Mediterranean Paella
Mediterranean Paella is a rice based dish that combines the fabulous flavors of Spain with your favorite proteins and veggies, all served in a festive pan sure to impress. It’s perfect for gatherings or a special family dinner.
This dish dates back to the 10th century, when the Moors introduced rice to Spain. Valencian farmers would gather around a fire, using local ingredients such as rabbit, chicken, snails, and green beans to create a communal meal. While you can certainly cook this over an open fire, we like to use our gas grill. We use a 16 inch Paella pan we purchased online at La Paella . You can also find them on Amazon. The 16 inch size just fits on our Weber gas grill, and it allows us to serve a crowd. If you don’t have a paella pan, feel free to use a large skillet and simply make it on your cooktop.
Our Mediterranean Paella recipe calls for a combination of chicken, chorizo (we like to use chicken chorizo), and shrimp for proteins. We also load it with veggies, including peppers, onions, tomatoes, and asparagus. It would also be wonderful with peas, beans, or corn! Feel free to experiment.
The recipe as written uses 2 cups of Bomba (Spanish style) rice and serves approximately 8 people. Feel free to scale down if needed or if you are using a smaller skillet. If your pan is large enough, however, I encourage you to make the full recipe and share it with friends! It also makes amazing leftovers.
Add the ingredients in stages to help to develop layers of flavor. Start with aromatics and veggies, then add the meats and spices. Add wine and broth as the primary liquids to soak up and flavor the Spanish Bomba (short-grain) rice. Paprika and saffron really give this dish it’s flavor punch and beautiful color. Save the shrimp until the very end, as they cook quickly.
Feel free to skip the chorizo if you prefer to leave it out. While it’s not authentic to Spanish Paella, we love the flavor it adds to the dish. You can also make this completely pescatarian with just fish and seafood. Vegetarians and vegans can load this full of veggies, add some chickpeas and/or tofu, or even spice it up with a bit of vegan chorizo! Of course, this is gluten and dairy-free friendly as well. It’s a super adaptable recipe.
Our favorite way to enjoy paella is outdoors and with family and friends! There’s something truly special about gathering together to enjoy a family style meal, sharing stories, and dreaming about traveling to the sunny coast of Spain!
Mediterranean Paella
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced optional
- 2 yellow/orange/red peppers, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 1 bunch asparagus, chopped small, or cup of green beans chopped in half, or or 1 cup of peas optional
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs or 4 large chicken breasts chopped into medallion sized pieces
- Kosher salt (for seasoning chicken)
- 18 oz diced tomatoes in liquid plus a handful fresh cherry tomatoes diced if desired
- 2 links chicken chorizo/andouille sausage, cut or broken into small pieces
- 4 roasted red peppers (from a jar), chopped
- 2 big pinches saffron
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup white wine optional
- 4 cups chicken stock/broth
- 2 cups Spanish Bomba (short grain) rice
- additional salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop chicken into medallion sized chunks and season with salt.
- Chop remaining ingredients so you have everything in place before you begin.
- (Optional) – Heat the stock/broth on a burner to a simmer. Adding warm stock prevents the rice from cooling down while cooking, similar to making risotto.
- Heat olive oil in your paella pan on a grill, open fire, or cooktop.
- Sauté onions, sliced garlic, and raw bell peppers.
- Add asparagus (or green beans), if using. Sauté for a couple of minutes and move all veggies to the outside of the pan.
- Add chicken medallions and raw sausage (If using precooked sausage, add it in the next step). Cook until browned and move to outside of pan.
- Add tomatoes, sausage (if using precooked instead of raw), roasted peppers, smoked paprika, garlic powder, saffron. Cook a few minutes.
- Add wine, if using. Simmer. Add 4 cups of chicken broth. If you don't use the wine, add a 5th cup of broth or a cup of water.
- Sprinkle rice over the pan. Stir to ensure rice isn't sticking together.
- Cook on high heat to boiling.
- Lower the heat a bit and simmer for approximately 20 – 30 minutes or until rice is done. Do not stir after the first 10 minutes. You want to develop a caramelized cripsy crust on the bottom of the pan (soccarat).
- Add shrimp approximately 5 minutes before serving. Shrimp cooks quickly. If using peas, add them now as well.
- Once everything is cooked, remove from heat and let it rest a bit before serving.