Spanish Seafood Paella (Printable)

Aromatic Spanish saffron rice with shrimp, mussels, clams, and peppers in a flavorful blend.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
03 - 12 clams, scrubbed

→ Rice

04 - 1 1/2 cups short-grain paella rice (e.g., Bomba or Arborio)

→ Aromatics & Vegetables

05 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
07 - 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 medium tomato, grated or finely chopped

→ Broth & Seasonings

10 - 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
11 - 4 cups fish or seafood stock
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
14 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garnish

16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
17 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# Directions:

01 - Warm the fish or seafood stock in a saucepan and infuse with saffron threads. Keep warm over low heat.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large paella pan or wide skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
03 - Add the sliced red and green bell peppers and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly softened. Stir in the grated tomato and cook until most liquid evaporates.
04 - Incorporate the rice, stirring to coat with the oil and vegetables. Sprinkle smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper evenly over the mixture.
05 - Pour the warm saffron-infused stock over the rice, distributing it evenly. Avoid stirring from this point forward.
06 - Arrange shrimp, mussels, and clams atop the rice. Cover loosely with foil or a lid and cook over medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and shellfish have opened. Discard any shellfish that remain closed.
07 - Remove from heat and let the dish rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • One pan becomes a celebration—shrimp, mussels, and clams all cook together in saffron-kissed rice without fussing.
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, but it's genuinely faster than you'd expect and impresses everyone at the table.
  • The golden crust that forms at the bottom (called socarrat) is the reward for not stirring—crispy, nutty, absolutely addictive.
02 -
  • Do not stir after adding the stock—this is the biggest mistake beginners make. The rice needs contact with the bottom of the pan to form that golden, crispy socarrat layer, and stirring prevents it.
  • Buy seafood the same day you cook, keep it cold, and always check that mussels and clams close when tapped. Any that don't open during cooking should be discarded immediately because they're not safe to eat.
  • The saffron bloom step matters more than it seems—cold stock won't extract the color and flavor properly, so keep it warm while the threads infuse.
03 -
  • Prep everything before you start cooking—this is not a dish where you can pause to chop while things are on the stove. Have your seafood cleaned, stock warm, and vegetables cut and ready.
  • If you don't have a traditional paella pan, a large, shallow skillet works fine; what matters is that the rice spreads in a relatively thin, even layer so it cooks uniformly and develops that socarrat.
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