Seafood

Serving

Seafood Paella

Name: Seafood Paella
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Seafood
Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 onion, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 cups short-grain paella or Arborio rice; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; 1/4 tsp saffron threads; 4 cups seafood or chicken stock, warmed; 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained; 1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded; 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1/2 lb calamari rings; 1 cup frozen peas; 1 lemon, cut into wedges; 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley; salt and black pepper to taste

A vibrant Spanish rice dish loaded with shrimp, mussels, and calamari, colored and perfumed with saffron.

60 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

21 min prep

33 min cook

Contains common allergens

Seafood Shellfish

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Instructions

8 steps

1
Heat olive oil in a large paella pan or wide skillet over medium heat and cook onion and bell pepper until softened, about 6 minutes.
2
Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3
Stir in rice, smoked paprika, and saffron, coating the rice in oil for 1-2 minutes.
4
Add diced tomatoes and warmed stock, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.
5
Cook undisturbed over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
6
Nestle mussels, shrimp, and calamari into the rice, cover loosely, and cook 10 minutes more until seafood is cooked and rice is tender.
7
Scatter peas over the top in the last 3 minutes of cooking.
8
Discard any unopened mussels, garnish with parsley and lemon wedges, and serve directly from the pan.

Seafood Paella — plated and served — Serving moment. How Seafood Paella looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

60/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 46

Budget-friendly 52

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 29

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

725

Calories

59 g

Protein

61 g

Carbs

27 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Paella originated in the Valencia region of Spain, traditionally cooked over an open fire in a wide, shallow pan that gives the dish its name. The seafood version, common along the Spanish coast, layers shrimp, mussels, and squid into the saffron-scented rice.

Listahan note

This version leaves the rice undisturbed once it starts cooking, resisting the urge to stir, which is what allows the prized crispy bottom layer, called socarrat, to form.

Technique cues

Do not stir the rice once the stock is added and it comes to a simmer; paella is built on letting the rice cook undisturbed, unlike risotto.
Warm the stock before adding it so the cooking does not stall and the rice cooks evenly from the start.
Listen and smell near the end of cooking for a faint toasted, nutty aroma from the bottom of the pan — that is the socarrat forming, not burning.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Prep and clean all the seafood while the rice base cooks its first 15 minutes undisturbed.
Make-ahead: The rice base can be started ahead up to the point of adding seafood, then finished just before serving.
Leftover move: Reheat leftover paella in a skillet rather than the microwave to try to recrisp the bottom layer.
Cleanup rhythm: One wide pan handles the entire dish — soak it right after serving since the socarrat can stick stubbornly.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Short-grain paella or Arborio rice

Base

Purpose: Its starchy grains absorb the saffron-infused stock while staying separate rather than turning creamy like risotto.

Handling: Toast briefly in the oil with the spices before adding liquid to coat every grain.

Adaptation: Bomba rice, if available, is the traditional Spanish choice and absorbs even more liquid without going mushy.

Saffron threads

Signature flavor and color

Purpose: It gives paella its distinctive golden color and subtle, earthy aroma that no other spice replicates.

Handling: Steep briefly in a little warm stock before adding, which helps release its flavor and color evenly.

Adaptation: A pinch of turmeric gives color but not the same flavor — use it only as a last resort.

Mussels, shrimp, and calamari

Seafood mix

Purpose: Together they represent the range of textures classic to a coastal Spanish paella.

Handling: Nestle them into the rice partway through cooking rather than at the very start, so they do not overcook.

Adaptation: Clams or scallops can be added or substituted based on what is freshest.

Smoked paprika

Depth

Purpose: Adds a subtle smokiness that rounds out the saffron's more delicate flavor.

Handling: Add it with the rice so it toasts slightly in the oil before the liquid goes in.

Adaptation: Regular paprika works without the smokiness if that is what is on hand.

Technique notes

Use a wide, shallow pan rather than a deep pot; paella depends on a thin layer of rice for even cooking and a crisp bottom.
Resist the temptation to cover the pan tightly — a loose cover or none at all lets excess moisture evaporate properly.
Let the finished paella rest for a few minutes off the heat before serving so the flavors settle and the rice finishes absorbing any remaining liquid.

Ingredient swaps

Shellfish-free direction: This dish depends on mussels, shrimp, and calamari and cannot be made shellfish-free; a chicken and chorizo paella is a well-established alternative built the same way.
Gluten-free direction: This recipe is naturally gluten-free as written, provided the stock used has no wheat additives.
Dairy-free direction: Wherever dairy shows up here, a neutral dairy-free butter or oil and a full-fat plant milk (oat or coconut work best for body) is the straightforward stand-in. This one leans on the short-grain paella or Arborio rice.

Serve alongside

Crusty bread
Simple green salad
Lemon wedges
Spanish Albariño
Sangria
Sparkling water with lemon

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate leftover paella in a sealed container for up to 2 days.
Reheat in a skillet with a splash of stock to loosen the rice and try to recrisp the bottom; microwaving softens the texture.
Freezing is possible but the seafood texture suffers noticeably on thawing.

Equipment

Wide, shallow paella pan or large skillet
Ladle
Wooden spoon

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