If you’ve ever spent time in Spain, there is a good chance that you have enjoyed this classic dish. It’s served at nearly every restaurant and is the perfect dish to enjoy with friends & family and a glass of sangria. This is my traditional paella recipe!

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The most common types of paella are Paella Valenciana (typically a mixture of chicken and rabbit), Paella Negra (cooked with squid ink) and Paella Mixta (a combination of poultry and seafood).

I hope you enjoy this version of a Paella Mixta!

What You Will Need

Vidalia Onion

Red Pepper

Garlic

Saffron Threads

Chorizo

Chicken Thighs

Shrimp

Paprika

Kosher Salt

Chicken Bouillon

Peas

Red Pepper Flakes

Chicken Broth

Short Grain Rice

Mussels

Anytime I visit another country, I am guaranteed to come back with a bunch of food products. Using some high quality, authentic ingredients when trying to recreate dishes makes all the difference!

On my last trip to Spain, I picked up some olive oil, saffron threads, paella rice and paprika. All of these ingredients are readily available at the grocery store or specialty food market in larger cities.

If you don’t have a paella pan, a large cast iron skillet will work just as well. This paella pan gets great reviews!

How to Make

Begin your paella by browning your chorizo in a pan over medium heat. Once cooked through, transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Using the oil from the chorizo, brown chicken thighs until almost cooked through. Transfer into the bowl with the chorizo.

Add the red pepper and onion into the pan and cook for about 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic to the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir continuously to prevent the garlic from browning and turning bitter.

Add the bouillon cubes and broth to the pan and cook until the bouillon cubes have dissolved. Stir in the red pepper flakes, paprika, rice, chicken thighs, chorizo and salt. Cover the pan and simmer on medium low heat for 15 minutes.

Uncover the pan and add the shrimp, mussels and peas. Cover again and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.

The best part of paella is the crispy rice at the bottom of the pan. When serving, make sure to scrape up some of this deliciousness with each serving!

Try out My Traditional Red Sangria Recipe!

This dish is typically eaten family style but can also be plated individually and topped with chopped parsley, chives or even a drizzle of high-quality olive oil!

I hope you enjoy this paella recipe!