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Colorful seafood paella in a pan with shrimp, mussels, calamari rings, peas, chorizo, rice, tomato, and lemon wedges.
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Classic Spanish Seafood Paella with Mussels, Shrimp & Calamari

This traditional Spanish seafood paella is a one-pan dinner made with saffron-infused rice, shrimp, mussels, calamari, chicken, Spanish chorizo, tomatoes, garlic, smoked paprika, and sweet peas. Perfect for entertaining, special occasions, and family gatherings.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Spanish
Keyword paella, seafood paella, Spanish Paella
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 514kcal
Author Julia

Ingredients

For the Paella

  • ½ pound boneless skinless chicken thigh cut into ½” cubes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil plus more if needed
  • 4 ounces Spanish chorizo sliced into ¼” rounds (Andouille or spicy merguez sausage also work)
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 cups Bomba Rice or Calasparra rice, or arborio rice
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 pinch saffron threads about ⅛ teaspoon, bloomed in 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can of 14.5 ounces of diced tomatoes, drained)
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken stock warmed

Seafood

  • ½ pound fresh mussels scrubbed and debearded
  • ¼ pound calamari rings cleaned
  • ½ pound large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on optional

Garnish

  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • Lemon wedges for serving
  • Fresh parsley chopped
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Pat chicken cubes dry, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a 14” to 16” paella pan (or skillet of the same size) over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook until it releases its oil and lightly browns, 3–4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
  • Increase heat to high and add chicken to the pan, browning on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside with the chorizo.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and bell pepper, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in garlic and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Stir in the rice, season with salt and pepper, coating well with the sofrito mixture, and toast for 2–3 minutes.
  • Add tomato paste and cook until it darkens slightly, 1 minute more.
  • Pour in the saffron with its soaking liquid, the diced tomatoes, and warm stock. Return the chicken and chorizo to the pan, stirring very gently to evenly distribute all ingredients.
  • Transfer the pan to sit evenly over 2 medium-sized burners with one burner at the top and the other at the bottom of your pan. Turn the heat of both burners to high until the liquid begins to boil. Do not stir or disturb the paella.
  • Reduce the heat to low on both burners, and simmer for 20 minutes undisturbed, rotating the pan by a quarter turn every 2 minutes to evenly cook the paella.
  • Nestle mussels, shrimp, and calamari into the rice and continue cooking while rotating the pan until the liquid is absorbed, the mussels have opened up, shrimp are pink, and calamari is opaque, about 10–12 minutes. You will begin to hear a slight crackling sound from the bottom of the pan as the crust begins to form and the liquid is being absorbed by the rice. (Discard any mussels that remain closed.)
  • Scatter peas on top, turn off the heat, and let rest for 5-8 minutes.
  • Garnish with parsley and serve directly from the pan with lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

  • Pat everything dry first. Chicken, shrimp, and calamari all need to be dry before they hit the pan, or you'll steam them instead of browning them. This matters just as much here as it does with a good sear on beef.
  • Use a wide, shallow pan. A true paella pan works best because it maximizes surface area, which means more rice touches the bottom of the pan and forms socarrat. A wide skillet is a fine substitute if you don't own one.
  • Discard any mussels that don't open. A mussel that stays closed after cooking likely wasn't alive going into the pan, and it's not worth the risk of eating it.
  • Let the pan rest before serving. Those 5 to 8 minutes off the heat let the rice finish absorbing any remaining liquid and firm up slightly, which makes serving much cleaner.

Manage the Heat Carefully

  • Do not turn up the heat while the rice is cooking. You will simultaneously burn the bottom, and the rice will be wet and undercooked. This dish requires patience.
  • If you have a very very wide burner that can reach all parts of the pan, feel free to cook the paella on it without needing to rotate.
  • If you have an outdoor gas grill, this is another way to get a broader range of heat for your pan! No rotation needed!

Storage Instructions

  • Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the fridge. Paella doesn’t last as long as some dishes because of the incorporation of seafood.
  • Freezer: I don’t recommend storing paella in the freezer, as it will become mushy, and the seafood texture suffers greatly.
  • Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of stock or water to loosen the rice. Avoid microwaving seafood-heavy portions (shrimp and calamari can turn rubbery).

You’ll Need These Tools:

  • Knife
  • Cutting board
  • Measuring spoons and cups
  • 14-16” paella pan or skillet of the same size

Nutrition

Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 493mg | Potassium: 742mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2431IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 4mg