This simple Spanish Paella recipe delivers amazing flavor from chorizo, shrimp, and traditional paella ingredients. It’s quick and easy enough for a weeknight family meal, but impressive enough for dinner guests!

Helpful Tips & Variations

• Paella Rice. The core of this dish is the rice. Spanish rice, called Bomba, is preferred for this dish because it is round, short, absorbs liquid very well, and yet stays pretty firm while cooking. It can be hard to find sometimes, though. Arborio rice is the closest thing to it, and an acceptable substitute. The rice should be dry and separate when the dish is done cooking, not creamy like risotto. (Make sure to read the packaging for the amount of liquid and defer to what is recommended, if different than what my recipe calls for.)
• Chorizo. You need the kind that is dried and cured NOT Mexican chorizo which is ground. If you can’t find it, andouille sausage can be used instead.
• Shrimp tails. Leaving the tails on the shrimp lends more flavor to the dish, but if it grosses you out, feel free to take them off.
• Saffron. Saffron threads are a staple ingredient in paella, but I know they’re expensive. If you’re not able or willing to spend the cash, I get it! Simply omit it.
• Socarrat method. Unlike risotto, where you stir constantly, paella is actually best with minimal stirring, so the bottom layer of rice in the pan develops a chewy, crispy, and caramelized crust, referred to as socarrat. It’s achieved by turning up the heat in the final minutes of cooking. It’s so amazingly flavorful. Having said that, the bottom of the paella can burn if you’re not careful, so keep your heat on low and pay attention, stirring 1-2 times only if absolutely necessary.
• Paella pan. For real authentic Paella, you need a paella pan. But this recipe can easily be made in a skillet. More information about that is below.

How to Make Paella Step by Step

• Gather your ingredients.

• Sauté chorizo and onion. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12 to 14-inch paella pan (or large stainless-steel skillet) over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add in 5 ounces cooked dried and smoked sliced Spanish chorizo and 1 medium sliced onion; sauté for about 3 minutes. Add in 3 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
• Add seasonings. Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook until completely mixed and coated. Add in 3/4 teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, a few turns of black pepper, and a pinch of saffron; stir to combine.

• Add the rice and stock. Add in 1 & 1/2 cups dry Arborio rice and stir to coat completely. Then pour in 3 & 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock and bring to a boil. Gently flatten the rice with the back of a spatula; reduce heat to low and lightly simmer for 15 minutes, without stirring.

• Add shrimp. Add in 1 pound shrimp and nestle them in the liquid; cook 10 more minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.

• Stir in the peas and enjoy. Stir in 1/2 cup frozen peas and warm through. Sprinkle parsley on top, serve and enjoy!

Do I need a Special Paella Pan?

For real authentic Paella, yes. A true paella pan is large, round, and shallow with two looped handles. The emphasis is on diameter, rather than height. The flat bottom ensures the rice cooks in a thin layer and is what helps develop that awesome socarrat that I mentioned above. The pan is actually so important that it’s where the name comes from – the word “paelle” means “pan.”

What if I Don’t Have a Paella Pan?

If you don’t have a paella pan, an acceptable alternative is a skillet. Use one that is stainless-steel or aluminum. Stay away from cast-iron (which retains too much heat) or nonstick pans (which will never give you the socarrat we’re after.) Try to use a heat source that can accommodate the whole paella pan or skillet. If your burners are a bit spaced out, you’ll need to move and rotate the pan a bit while cooking to evenly distribute the heat.

What Else Goes in Paella?

Interestingly enough, true authentic paella, dating back to the 1800’s, usually consisted of rabbit, snails, chicken, maybe some eel, and lima beans. Sounds delicious, right? Not. Luckily, that list is in the history books and not typically used today. But purists will argue anything other than those ingredients and you’ve simply got arroz en paella (rice in a paella pan.) But I say there’s really no limit to the ingredients you can use. Seafood, sausage, and vegetables are all wonderful additions.

Serving Suggestions

Including rice, shrimp, chorizo, and peas, Paella is really a complete meal in itself, but it does pair well with caesar salad or crusty bread to soak up the sauce. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with flan or tres leches cake.

Storing Leftovers

• Fridge. Because this paella recipe includes shrimp, any leftovers should stored in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. It will keep in an airtight container for 3 days.
• Freezer. Transfer smaller portions to freezer-safe containers and freeze up to 1 month for best quality. Thaw in the fridge.
• Reheat. To reheat, you can use a microwave or warm it up on the stovetop over low heat, adding a little bit of broth or water if needed to prevent the rice from drying out.

More Recipes To Try:

• Chile Rellenos
• Homemade Corn Tortillas
• Tres Leches Cake
• Cilantro Lime Rice

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!