Description
Valencia’s chicken paella brings pure Spanish culinary magic straight to your kitchen with aromatic saffron rice, tender chicken pieces, and traditional cooking techniques that make dinner feel like a Mediterranean celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 2 pounds skinless chicken breasts
- 1 pound shrimp
- 1 pound chorizo sausage
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 medium Spanish onion
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
Base and Seasonings:
- 2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 medium lemons
- 7 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ground paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 1 large bay leaf
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Coat chicken pieces thoroughly in the marinade and let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch paella pan over medium-high heat at 375°F. Sauté 3 crushed garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes for 45 seconds until fragrant.
- Add 2 cups rice to the pan. Stir for 2 minutes to coat each grain with oil and toast slightly.
- Sprinkle 1 pinch saffron threads and 1 bay leaf into the rice. Pour 4 cups chicken stock and 2 tablespoons lemon zest into the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a separate skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Sauté 1 chopped Spanish onion and 1 chopped red bell pepper for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Transfer onion and pepper mixture into the rice pan. Add marinated chicken pieces and 1 pound crumbled chorizo. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Arrange 1 pound peeled shrimp across the top of the rice mixture. Cover the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until shrimp turn pink and rice develops a crispy bottom.
- Remove bay leaf. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with fresh lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Marinate chicken longer for deeper flavor infusion, allowing spices to penetrate the meat thoroughly.
- Use a traditional paella pan if possible, as its wide, shallow shape helps create the classic crispy rice bottom called socarrat.
- For gluten-free version, ensure chorizo and stock are certified gluten-free and substitute with tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
- Vegetarian adaptation works well by replacing chicken and chorizo with plant-based protein like tempeh or tofu, maintaining similar spice profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Spanish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 to 6
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 540 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg