Seafood Paella Recipe That Brings Spain to Your Kitchen
Bring the taste of Spain home with this Seafood Paella Recipe—golden saffron rice, shrimp, and mussels in one pan. Simple, colorful, and full of Mediterranean flavor.
Ingredients
Seafood & Proteins
- 8 oz medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 8 oz calamari rings
- 8 –10 mussels scrubbed and debearded
- Optional 4 oz white fish chunks (such as cod or snapper)
Rice & Broth
- 1 ½ cups bomba or arborio rice
- 4 cups seafood broth or fish stock
- A pinch of saffron threads soaked in 2 tbsp warm water
Aromatics & Vegetables
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium tomato grated or finely chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Garnish & Extras
- Lemon wedges
- Fresh parsley chopped
- Olive oil drizzle optional
Instructions
- Prep the Seafood:
- Clean shrimp, mussels, and calamari. Pat dry and set aside.
- Sauté the Base:
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook until soft. Stir in garlic and tomato; simmer until thickened.
- Toast the Rice:
- Stir in rice, smoked paprika, and saffron (with soaking water). Cook 1–2 minutes until glossy and aromatic.
- Simmer the Broth:
- Pour in seafood broth and season lightly. Simmer gently 15 minutes—no stirring! Let rice absorb most liquid.
- Add the Seafood:
- Arrange shrimp, calamari, and mussels on top. Cover and cook 10 minutes, until shrimp turn pink and mussels open.
- Rest and Serve:
- Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. Serve straight from the pan.
Notes
- Use bomba rice for authentic texture; arborio works as a substitute.
- Don’t stir after adding broth—this helps form the socarrat (crispy bottom).
- Saffron gives the golden hue, but turmeric works in a pinch.
- Store up to 3 days in the fridge; reheat gently with broth.
- For extra flavor, drizzle with olive oil before serving.