authentic paella

This authentic recipe for traditional paella valenciana is as simple as it is delicious! Try it for yourself, and taste the real flavors of Spanish rice.

Best Traditional Spanish Paella Recipe

olive oil

chicken

garlic (with cloves separated and peeled)

tomatoes (finely chopped)

butter beans

green peas

frozen green beans

smoked paprika

salt (to taste)

saffron

bay leaves

bomba rice

Heat a paella pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Swirl to coat the entire base of the pan.

Add the garlic, chicken, and rabbit (if using) and fry until browned.

Push the meat away from the center of the pan, and add the tomatoes, butter beans, peas, and green beans. Season with the paprika and mix to combine.

Using a measuring cup, add enough water to fill the paella pan almost to the top. Record how much water you needed, this will let you know how much rice to use later on. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Keep simmering for 45 mins to an hour, to make a broth.

Once the broth is formed, add a few generous pinches of salt. Also add the saffron and bay leaves. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Stir until the broth becomes a vivid orangey-yellow color. If the color doesn't seem intense enough, add a bit more paprika and another strand of saffron.

Now it's time for the rice! Add half as much rice as you did water to make the broth. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. You'll know when the rice is ready and the broth is gone, as you will hear a faint ticking/cracking coming from the bottom layer of rice.

Serve immediately, straight from the pan. If it's done well, the paella should have a healthy socarrat, the crispy, blackened layer of rice at the bottom!

This black paella recipe will make you the best arroz negro outside of Spain! Bring the flavors of Spain into your kitchen with this tasty, easy, one-pan recipe.

Black Paella (Arroz Negro)

lb prawns (shells on)

squid

yellow onion (finely diced)

red bell pepper (diced)

garlic (minced)

tomato paste

tsp smoked paprika

tsp cumin

bomba rice (*or arborio if you need)

dry white wine

stock

squid ink

lemon

Place a paella pan (or wide frying pan) over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the squid rings and saute for 30 seconds. Remove from pan and set aside for now.

Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan (adding more olive oil if needed), and saute for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, and saffron and saute for another minute until aromatic.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the rice, stirring to coat in the tomato and spice mix. Add the wine and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the wine has almost completely evaporated.

Add the stock and squid ink to the pan and stir to combine. Season with salt. Bring to the boil and immediately reduce to a gentle simmer. Leave for 15 minutes until the stock has reduced and the rice is almost cooked. Resist the urge to stir! Leave the rice as is so that the socarrat has time to develop on the bottom of the pan.

Add the prawns on top of the rice and cook for another 4-6 minutes until fully cooked. Add back the squid.

Take off of the heat and leave to settle for about 10 minutes. Serve straight out of the pan and garnish with lemon wedges.

This easy seafood paella recipe will get you a plate of rice every bit as delicious as the stuff served in tapas bars from Barcelona to Valencia! Just make sure to bring an empty stomach.

Traditional Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe

olive oil ((80 ml))

onion (finely diced)

garlic

tomatoes

sweet paprika (Spanish pimentón de la Vera

rice ((380 g) see notes)

white wine ((240 ml))

seafood stock ((720 ml))

prawns (or jumbo shrimp, shells

mussels

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the white wine and seafood stock to a simmer. Add a pinch of saffron threads and keep warm.

Meanwhile, put a large (16-inch) paella pan (see notes) over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion to the pan and saute until translucent, stirring often.

Add the garlic and cook until aromatic (about 1-2 minutes). Before it starts to brown, add the tomato and stir, adding in the paprika and a pinch of salt. Continue to stir and saute until the tomatoes are reduced and the oil is sizzling.

Gently add the squid to the pan and stir to coat in the tomato mixture. Saute for about a minute, to give some color to the squid.

Next, add the rice and stir to combine. After a minute of sauteing, spread the rice evenly across the pan (don't worry if it looks like a thin layer, it will puff up).

Gently add the simmering white wine and stock to the pan, all in one go. Reduce the heat to low, and cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes. Carefully lay the prawns/shrimp in a circle on top of the rice and cook for a further 10 minutes, turning the shrimp over as they start to turn pink. If the rice starts to dry out before the shrimp is cooked, you can top it up with a bit more hot stock, half a cup at a time.

Meanwhile, steam the mussels by putting them in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid in half an inch of water. When the shells open, they are cooked! (Discard any that do not open).

When the stock in the paella pan fully evaporates, you will hear a faint cracking from the bottom of the pan as the socarrat starts to form. If you don't hear anything, you can raise the heat to medium for a short burst!

When the rice is ready, remove the pan from the heat and arrange the mussels on top of the rice. Serve from the pan, with wedges of fresh lemon.

Top 3 authentic paella recipes from across the web

The most viewed authentic paella recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Best Traditional Spanish Paella Rec...

Black Paella (Arroz Negro)

Traditional Spanish Seafood Paella ...

Top 3 authentic paella recipes from across the web

The most viewed authentic paella recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Best Traditional Spanish Paella Rec...

Black Paella (Arroz Negro)

Traditional Spanish Seafood Paella ...

The most viewed authentic paella recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine