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overhead shot of a cast iron skillet filled with paella: shrimp, sausages, chicken, strips of pimiento and a parsley leaf in the middle

Easy Spanish Paella


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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 1x

Description

This delicious Spanish Paella is easy enough for a weeknight - a whole delicious meal in cooked in one skillet.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 6-8 ounces smoked chorizo sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch discs.
  • 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced crosswise into 2-inch wide strips (or 6 chicken thighs with bones, skin removed.)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • Fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 teaspoon finely-chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 cups arborio rice, rinsed of excess starch, using a fine mesh strainer
  • Pinch of saffron threads
  • 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika plus more to season the shrimp
  • 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups low-salt chicken broth (my favorite is Swanson's)
  • 12-14 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1-2 roasted red peppers from a jar, sliced into strips or sliced pimientos from a jar.
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF/200C

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large (12-inch or more) oven-proof skillet. Sauté sausage over high heat, until browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper, to taste. Add 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, add chicken strips and sear on all sides, about 2 minutes total. Transfer chicken to the plate with the sausages. (if using thighs, sear for 4 minutes per side).
  3. Lower heat to medium-low, add onions and cook, and stir for 3-4 minutes, until  softened. Add garlic (1 tablespoon) and rosemary (1 teaspoon) and cook, stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and add the saffron by rubbing it between your fingers so it breaks up as it falls into the pan, add the paprika (1 teaspoon), tomatoes (1 cup), and salt (1 1/2 teaspoons). Stir to combine. Pour in the broth (3 cups).
  4. Arrange the chicken strips and sausages evenly around the pan in a decorative pattern (see photo in the post), pushing them down into the rice so only their tops are showing through. Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a boil and then transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 8 minutes, uncovered.
  5. Remove pan from the oven and arrange the strips of red pepper (or pimiento) and raw shrimp, on top. Sprinkle shrimp with a few pinches of salt and a few pinches of smoked paprika. Return the skillet to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes longer, until shrimp and chicken are cooked through.
  6. Sprinkle parsley over the paella and serve hot.
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 45 mins
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Oven baked
  • Cuisine: Spanish