Easy Paella Recipe

Paella is one of the major dishes of the Spanish cuisine. If you are wondering what paella is, let me tell you that paella is a delicious rice dish made with vegetables, seafood or both. There are mainly three types of paella viz. Valencian paella, mixed paella and seafood paella. Given below are two types of paella recipes, seafood paella and mixed paella. You can try both of them and decide your favorite. So for an easy paella recipe, simply scroll down.

Paella with Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients

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

Process

Take a medium-sized bowl and add 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, paprika, pepper and oregano to it. Mix the ingredients well and then add in chicken pieces to it. Stir well to coat and then refrigerate. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a paella pan or large skillet over medium heat. Add in rice, garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to coat rice with oil. After 3 minutes add in bay leaf, lemon zest, saffron threads, chicken stock and parsley. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, simmer for about 20 minutes. Till the chicken stock mixture is heating, heat olive oil in another skillet over medium heat. When the oil heats, stir in onion and chicken, cook for about 5 minutes and then add in onion and marinated chicken, for more 5 minutes. Now add in sausage and bell pepper, cook again for 5 minutes and in the end add shrimp, cook until shrimp turns pink on both sides. While serving first spread rice on a serving plate and top it with seafood mixture and meat. This is one of the quick and easy paella recipe.

Paella with Chicken Recipe
Ingredients

• 1 red capsicum, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 chorizo sausage, chopped
• 1 cup (200g) basmati rice
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 425 gm can chopped tomatoes, drained
• 500g chicken breast fillets (preferably with skin), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small red chili, seeds removed, finely chopped
• Lemon wedges, to serve
• 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
• 250 gm cooked prawns, peeled
• 425g can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
• 100 gm baby green beans, topped, blanched and refreshed in cold water

Process

Take a medium-sized skillet and heat oil in it, over medium heat. Stir in chicken batches, in batches, each batch for 3 - 4 minutes, until they turn golden. When thoroughly done, transfer to paper towel to drain the excessive grease. Now add sausage and onion to the pan and cook for about 1 - 2 minutes until the sausage is crisp. Then add in turmeric, rice and cook for about 2 minutes. Add in tomatoes, garlic, capsicum, stock and chili. Bring to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the chicken to the pan along with prawns, green beans and cannellini beans, toss and cook for 1 minute. Add coriander and serve immediately, garnish with a lemon wedge.

Paella with Lobster Recipe
Ingredients

• cup licorice-flavored liqueur
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas
• 2 tbsp minced garlic (4 to 6 cloves)
• 5 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
• tsp saffron threads, crushed
• tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and sliced into inch strips
• 1 pounds cooked lobster meat
• 1 pound kielbasa, sliced to inch thick
• 1 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
• cup good olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 cups white basmati rice
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Process

Firstly preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat oil in a big ovenproof Dutch oven. Add onions to it and cook for about 5 minutes, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, stir in bell peppers. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. When the peppers are done, lower the heat and add in garlic. Cook for 1 minute and then add in chicken stock, red pepper flakes, rice, saffron, pepper and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. As the mixture starts boiling, cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook for about 15 minutes. Stir the rice with a wooden spoon and return to the oven and cook uncovered for about 10 - 15 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. When done, transfer the rice to the stove top and stir in licorice-flavored liqueur. Cook for just a minute. Remove from heat, add in peas, lobster and kielbasa. Cover the rice and allow to steam for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. Serve hot.

These were some of the paella recipes. You can reduce the ingredients of any of the above recipes to make it an easy paella recipe for two. So now when you get bored with the usual food, you can try these international recipes! Bon Appetit!