The Ultimate Spanish Paella | Chicken & Seafood Recipe

Learn how to cook authentic Spanish Paella at home with this step-by-step recipe. Paella is Spain’s most famous dish — golden saffron rice layered with chicken, seafood, vegetables, and rich Mediterranean flavours.
In this video, I’ll show you exactly how to prepare Paella from scratch: from building the sofrito base to adding rice, chicken stock, seafood, and creating the perfect socarrat — the crispy bottom layer that makes Paella truly special.

📌 Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
00:18 – Ingredients for Paella
01:06 – Building the base
01:28 – Making the sofrito
01:50 – Adding spices and saffron
02:02 – Stirring in the rice
02:10 – Stock and chicken
02:27 – Adding seafood and peas
02:51 – Resting the paella
03:04 – Serving and plating
03:28 – Final thoughts & outro

📖 Full Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4):
– 300g short-grain rice (Bomba or Arborio)
– 600ml warm chicken stock
– 200g boneless chicken thigh, chopped
– 200g prawns, peeled and deveined
– 150g mussels or clams, cleaned
– 1 red pepper, sliced
– 1 onion, finely chopped
– 2 ripe tomatoes, grated
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– 100g peas
– 1 tsp smoked paprika
– Pinch of saffron, soaked in warm water
– Olive oil, salt, pepper
– Lemon wedges for serving

Method (summary):
– Brown chicken in olive oil, remove.
– Cook onion, garlic, red pepper, then tomatoes to make sofrito.
– Add paprika and saffron water.
– Stir in rice to coat.
– Pour stock, add chicken, simmer.
– Add seafood and peas, cook until rice absorbs liquid.
– Rest covered, then serve with parsley and lemon wedges.

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Pella, the pride of Spain and a dish that captures the soul of the Mediterranean. Golden saffron rice rich with flavor, layered with chicken, seafood, and vegetables. It’s colorful, it’s aromatic, and it’s a meal designed for sharing. Today, I’ll show you exactly how to make this Spanish classic at home, step by step. Here’s what you’ll need to serve four people. 300 g of short grain rice. Bombber is the traditional choice, but our boreo works, too. 600 ml of warm chicken stock. 200 gram of boneless chicken thigh cut into small pieces. 200 g of prawns, peeled and de veained. 150 g of muscles or clams, scrubbed clean. One red pepper, sliced into thin strips. One onion, finely chopped. Two ripe tomatoes, grated or finely chopped. Two cloves of garlic, minced. 100 gram of peas. One teaspoon of smoked paprika. A pinch of saffron threads soaked in two tablespoons of warm water. olive oil, salt, and black pepper. And finally, lemon wedges for serving. Lay everything out before you start. Paella moves in stages, and it’s easier if your ingredients are ready to go. Place a wide, shallow pan over medium heat. A paella pan is perfect, but any wide frying pan will work. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil. When it’s hot, add the chicken pieces. Fry them until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. This stage is important. The chicken not only flavors the oil, it builds the base for everything that comes after. Once browned, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. Now it’s time for the sophrito, the heart of pella. In the same pan, add the onion, garlic, and red pepper. Cook slowly until softened and fragrant. Then stir in the grated tomatoes. Let this cook down into a rich, thick paste. This might take about 5 minutes. Don’t rush it. The soprito is what gives pella its depth. Spanish cooks say the longer you cook it, the better the flavor. Sprinkle in the smoked paprika and stir it through. Then add the saffron along with the warm water it’s been soaking in. This tiny amount of saffron transforms the whole dish, turning the rice golden and adding that signature aroma. Now stir in the rice. Toast it gently in the sofrito so that every grain is coated in flavor. This only takes a minute or two, but it makes a big difference. Pour in the warm chicken stock. Stir once to combine, then stop. That’s the secret of pyella. You don’t stir again. Stirring releases starch, but pella should have distinct separate grains of rice. Return the chicken pieces to the pan. Adjust the heat so the liquid simmers gently and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, scatter in the prawns, muscles, and peas. Nestle them into the rice so they cook evenly. From here, let the pilot cook gently for another 10 to 15 minutes. The rice will absorb the stock, the muscles will open, and the prawns will turn pink. You’ll notice a thin crust forming at the bottom of the pan. This is called the socket. The crispy layer of rice prized in Spanish cooking. It’s not burnt. It’s delicious. When the rice is tender and most of the liquid is gone, turn off the heat. Cover the pan loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let the pella rest for 5 minutes. This final steam ensures the rice is perfectly cooked and allows the flavors to settle. Now comes the best part, serving. Bring the entire pan to the table. Pila is meant to be shared. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if you like and place lemon wedges around the pan. When you’re ready to eat, squeeze lemon juice over your portion. The freshness lifts all the flavors. Take your first bite. The soft saffron rice, the smoky paprika, the tender chicken, and the sweet seafood. This is Spain on a plate. And that’s how you make an authentic Spanish paella at home. A dish rooted in tradition yet simple enough to master in your own kitchen. If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to subscribe for more.