Paella

Name: Paella
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: valencian
Ingredients: 360 g Short-grain rice, bomba or calasparra if possible; 500 g Chicken, thighs, bone-in if you can; 200 g Prawn; 4 tbsp Olive oil; 1 small Onion, finely chopped; 2 medium Tomato, grated, skins discarded; 3 clove Garlic, sliced; 1 tsp Paprika; 1 pinch Saffron, steeped in 2 tbsp warm water; 900 ml Water, or light chicken stock; 1 piece Lemon, wedges; 1 tsp Salt

A wide-pan rice from Valencia — saffron, sofrito, and a toasted bottom. Not a dumping ground for every seafood in the shop.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Paella.

0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.

Start cooking

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Difficulty: A bit of work
Spice: No chilli
Cost: A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

Source photograph of Paella. Not official I Want Some Food pixel artwork.

About

Paella is a rice dish cooked in a shallow pan so the liquid evaporates and the bottom toasts (socarrat). Valencian land paella is often chicken, rabbit and beans. Coastal versions take seafood. The tourist 'everything' paella with chorizo is a different party. This home recipe is a chicken-and-prawn weeknight hybrid, named honestly as such, cooked in the widest pan you own.

Ingredients

Servings

Short-grain rice, bomba or calasparra if possible360 g
Chicken, thighs, bone-in if you can500 g
Prawn200 g
Olive oil59 ml
Onion, finely chopped1 small
Tomato, grated, skins discarded2 medium
Garlic, sliced3 clove
Paprika4.9 ml
Saffron, steeped in 2 tbsp warm water1 pinch
Water, or light chicken stock900 ml
Lemon, wedges1
Salt4.9 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Season chicken. Heat olive oil in the widest pan you have. Brown chicken well, 8 minutes. Set aside.
10 min
Step 2
Sofrito: cook onion until soft, then tomato and garlic until thick and jammy, 8–10 minutes. Stir in paprika off the fiercest heat so it does not burn.
10 min
Step 3
Stir in rice to coat. Add saffron water, salt and hot stock. Nestle chicken back in. Shake the pan once to level. Do not stir again.
5 min
Watch: Stirring is risotto. Paella wants a crust.
Step 4
Simmer briskly 10 minutes, then lower the heat 8–10 minutes more until the liquid is almost gone. Add prawns for the last 6 minutes.
20 min
Step 5
Listen for a faint crackle. Raise heat 60–90 seconds to toast the bottom. Rest off the heat, covered with a cloth, 5 minutes. Lemon on the side.
7 min
Tip: If the bottom burns black, you waited too long. Brown-gold is the prize.

Adapt this recipe

The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.

Substitutions

Bomba rice → Arborio
Starchier. Use a little less liquid and accept a creamier grain.
Prawns → More chicken and green beans
Closer to a land paella mood.

Tips

A 30cm skillet for this quantity is cramped; two pans is allowed.
Chorizo in paella is a fight. If you add it, you are cooking a tasty rice with chorizo. Live your life, name it honestly.

History & culture

In Valencia, paella is Sunday, family, and rules. Elsewhere it became Spain's export dish. We respect the rice technique even when the topping is a home-cook compromise.

Rice agriculture around Valencia, with Islamic-era roots, produced a family of pan rice dishes. The global restaurant paella is 20th-century branding as much as farm cooking.

Inspired by — Chicken and prawn, not a strict Valencian land paella (rabbit, snails, beans) and not a pure seafood paella. The rice method is the traditional part.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.

How long does Paella take?

1 hr 10 min all in — 25 min prep, 45 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

A bit of work.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Shellfish. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.

What does it cost to cook?

A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Paella pan, Frying pan.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.

What can I use instead?

Bomba rice → Arborio. Starchier. Use a little less liquid and accept a creamier grain. Prawns → More chicken and green beans. Closer to a land paella mood.

What should I watch for?

Stirring is risotto. Paella wants a crust.

Any tips from this recipe?

A 30cm skillet for this quantity is cramped; two pans is allowed. Chorizo in paella is a fight. If you add it, you are cooking a tasty rice with chorizo. Live your life, name it honestly.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.