrat, the crispy rice crust that forms at the bottom of the pan.
Paellera pans come in various sizes to accommodate different serving portions, and they are typically made of materials like carbon steel or stainless steel.
There are paella pans for the stovetop and paella pans for the oven.
This recipe makes paella on the stovetop.
Alternatively, you can use a large, shallow skillet or a wide, heavy-bottomed pan if you don't have a paella pan.
What is sofrito?
Sofrito is a flavorful base used in Latin American and Spanish cuisine.
It typically consists of aromatics like garlic and onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and herbs and spices.
This aromatic sauce serves as the foundation for various dishes, such as paella, stews, and sautéed meals, adding depth and complexity to the flavors.
What kind of rice should I use?
When making paella, it is best to use a short grain rice.
Varieties like Bomba and Calasparra are ideal choices due to their ability to absorb liquid without becoming overly creamy, ensuring the distinct texture and flavor paella is known for.
If you can’t get these rice types, you could use sushi rice or arborio rice.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe for seafood paella can be made in advance, this makes it ideal for meal prep.
- Great to serve at gatherings and parties, such as game days, pot lucks, or special occasions like Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas. It’s also great for a hearty weeknight meal.
- This seafood paella recipe is easy to make.
Cost To Make
Estimated cost = $25.75 or $4.29 a serve
Ingredients
Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.
For the Sofrito
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Minced Garlic
- Brown Onion: Finely diced
- Red Bell Pepper: Stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
- Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
- Tomato Paste
For the Paella
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Calamari (squid) Tubes: Cut your squid into small pieces.
- Shelled Shrimp (Prawns): You can leave the heads on the shrimp if desired.
- Smoked Paprika
- Saffron Threads
- Stock: You could use chicken stock, fish stock, vegetable stock, or water. Make sure your stock is hot before adding it to your paella.
- Half Shell Mussels: Or you could use mussels without their shells.
- Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
- Short Grain Rice: Such as Calasparra, Bomba, or sushi rice
- Lemon or lime wedges: To serve
- Parsley: Chopped, for serving.
Equipment
28 cm (11 inch) paella pan or a straight sided heavy based stainless steel saucepan
Instructions
This recipe for paella with seafood serves 4 to 6. The ingredient quantities can easily be adjusted to suit how many serves you need to make.
For the Sofrito
Step One: In a medium deep saucepan, heat oil over medium to high heat. Then add the onion, red pepper, and season with salt. Cook until the vegetables start to brown lightly, for about 5 to 6 minutes.
Step Two: Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan frequently, until the ingredients are a deep golden brown color. This may take between 2 and 3 minutes.
Step Three: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
For the Paella
Step One: In a straight sided stainless steel saucepan or a 28cm (11 inch) paella pan, heat oil over medium to high heat.
Step Two: Season calamari and shrimp with salt and sear in the hot pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Step Three: Add the sofrito, paprika, and saffron. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until well mixed and sizzling.
Step Four: Add the stock (or water) and bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Season with salt.
Step Five: Sprinkle in the rice, and using your spatula gently swirl the liquid to distribute the rice evenly. Return the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Step Six: Cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes, without stirring.
Step Seven: Place shrimp, and calamari on the rice. Continue to cook the rice until the liquid has fully absorbed and the rice has softened, this may take about 10 to 15 more minutes.
If the liquid has been absorbed but the rice isn’t cooked enough, gently add more boiling hot stock or water in small additions and continue to cook until the rice is soft and cooked.
Step Eight: Reduce heat to low, place the mussels on the rice and cover with a lid. Cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes or until the mussels are cooked.
If you are using shelled mussels, when the shells open, the mussels are likely to be cooked.
Step Nine: Remove from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve, garnished with chopped parsley and lime wedges, if desired.
Tips for Success
- It’s best not to stir your rice when you are cooking.
- Don’t rinse your rice before use. If you do, it will remove starch from the rice resulting in a different texture.
- If you are using frozen seafood, defrost your seafood before use and remove any excess water.
- You could also use small or medium sized shrimp. If you do, you could increase the quantity of shrimp.
- You could use full shell, half shell, or deshelled mussels. If you are using mussels without the shells, reduce the quantity of mussels you use. This is because the ingredient weight listed includes the shell weight of full shell mussels.
Substitutions / Variations
Here are some delicious variations on this seafood paella recipe you might like to try:
- Instead of using seafood, you could use artichokes, king oyster mushrooms, and asparagus, to mimic the textures and flavors of seafood if you are after a vegetarian version of this paella.
- Mix in some chorizo, or chicken.
- Other seafood you might like to add include clams, fish, or lobster.
Serving Suggestions
Some ways you might like to serve this paella seafood recipe include:
- With a fresh green salad.
- With a side of aioli or garlic mayonnaise sauce for dipping.
