Paella Dish Recipe - Weeknight Chicken & Seafood

Ever dreamt of making an authentic, saffron-scented paella dish recipe right in your own kitchen, but felt intimidated by the fancy pans and complex instructions? Well, get ready to turn that dream into a delicious reality! This isn't just another paella recipe; it's your definitive guide to a show-stopping, Spanish-style chicken and seafood paella that’s surprisingly weeknight-friendly. You absolutely don't need a special paella pan or a gourmet seafood mix to capture that real Spanish flavor. We’ll show you how to balance tradition, nodding to its Valencian roots, classic sofrito, and the coveted socarrat (that crispy rice bottom!), with practical steps for your home stove. This article will arm you with a single, clear paella food recipe, step-by-step guidance, smart troubleshooting tips, and even budget-friendly ideas to make this iconic rice dish paella accessible to everyone. Let's make some magic in your skillet!

Ingredients

• Rice & Liquid
• Short-grain Spanish rice (like bomba or Calasparra) or suitable alternative
• Good quality seafood or chicken broth
• A modest amount of saffron for cooking threads
• Proteins
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
• Large shrimp (fresh or frozen, thawed and peeled)
• Optional: Mussels and/or clams (scrubbed clean)
• Aromatics & Vegetables
• Onion minced
• Bell pepper(s) (any color), diced
• Garlic minced
• Ripe tomatoes (fresh, grated, or canned diced tomatoes)
• Frozen peas or fresh green beans
• Seasonings
• Sweet or smoked paprika
• Bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: A tiny pinch of cayenne pepper for mild heat
• Fat & Garnish
• Good quality olive oil for cooking
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Lemon wedges for serving

Directions

1. Prep & Warm the Stock
   1. Before you start cooking, make sure all your vegetables are chopped and your proteins are prepped (pat seafood very dry!). This makes the cooking process smooth.
   2. In a separate saucepan, gently warm your chosen stock (with the saffron threads added) over low heat. It should be hot, but not boiling, when you're ready to add it to the rice.
2. Build the Sofrito
   1. In a large (12-14 inch wide) skillet or paella pan, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil over medium heat.
   2. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper. Sweat them gently, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft and just starting to turn lightly golden. This creates the sweet, savory foundation for your paella dish recipe.
   3. Stir in the minced garlic and grated or diced tomato. Continue to cook, stirring, until the mixture reduces, thickens, and looks jammy, not watery. This is your essential sofrito.
3. Toast the Rice & Season
   1. Add the Spanish short-grain rice to the sofrito mixture in the pan. Stir well to ensure each grain is coated in the flavorful oils and sofrito.
   2. Toast the rice for about 2-3 minutes, stirring gently, until the edges of the grains look slightly translucent.
   3. Stir in the paprika and bay leaf. Toss for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the paprika, which can turn bitter.
4. Add Stock & Enter the No-Stir Zone
   1. Carefully pour the hot, saffron-infused stock into the pan. Gently level the rice with the back of a spoon to ensure an even layer.
   2. Increase the heat to bring the liquid to a strong simmer across the entire surface.
   3. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low. This is crucial: from this point forward, do NOT stir the rice. Stirring releases starch, which results in a creamy risotto-like texture, not the distinct grains of paella. You can gently rotate the pan if you notice any hot spots.
   4. Let the rice simmer undisturbed, observing the bubbles. Initially, they'll be across the surface, then gradually recede to just around the edges as the liquid absorbs. This usually takes about 10-15 minutes.
5. Nestle in Chicken & Seafood
   1. Once the rice has absorbed most of the liquid but still looks a bit loose and moist (not completely dry), it's time to add your proteins.
   2. Nestle the pieces of chicken (if you pre-browned them, otherwise add raw pieces earlier in the cook time) into the rice.
   3. Arrange the shrimp and any optional mussels or clams on top of the rice. Ensure they are distributed evenly.
   4. Continue to cook without stirring, allowing the chicken and seafood to cook through and steam in the remaining liquid. The goal is for everything to finish cooking simultaneously.
6. Develop Socarrat & Rest
   1. In the last 3-5 minutes of cooking, once most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice looks done, turn the heat up slightly to medium-high. Listen carefully for a gentle crackling sound, which indicates the formation of the coveted socarrat – the crispy, caramelized crust at the bottom of the pan. Be vigilant: you want toasty, not burnt!
   2. Once you hear the crackle (or after 3-5 minutes), remove the pan from the heat.
   3. Loosely cover the paella with foil or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This allows the steam to finish cooking the rice evenly and for the flavors to meld beautifully.
7. Garnish & Serve
   1. Uncover the paella. Garnish generously with fresh chopped parsley and arrange lemon juice wedges around the edge of the pan.
   2. Bring the pan straight to the table for an impressive presentation. Gently loosen the rice with a spoon if needed, taking care not to disturb the delicious socarrat. Serve immediately and enjoy your homemade paella seafood recipe!