Spanish Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Arroz Negro
Dramatic jet-black rice cooked in squid ink with seafood and sofrito, finished with a dollop of garlicky aioli — bold, briny Valencian cooking.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Instructions
8 steps- 1
Heat olive oil in a paella pan and sear the squid rings and prawns briefly over high heat, then remove and set aside.
- 2
In the same pan, sweat the onion and red pepper until softened, about 8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- 3
Stir in the grated tomato and cook until the sofrito reduces and darkens, about 10 minutes.
- 4
Dissolve the squid ink in a little of the hot stock, then add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it in the sofrito for 1-2 minutes.
- 5
Pour in the hot stock mixed with the squid ink, season with salt, and stir once to distribute evenly, then do not stir again.
- 6
Return the seared squid to the pan, simmer over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, then reduce heat and cook a further 8-10 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid and the bottom forms a light crust.
- 7
Scatter the seared prawns over the top for the last 2 minutes to warm through.
- 8
Remove from heat, let rest 5 minutes, and serve with a generous dollop of alioli.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
64/100
Works for many families
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 serving475
Calories
29 g
Protein
80 g
Carbs
3 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
Arroz negro is a dramatic black rice dish from the Catalan and Valencian coasts, cooked in the same wide pan as paella but tinted ink-dark with squid ink. The ink lends a briny, deep-sea flavor that defines the dish, and it is traditionally served with a dollop of garlicky allioli to cut the richness. It grew out of coastal cooks making the most of the cuttlefish and squid they cleaned each day.
Listahan note
This version builds a strong seafood sofrito base and uses both squid and its ink so the color and the flavor come from the same source rather than just a tint.
Technique cues
- Build a deep, slow-cooked sofrito of onion, tomato, and garlic first, since it is the flavor foundation the ink and rice rest on.
- Stir the ink into the warm stock so it disperses evenly and dyes every grain instead of streaking.
- Stop stirring once the rice goes in, letting it cook flat and undisturbed so the bottom can develop the prized toasted socarrat.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Clean the squid and make the allioli while the sofrito cooks down, and keep the stock hot in a side pot.
- Make-ahead
- Make the sofrito and the allioli a day ahead so only the rice cooking remains at dinnertime.
- Leftover move
- Press cold leftover rice into patties and crisp them in a pan for a next-day arroz negro cake.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Soak the rice pan right after serving, since the ink and socarrat need a good rest in hot water to lift.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
bomba or short-grain rice
base
Purpose: It absorbs three times its volume in liquid while staying separate, soaking up the inky stock without turning mushy.
Handling: Do not rinse, so the surface starch helps it drink the flavorful stock.
Adaptation: Calasparra or arborio are the closest stand-ins.
squid or cuttlefish
main seafood
Purpose: It provides both the tender seafood bites and, with its ink, the dish's color and briny depth.
Handling: Clean and cut into rings or strips; reserve the ink sacs if present.
Adaptation: Pre-cleaned squid with separate ink packets works perfectly.
squid ink
color and flavor
Purpose: It is the defining element, dyeing the rice black and adding a mineral, sea-deep taste.
Handling: Dissolve into the warm stock before adding to the rice.
Adaptation: Cuttlefish ink is interchangeable; there is no real substitute for the color.
fish or seafood stock
cooking liquid
Purpose: It carries the ink into the rice and deepens the overall seafood flavor.
Handling: Keep it hot in a separate pot so the rice cooks at a steady simmer.
Adaptation: Shellfish stock or a light chicken stock with clam juice can substitute.
ripe tomato
sofrito base
Purpose: Cooked down with onion and garlic, it gives the savory-sweet foundation under the ink.
Handling: Grate or finely chop and cook until jammy and darkened.
Adaptation: Good canned crushed tomato works out of season.
garlic
aromatic and allioli base
Purpose: It flavors the sofrito and forms the garlicky allioli that traditionally crowns the dish.
Handling: Mince for the sofrito; reserve raw cloves for the allioli.
Adaptation: Roasted garlic gives a mellower allioli if raw is too sharp.
Technique notes
- Toast the dry rice in the sofrito for a minute before adding stock so each grain seals and stays distinct.
- Resist topping up the liquid late; if it looks dry, add hot stock around the edges, not over the top.
- Listen for the faint crackle near the end and let it go a touch further off the heat to build socarrat without burning.
Ingredient swaps
- Shellfish-free direction
- Build the dish on squid and fish stock alone, keeping it free of crustaceans and mollusk shellfish add-ins.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Use unsalted homemade stock and let the ink and sofrito carry the flavor with minimal added salt.
- Weeknight shortcut
- Use pre-cleaned squid rings and jarred ink packets to skip the messiest prep.
Serve alongside
- Allioli
- Grilled lemon halves
- Escalivada roasted vegetables
- Simple green salad
- Chilled Albarino
- Dry Catalan cava
- Crisp Verdejo
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Keep covered in the fridge for up to two days; the rice firms as it cools. Reheat gently with a splash of stock to loosen it, or crisp it in a pan. It does not freeze well, as the rice texture suffers on thawing.
Equipment
- Wide paella pan or large shallow skillet
- Separate pot for hot stock
- Mortar and pestle for allioli
- Fish spatula
Make this household-aware
Listahan Pro checks this recipe against your household's allergens, finds pantry-aware swaps, builds the shopping list, and helps you plan the week around it.
Plan it in Listahan
Add Arroz Negro to your week, check it against your household's allergens, and build the shopping list automatically.
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