- Lemon or lime wedges.
- With a crusty bread, such as a baguette.
Storage
Any leftover paella can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, you can do so on the stovetop or in the microwave.
FAQ
A "socarrat" is the crispy layer of caramelized rice at the bottom of a paella pan. It forms through high-heat cooking and adds a toasty, prized flavor and texture contrast to the dish.
Saffron is often considered the secret ingredient in paella, as it imparts the signature golden color and a distinctive, earthy flavor to the dish.
Yes, frozen mussels can be used in paella. Thaw them before cooking, and they will work well in the dish.
While arborio rice can be used in a pinch, it's not the traditional choice for paella. Short-grain Spanish rice, like Bomba or Calasparra, is preferred for its ability to absorb liquid without becoming overly creamy.
It's recommended to thaw frozen prawns before adding them to paella to ensure even cooking. Thawing them first will help prevent uneven cooking.
Traditional paella is not stirred once the rice and broth are added. Stirring could disrupt the formation of the socarrat (the crispy rice crust) at the bottom of the pan.
Rinsing frozen prawns under cold water can help remove any ice crystals and improve their texture when cooking.
What rice is used for what?
Ever wondered which might be the best rice to use for a dish you’re about to make.
Or maybe you’re just curious and want to know more about rice in general.
Why not check out our pages on what is basmati rice and what is jasmine rice.
Helpful Rice Cooking Tips
Want to know how to cook rice or just need a little refresher?
Check out how to easily cook basmati rice, sushi rice, and jasmine rice on the stovetop.
Or, why not check out our recipes on how to make basmati rice, jasmine rice, and sushi rice in the Instant Pot.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below! We'd love to hear how it turned out.
Recipe
Seafood Paella Recipe
Equipment
- 28 cm (11 inch) paella pan or a straight sided stainless steel saucepan
Ingredients
For the sofrito
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small (120 grams, 4.23 ounces) brown onion finely diced
- 1 medium (140 grams, 5 ounces) red pepper stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
- Kosher salt or sea salt to taste
- 1 garlic clove minced or finely diced – OR ½ teaspoon minced garlic paste
- 3 teaspoons (15 grams, 0.53 ounces) tomato paste
For the paella
- 1 ½ tablespoons (22ml/grams, 0.78 ounces) extra virgin olive oil
- 125 grams (4.40 ounces) calamari (squid) tubes cut into small pieces
- 8 large (140 grams, 5.00 ounces) shelled and cleaned shrimp (prawns) (heads on, if desired) (see note 1)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch of saffron threads
- 3 ½ cups (830ml/grams, 29.28 ounces) hot chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water, plus more as needed
- 300 grams (10.60 ounces) mussels in shell cleaned (see note 2)
- Kosher salt or sea salt to taste
- 1 ¼ cups 255 grams, 9 ounces) short grain rice such as Calasparra, Bomba, or sushi rice
- Lemon or lime wedges for serving
- Parsley chopped, for serving
Instructions
For the sofrito
- In a medium deep saucepan, heat oil over medium to high heat. Then add the onion, red pepper, and season with salt. Cook until the vegetables start to brown lightly, for about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan frequently, until the ingredients are a deep golden brown color. This may take between 2 and 3 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
For the paella
- In a straight sided stainless steel saucepan or a 28cm (11 inch) paella pan, heat oil over medium to high heat.
- Season calamari and shrimp with salt and sear in the hot pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add the sofrito, paprika, and saffron. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until well mixed and sizzling.
- Add the stock (or water) and bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Season with salt.
- Sprinkle in the rice, and using your spatula gently swirl the liquid to distribute the rice evenly. Return the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes, without stirring.
- Place shrimp, and calamari on the rice. Continue to cook the rice until the liquid has fully absorbed and the rice has softened, this may take about 10 to 15 more minutes. (See note 3).
- Reduce heat to low, place the mussels on the rice and cover with a lid. Cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes or until the mussels are cooked. (see note 4).
- Remove from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve, garnished with chopped parsley and lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
- You could also use small or medium sized shrimp. If you do, you could increase the quantity of shrimp.
- You could use full shell, half shell, or deshelled mussels. If you are using mussels without the shells, reduce the quantity of mussels you use. This is because the ingredient weight listed includes the shell weight of full shell mussels.
- If the liquid has been absorbed but the rice isn’t cooked enough, gently add more boiling hot stock or water in small additions and continue to cook until the rice is soft and cooked.
- If you are using shelled mussels, when the shells open, the mussels are likely to be cooked.
- It’s best not to stir your rice when you are cooking.
- Don’t rinse your rice before use. If you do, it will remove starch from the rice resulting in a different texture.
- If you are using frozen seafood, defrost your seafood before use and remove any excess water.
Ally says
Loved this so much!