Seafood and Chorizo Paella Recipe

Seafood and chorizo paella with clams, mussels and shrimp.

5 from 10 votes

Seafood and chorizo paella is a bold Spanish rice dish with saffron rice, fresh shrimp, clams, and mussels, layered with smoky Spanish chorizo.

Prep Time25

Cook Time40

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Spanish

Keyword: chicken and seafood paella, chorizo paella, seafood paella recipe, shellfish paella, spanish paella recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 528kcal

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Equipment

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons Olive oil
7 ounces Spanish chorizo sliced into ¼-inch rounds
1 yellow onion finely diced
1 red bell pepper finely diced
3 garlic cloves minced
2 cups bomba rice or Arborio if needed
½ cup dry white wine
13.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes
4 ½ cups seafood stock
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Pinch saffron threads about ½ tsp, lightly crushed
12 –15 mussels scrubbed and debearded
12 –15 clams scrubbed
1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
½ cup frozen peas
Kosher salt as needed
Fresh parsley chopped for garnish
Lemon wedges for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Brown the Chorizo: Heat a wide paella pan or large skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the sliced chorizo and cook until browned on both sides. Remove and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
Sauté the Sofrito: In the chorizo fat, add the diced onion and red bell pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened and slightly golden. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Toast the Rice: Add the rice directly to the pan, sautéing for 1-2 minutes, being sure to coat it thoroughly in the sofrito and chorizo fat.
Reduce the Wine: Pour in the white wine and let it simmer, reducing by about half and scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the Chorizo, Tomatoes and Spices: Add the chorizo back in, with any reserved fat and stir in the tomatoes and spices and season lightly with salt. Use a spatula to spread the rice into an even layer.
Add the Stock: Pour the seafood stock in and bring to a steady simmer. Do not stir from this point forward.
Simmer: Simmer uncovered for about 15-18 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is nearly tender.
Add the Clams & Mussels: Arrange the clams and mussels hinge-side down into the rice. Cover loosely with foil and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the shells begin to open.
Add the Shrimp: Lay the shrimp over the top and cook for another 3–5 minutes, until opaque and just cooked through.
Finish & Rest: Scatter the peas over the hot rice. Remove from heat and let the paella rest for 5–10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Do not stir once the liquid is added. This helps develop the crispy golden bottom (socarrat).
Discard any mussels or clams that do not open after cooking.
Bomba rice is traditional, but Arborio works as a substitute.
Let the paella rest before serving for the best texture.

Nutrition