Paella Spanish Seafood Dishes Recipe

[email protected]Posted on February 9, 2026

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I remember the first time I tried to make a real Paella Spanish Seafood Dish. It was for a big family gathering, and I was so nervous. I had this beautiful paella pan and a head full of dreams, but my rice was a mushy mess. I knew I had to crack the code. If you’re looking for another rich, seafood-centric comfort dish, you must try this creamy seafood shrimp lasagna soup.

My big breakthrough came from a Spanish abuela I met at a market. She told me my heat was all wrong. She said the socarrat—that crispy, caramelized rice at the bottom—isn’t an accident. It’s a gift you give the pan by listening to it. That changed everything for me. Now, I want to share that feeling with you.

This recipe is my love letter to that moment. It’s built on patience, good saffron, and the sound of sizzle. We’re not just cooking dinner. We’re building layers of flavor, one careful step at a time. Let’s make something incredible together.

Recipe Overview

Cuisine: Spanish
Category: Main Course
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6

Why This Recipe is So Special

What makes this paella sing is the order of operations. We build a flavor base called a sofrito first. This is non-negotiable.

We cook down onions, peppers, and tomatoes until they’re sweet and jammy. This forms the soul of the dish. Then, we toast the rice in that base before adding any liquid.

This coats each grain in flavor. The final magic is the socarrat. That crispy bottom layer is the prize. It means you did it right. For another recipe that masters the art of layered, comforting flavors, check out this cozy comfort food twist on creamy seafood shrimp lasagna soup.

The Full Ingredient List

Gathering everything before you start is key. It makes the process smooth and lets you focus on the cooking. Here’s what you’ll need:

1/4 cup good olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimentón)
1 large pinch of saffron threads (about 1/2 tsp)
2 cups Spanish bomba or Calasparra rice
4 cups warm seafood or chicken stock
1/2 lb chorizo sausage, sliced into rounds
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 lb littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 cup frozen peas
Lemon wedges and chopped parsley for serving
Salt to taste

My Step-by-Step Method

Take a deep breath. Don’t rush. This is where the magic happens. Follow these steps and you’ll have a stunning centerpiece dish.

Heat the olive oil in a large paella pan or wide skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook until it releases its red oil and gets a little crispy. Remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.
In the same flavored oil, add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until they are very soft and starting to caramelize. This takes about 10-15 minutes. Patience here is your best ingredient.
Stir in the garlic and cook for just one minute until fragrant. Then, add the drained diced tomatoes and smoked paprika. Cook this mixture down, stirring, until it thickens into a paste. This is your sofrito.
Crumble the saffron threads between your fingers and add them to the warm stock. Let it steep. Add the rice to the sofrito and stir constantly for 2 minutes to toast the grains.
Pour in all of the warm saffron stock. Give it one good stir to distribute the rice, then do not stir again. This is critical for the socarrat. Season with salt.
Arrange the shrimp, mussels, clams, and the cooked chorizo on top of the rice. Scatter the peas over everything. Let the paella simmer, undisturbed, for 20-25 minutes.
Listen and watch. The liquid will be absorbed. You’ll hear a faint crackling sound from the bottom. This is the socarrat forming. Let it cook for another 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat once the liquid is gone.
Remove the pan from the heat. Cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. This lets the rice finish cooking gently. Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

My Top Tips for Success

Rice is Right: Please try to use a short-grain Spanish rice like Bomba. It absorbs three times its volume in liquid without getting mushy. It’s the backbone of the dish.
Stock Temperature: Always add warm or hot stock to the pan. Adding cold stock shocks the rice and stops the cooking process, leading to uneven texture.
No-Stir Zone: After that initial stir when you add the stock, put the spoon down. Let the rice do its thing. Stirring releases starch and makes the paello gummy.
Listen for the Crackle: That soft, crackling sound near the end is your signal. It means the bottom layer is perfectly toasting. Don’t be afraid of it!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most common issue is soggy rice. This usually happens from too much liquid or too much stirring. Trust the rice-to-liquid ratio and leave it alone.

Another mistake is burning the garlic. Add it after the onions and peppers are soft. Garlic cooks very fast and burns easily, which makes the whole dish taste bitter.

Finally, don’t crowd the pan with seafood. If your pan is too small, the seafood will steam instead of cook in the rice’s heat. Use a wide, shallow pan for the best results.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Calories: ~650
Carbohydrates: 68g
Protein: 38g
Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 185mg
Sodium: 1200mg
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 5g

*Nutrition is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredients used.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I make paella without a special paella pan?

Absolutely! A wide, shallow skillet is your next best friend. The key is surface area. You want the rice to be in a thin layer so it cooks evenly and gets that crispy bottom.

My mussels and clams didn’t open. What do I do?

Discard any shellfish that stay firmly closed after cooking. They were likely dead before cooking and are not safe to eat. Before you cook, tap any open shells—they should close. If they don’t, toss them.

Can I use regular white rice instead of Spanish rice?

I don’t recommend it. Regular long-grain rice gets too soft and sticky. The special short-grain rice holds its structure. It’s worth seeking out for the true texture and experience.