The Best Spanish Seafood Paella 🥘 Recipe

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Get ready for some YUM!😋 This is hands down, the easiest and tastiest “Spanish Seafood Paella 🥘 Recipe”. Let’s talk about how gorgeous this dish is, look at it! It is a statement itself!

With its vibrant colors and delicious mixture of flavors! Adding to it the ton of amazing flavor “Saffron” brings!

You will get the WOW 🤩 factor in your next party with this delicious “Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe”.

This dish is a mixture of rice, veggies, infused with Saffron, and different spices. Packed with a combination of seafood: shrimps, mussels, calamari, lobster’s tail, fish fillet, and clams

what is paella 🥘 ?

Paella is a widely known dish from Spain. It was first cooked by the Valencian farmers on the eastern coast of Spain. They would cook medium grain-rice with whatever was available from meat and vegetables. One of the newest or modern versions is the seafood Paella.

Saffron, is the main spice that adds a ton of flavor and gives the rice this amazing color.

It is known to be cooked in a “paellera” a large, flat, open round steel pan with two handles.

The dish paella takes its name from the pan. It is believed that the word “paella” comes from the name of the pan it is made in - the Latin term patella.

Do I need a Paella pan?

No, you don’t. You can use any skillet or even any shallow & wide pan. Keep in mind, that your layer of rice should be no more than 2 or 2 1/2 inches deep. So the rice cooks quickly and evenly.

I cook Paella more often, that’s why I decided to go ahead and buy one.

My family and friends love Paella, serving it in a Paella Pan make a statement on the dining table.  

What to put in a Paella?

This dish is a one pot meal so it is a PERFECT party dish! 

1- RICE:

So the main ingredient is rice, you can find Paella rice sold in grocery stores but it can be a bit expensive. I found that using medium-grained rice works great.

I like using “Uncle Ben's” rice for this dish, it absorbs the liquid and flavor and maintains its firmness.

2- THE STOCK:

I like using either vegetable stock or chicken stock for this dish, whatever is available. The stock adds richness and depth to the flavor. Be sure to taste the stock and adjust the season as needed.

If you can get your hands-on fish or seafood stock that would be even better, but I found that vegetable or chicken stock works perfectly.

3- SAFFRON:

This is one of the main ingredients, try not to skip it. It really makes a difference in the Paella flavor. 

Saffron is an expensive spice, but luckily, we only need a few threads. Try to get a good quality one, don’t worry a small box will last you a long time. Just keep it in an airtight container and away from direct sun.

4- THE SOFRITO:

It is the base of your dish. The combination of onion, garlic, tomato and peppers all sautéed in olive oil. I like to add to those celery and leeks they really richens the flavor more. 

5- THE SEAFOOD:

what to put in the Paella? The answer is anything!

You can add any seafood you like. You can use more than 2 or even just one. We are big on seafood that’s why I added different kinds of seafood. 

Tip: try adding 3 or 4 shrimps 🦐 heads-on if available, I noticed that it makes a big difference in the richness of the flavor.

Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe

This is hands down, the easiest, quickest and tastiest “Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe”. Let’s talk about how gorgeous this dish is, look at it! It is a statement itself!

This Paella is a one-pot meal so it is a PERFECT party dish! 

This dish is a mixture of rice, veggies, infused with Saffron, and different spices. Packed with a combination of seafood: shrimps, mussels, calamari, lobster’s tail, fish fillet, and clams.

4.72 from 7 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: easy, Mediterranean, Paella, Quick, Seafood

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 449kcal

Author: Heidi

Ingredients 

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Paella

• ▢ 2.5  cup Short-grain rice  “Uncle Ben's” or any Paella Rice
• ▢ 3 cup Vegetable stock  or chicken stock
• ▢ 2 cup Water
• ▢  ½ cup Colored Peppers
• ▢ ½ cup Yellow onion, finely chopped
• ▢ 5 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• ▢  ½ cup Diced Tomatoes
• ▢ ¼ cup Frozen peas & carrots
• ▢  ¼ cup leeks, sliced thin
• ▢ ¼ cup celery, small cubes
• ▢ 3 Tablespoon Olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup Parsley for Garnish

Spices

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Saffron Threads
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Coriander
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Paprika 
• ▢ 2 Bay leaves
• ▢ ½  teaspoon Black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon  Cumin
• ▢ ½  teaspoon Salt or to taste

Seafood

• ▢ ½  cup Peeled shrimp
• ▢ 5 large Shrimps, Heads on
• ▢ ½ cup Calamari, cut into rings
• ▢ ½ cup Mussels, rinsed & scrubbed
• ▢ ½ cup Clams, rinsed & scrubbed
• ▢ 1 Lobster’s tail, cut in half vertically 
• ▢ ½ cup Fillet fish cubes I used Swai

Instructions

Step 1” Saffron”

• 1-  In a small pan, bring vegetable stock to boil then add the “Saffron”. 
• Wait a few minutes then remove from heat and step aside.

Step 2” Paella”

• In a Paella pan “or any similar skillet” heat oil over medium heat.
• Sautee onions for 2 minutes then add the celery, leeks, colored peppers & garlic. Stirring regularly.
• Add the rest of the spices: Garlic powder, Onion powder, Turmeric, Coriander, Paprika, Bay leaves, Black pepper, cumin &Turmeric. Stir regularly
• Add the peas & carrots, then add the calamari, Stir regularly for 3 minutes
• Add rice then diced tomatoes. Stir for 2 minutes
•  Now add “step 1” – The Mixture of vegetable’s stock & Saffron” then the water
• Now, arrange the rest of the seafood start by adding the peeled shrimp, fish fillet, shrimp heads-on, lobster’s tail, mussels & clams.
• Bring to boil then lower the heat a bit and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, until the liquid, is fully absorbed or until its fully cooked
• Garnish with parsley, serve with lemon wedges on the side. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

• You can add any seafood you like. You can use more than 2 or even just one. We are big on seafood that’s why I added different kinds of seafood.
• Tip: try adding 3 or 4 shrimps heads-on if available, I noticed that it makes a big difference in the richness of the flavor.
• Fish: try to add a thick kind of fillet fish not thin, I used Swai.  Tilapia is a good option too.
• This Paella is a one-pot meal so it is a PERFECT party dish!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 935mg | Potassium: 415mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1358IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 3mg