Name: Chicken Chorizo and Shrimp Paella
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil + more if needed; 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided; 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into 1-inch chunks; 12 ounces cooked chorizo, cut into 1/3 inch slices; 1 1/2 cup chopped onion; 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic (about 4 cloves); 2 cups Spanish Broma or short grain paella rice; 1 (28-ounces) can petite diced tomatoes in tomato juice; 2 (14.5 ounce) can College Inn Less Sodium Chicken Broth; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon of loosely packed saffron threads (or 1 teaspoon turmeric); 1 pound 16/20 count shrimp, shelled and deveined; 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen

This Chicken Chorizo and Shrimp Paella is a Spanish rice dish that is infused with saffron and loaded with goodness. It’s versatile. You can dress paella up or down for a weeknight dinner or for company.

Paella (translates to frying pan) originated in Valencia, Spain. It’s considered the country’s national dish. 19th century Valencian field workers were credited with the origin of the dish. They would cook rice with ingredients found in the fields…typically tomatoes, onions and snails, over an open fire. Beans were also used, and for special occasions, rabbit or chicken.

Five different kinds of paella:

There are different kinds of paella, all delicious in their own right.

Paella Valencia —with beans, snails and sometimes rabbit or chicken.
Paella de Marisco—contains seafood and no other meat protein.
Paella Mixta—has both seafood and other meat protein.
Paella Vegetariana—No meat. Has all vegetables, usually lima beans, artichokes, and peppers.
Paella Negra—known for the black squid ink, which colors rice.

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

Rice—use Broma rice or other short grain Spanish rice labeled Paella Rice. They have the best liquid absorbance capability.
Chorizo—a Spanish sausage. It can be purchased dried, cured, and fermented, and ready to eat. I frequently use the Portuguese chourico, because it’s my family’s favorite.
Chicken—I like to use chicken thigh meat. It’s more flavorful and doesn’t dry out like breast meat.
Shrimp—16/20 count shrimp is used in the recipe. For larger or smaller shrimp, adjust cooking time accordingly.
Saffron—provides the yellow color and has an earthy, floral and sweet flavor.
Paprika, salt, and pepper—for flavor.
Onion and paprika—for building depth of flavor.
Canned diced tomato—fresh tomatoes are traditionally used, but I like the convenience and added flavor of the tomato juice.
Chicken broth—I use reduced sodium chicken broth. If you use regular broth, pull back on the salt slightly.
Olive oil—to cook the chicken.

Recipe highlights:

Season chicken chunks with salt and pepper. Parcook in a preheated skillet. Transfer onto a plate. Quickly sear the chorizo slices. Remove from skillet.
Next, sauté onion then add garlic.

Pour in canned diced tomato, followed by rice, and chicken broth. Add paprika, salt, pepper, and saffron. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer on medium low, uncovered, for 12 minutes. Do not stir from this point onward.
Tuck chicken into broth. Cook for 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Tuck in shrimp, return the chorizo, and add peas. Cook for 8 minutes, turning over shrimp after 5 minutes.
Increase heat to medium high for 1 minute to develop socarrat (more on this below). Remove from heat.
Finally, tent with foil for 10 minutes to allow the paella to set before serving.
Refer to recipe card for detailed instructions.

What kind of rice to use?

The perfect rice consistency for paella is al dente. Look for rice labeled paella rice. Broma, Calasparra, and Valencia are short grain rice and are the best options. They have the ability to absorb more liquid than other rice without becoming mushy. If you can’t find paella rice, then Arborio or a medium grain rice are good substitutes. Do not use brown rice, basmati or Jasmine rice. They will not cook properly.

Contrary to what you might think, do not cover the skillet while the rice simmers. This helps it to maintain the al dente consistency. However, the pan is tented once it’s done cooking for 10 minutes while the paella sets.

What’s a paella pan and do you have to use it?

While a paella pan yields the best results, it is not a must. The size and shape of the pan provides the ideal vessel for cooking the rice. The wide surface area allows more rice to come direct contact with the bottom of the pan. Why is this important? Because it promotes the development of socarrat, which is the crispy lining of rice.

If you don’t have a paella pan, there is no need to buy one. The best substitute is a wide shallow skillet. Ideally, this recipe should be made in a 14-inch skillet. I use a 12-inch skillet because it’s the largest one I have. The pan is filled up to the brim with no wiggle room…but where there’s a will, they’re a way. If you use a 12-inch skillet, don’t be surprised if you see minor dripping onto the stovetop.

What is socarrat?

It’s a golden and crispy layer of rice that develops at the bottom of the skillet. To obtain this, don’t stir rice once it’s reduced to a simmer. Additionally, crank the heat up to medium high for a minute at the end of cooking time. Make sure not to burn the rice. If you smell the nuttiness aroma, during this period, the socarrat is developing. But you want to take it off the heat before it starts to burn.

Paella is super versatile:

Other than using short or medium grain rice, you can swap out ingredients to suit your taste. Use economical ingredients for a weeknight dinner or add luxurious ingredients for entertaining company.

Replace saffron with more economical turmeric—saffron is made of stigmas from crocus plants. Touted as the most expensive spice in the world, saffron can be described as earthy, floral, and sweet in flavor. It is traditionally used in Paella and gives it the distinctive yellow color. Turmeric has an earthy, bitter, sweet flavor profile and provides the dish with yellow coloring.
Add white wine—replace 3/4 cup of the chicken broth with a dry white wine. Add it to the onion and garlic to deglaze the pan and before adding the diced tomato and chicken broth. Boil the wine for a minute to cook out the alcohol.
Omit or add protein—replace or omit any of the protein. Don’t like seafood, leave out the shrimp. Want more saltiness and richness? Add bacon.
Make it vegetarian—replace chicken stock with vegetable stock and omit meat protein. Add vegetables of choice…artichokes, beans, zucchini, bell peppers would all be good.
Make it economical—use turmeric in place of saffron and budget friendly meat proteins.
Make it luxurious—definitely use saffron. Add shellfish and/or lobster meat.

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

A 14-inch skillet is non-stick and has helper handles.
Kitchen tongs—these have silicone tips, ideal for non-stick surfaces.
Slotted spatula/turners with heat resistant silicone for removing the chicken and chorizo from the skillet.

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