Best 5 Quick And Easy Paella Recipes

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Embark on a culinary journey to the vibrant shores of Spain with our collection of quick and easy paella recipes. Paella, a traditional Spanish dish, is a delightful combination of flavors and textures, featuring succulent seafood, tender chicken, and an array of colorful vegetables, all harmoniously united in a bed of saffron-infused rice.

Our diverse selection of recipes caters to every palate and dietary preference. From the classic Paella Valenciana, bursting with the essence of the Mediterranean, to the vegetarian Paella de Verduras, brimming with garden-fresh bounty, our recipes offer a spectrum of culinary experiences. Not to be missed is the seafood-centric Paella de Mariscos, a symphony of briny flavors, and the delectable Paella Mixta, a harmonious blend of seafood and chicken.

Each recipe is meticulously crafted to ensure ease of preparation and minimal cooking time, making them ideal for busy weeknights or effortless entertaining. With step-by-step instructions and a treasure trove of tips and tricks, we guide you through the culinary process, ensuring paella perfection every time.

So, gather your ingredients, ignite your culinary passion, and let the tantalizing aromas of paella fill your kitchen. From the first bite, you'll be transported to the sun-kissed shores of Spain, where flavors dance and memories are made. Let's savor the essence of paella, one delectable recipe at a time.

Let's cook with our recipes!

QUICK PAELLA



Quick Paella image

Provided by Geoffrey Zakarian

Categories     main-dish

Time 35m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped Spanish onions
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Pinch saffron
1 bay leaf
2 cups cooked Arborio or other short-grain rice
12 mussels, washed
8 clams, washed
8 head-on shrimp (U16)
3 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
8 lemon wedges

Steps:

  • In a straight-sided, 10-inch pan, heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add the onions, peppers and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the white wine and tomato puree and reduce the liquid by two-thirds, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the smoked paprika and saffron, along with the bay leaf. Fold in the rice and make a bed for the seafood to sit on. Add the mussels, clams and shrimp and season again. Cover the pan, turn the heat to high and cook until the shellfish is finished and the bottom of the pan has started to caramelize the rice, about 5 minutes. This is a challenging step and is based on timing.
  • Finish the paella with fresh parsley, and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

QUICK AND EASY PAELLA



Quick and Easy Paella image

Consider this a gateway paella and the first step to a serious, lifelong addiction. When I first do a version of a classic dish like paella, I try to use a minimum number of ingredients and steps to focus on technique. After learning the method, you'll ideally use a wider variety of ingredients, like clams, mussels, squid, and chicken, which will make your rice that much more interesting. Garnish with extra virgin olive oil, freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, and lemon wedges.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Spanish

Time 1h10m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ teaspoon saffron threads, or more to taste
2 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces chorizo sausage, sliced into thin rounds
½ yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ⅓ cups Arborio rice
½ cup green peas
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
salt to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Steps:

  • Cook and stir reserved shrimp shells and 2 teaspoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat until shells are pink and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir saffron into shells; add chicken broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until broth is a rusty brown and fragrant, about 20 minutes.
  • Strain saffron broth through a fine-mesh sieve; measure out 2 cups of broth, pour into a small saucepan, and place over low heat to keep broth hot.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Cook chorizo slices in hot oil until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add onion to sausage; cook and stir until soft and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low.
  • Stir garlic into chorizo mixture; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice to skillet and stir to coat rice completely in oil; stir in peas.
  • Pat rice mixture evenly into the bottom of the skillet. Arrange shrimp in a single layer over the top of the rice. Lay pepper strips around and in between shrimp; season with salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
  • Increase heat to high. When rice begins to sizzle in the skillet, pour reserved 2 cups hot saffron broth over the shrimp; gently shake the skillet to distribute liquid.
  • Bake rice mixture in the preheated oven until rice is almost tender and still a bit wet, about 20 minutes.
  • Place skillet over medium-high and cook until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed, and rice caramelizes and crusts slightly on the bottom of the skillet, 3 to 5 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 476.4 calories, Carbohydrate 46.9 g, Cholesterol 150.2 mg, Fat 19.3 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 26.4 g, SaturatedFat 6.2 g, Sodium 975.1 mg, Sugar 2.7 g

EASY PAELLA



Easy Paella image

You may not think of paella as a weeknight dish, but this half-hour recipe might change your mind. The trick is to start it on the stove and finish it in a superhot oven so you get a nice, crisp crust on the bottom. The name "paella" refers not to a combination of rice, seafood, sausage and other meats, but rather to the paellera, a large pan that looks like a flat wok. But you don't need one to make a good paella. A cast-iron skillet will do just fine. Shrimp is called for here, but you can use chicken, sausage, vegetables, scallops, pork or firm tofu in its place.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories     dinner, weekday, main course

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

4 cups chicken stock (see text)
Pinch saffron
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 cups short- or medium-grain rice
Salt and fresh black pepper to taste
2 cups raw peeled shrimp, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Minced parsley for garnish

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, or as near as you can. Warm the stock in a saucepan with the saffron. Place a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. One minute later, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the rice, and cook, stirring occasionally, until glossy -- just a minute or two. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and add the warmed stock, taking care to avoid the rising steam. Stir in the shrimp, and transfer the pan to the oven.
  • Bake about 25 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is dry on top. Garnish, and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 605, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 89 grams, Fat 15 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 26 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 1024 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams

EASY PAELLA



Easy Paella image

You don't need a special paella pan to make this easy take on the classic Spanish dish. Use a wide, shallow saute pan with a lid. Chicken sausage and shrimp star in this one-pan dinner.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Meat & Poultry     Chicken

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (12 ounces) chicken sausage, sliced in 1/2-inch rounds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Steps:

  • In a heavy 12-inch saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp until just pink on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes (do not overcook). Transfer to a plate.
  • Add remaining tablespoon oil and sausage to pan; cook over medium-high heat until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and rice; cook, stirring to coat, until rice is translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Stir in paprika, turmeric, tomatoes, and broth, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed almost all liquid, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in peas; cook 1 minute. Stir in cooked shrimp; serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 338 g, Fat 10 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 20 g

EASY PAELLA



Easy Paella image

An easy to make paella using chorizo, chicken, and shrimp.

Provided by mls

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Spanish

Time 1h

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 19

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
1 pinch saffron threads
1 bay leaf
½ bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
2 lemons, zested
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Steps:

  • In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover, and refrigerate.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage; cook 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cook, turning the shrimp, until both sides are pink.
  • Spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 736.2 calories, Carbohydrate 45.7 g, Cholesterol 202.5 mg, Fat 35.1 g, Fiber 2.9 g, Protein 55.7 g, SaturatedFat 10.3 g, Sodium 1204.2 mg, Sugar 1.9 g

Tips:

  • Use high-quality ingredients for the best flavor.
  • Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the paella. This will prevent the rice from cooking evenly.
  • Use a wide, shallow pan for cooking the paella. This will allow the rice to spread out and cook evenly.
  • Cook the paella over medium heat. This will help to prevent the rice from burning.
  • Stir the paella frequently while it is cooking. This will help to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan.
  • Add the seafood and vegetables to the paella towards the end of the cooking time. This will help to prevent them from overcooking.
  • Serve the paella immediately after it is cooked. This will help to preserve its flavor and texture.

Conclusion:

Paella is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is a great way to use up leftover ingredients and it can be easily customized to suit your own taste. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced cook, you are sure to enjoy making and eating paella.

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