READY IN ABOUT 1¼ hrs

Maria's Paella

Read Reviews (24)

"This is the paella all your family and friends will beg you to make again. It has the true flavor of Spain and has been made by my family in Catalonia, Spain for many generations. Enjoy!" — Outback Sweet Treats

Directions

Heat olive oil in a very large skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Place chicken thighs skin-side down into oil and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes; set aside.
Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 1 minute. Add green and red bell peppers, calamari, and small shrimp; cook for 2 minutes more.
Stir in salt, saffron, tomatoes, peas, rice, and water until well combined. Add chicken thighs, and simmer for 15 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to make sure rice does not stick.
Decoratively nestle clams and jumbo shrimp into the rice. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Place the scallops into the paella, recover, and continue simmering until the rice is tender and the scallops firm and opaque, about 5 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges to serve.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 30 mins
COOK 40 mins
READY IN 1 hr 10 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 12, 2009

Wow, was this delicious! I made a few alterations - a friend who lived in Spain said you can substitue turmeric for the saffron without much taste difference and it worked great. I also had a bag of frozen paella seafood mix from Sam's Club - so I just guesstimated the amount needed. Use chicken breast chunks instead of thighs. I also followed the suggestion to substitue a can of Rotel (used Habenero Rote) for part of the diced tomatoes and that added GREAT flavor. This makes more than enough for 6 people though - we have a ton of leftovers, although that's ok as I don't mind leftovers! Thanks for an awesome recipe!

—TAWNEY112

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Most Helpful Critical Review

May 15, 2007

Lots of great ingredients and I was excited to try. A little disappointed. The rice was not quite cooked and I had to overcook the seafood to accomlish this. Maybe it wasn't enough liquid. I would use a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes instead of the 14 oz. The overall flavor was quite bland. Needed more spices....at a bare minimum some black pepper...and some red pepper or hot sauce if you like it spicy. I think I will also use some chicken broth to replace the 6 cups of water. Open to trying it again with these changes.

—BoxerMom

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29 Ratings

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Mar 28, 2007

I made this recipe and found it to be the best paella that I have ever had the pleasure eat. Fabulous! Thank you for sharing, Maria.

—NoChaHo

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May 11, 2008

I made this yesterday with just a couple changes. I omitted the chicken and used fish broth rather than water. I would maybe use a mixture of fish and chicken broth next time for a little more flavor but this was overall a really yummy dish. Such an easy recipe once you have everything assembled. The combination of seafood was absolutely delish!

—Tania

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Nov 02, 2009

this was real good but i did do some of the things that others have said and i turnd out great. this is what i did 1) insted of 6 cups of water i did this 3C broth 2) i had extra canned tomatoes so i add 1C of the juice and 1C of wine. now the other thing i did was in a bowl i mixed everything together to sit and get all the flavors so that is peas i added corn to rice saffron broth mix and salt the last thing i also did was i have spanish olives in my decor as you may see in the pic well my guest loved it and cant wait for me to make it again

—Elaine

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May 01, 2007

Made a few subs., added a can of Rotel extra hot tomatoes to give it a kick, and added mussels, more shrimp and more calamari. Turned out fabulous! Everyone loved it.Great recipe!!

—c.cook

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Apr 29, 2008

Tried several other Paella recipes and had mixed results. This one is by far the best I have tried. Excellent results. Thanks

—drim626

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Jan 12, 2010

I served this up for a dinner party and wowed my guests. I've never made paella before, but this was pretty easy. I had to make a few alterations to the ingredients including a whole red bell pepper rather than the green, and I used a different selection of seafood. I omitted the peas and used basmati rice in lieu of instruction and it worked really well. Thanks for the lovely recipe! I'll be passing it around the whole family.

—GeorgieGirlNZ

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Nutrition

Calories
814 kcal
41%

Carbohydrates
87.4 g
28%

Cholesterol
211 mg
70%

Fat
29.9 g
46%

Fiber
4.3 g
17%

Protein
47.2 g
94%

Sodium
770 mg
31%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Maria's Paella

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 814
** Calories from Fat: 269

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 29.9g 46 %
** Saturated Fat 5.6g 28 %
** Cholesterol 211mg 70 %
** Sodium 770mg 31 %
** Potassium 844mg 24 %
** Total Carbohydrates 87.4g 28 %
** Dietary Fiber 4.3g 17 %
** Protein 47.2g 94 %
** Sugars 2.1g
** Vitamin A 27 %
** Vitamin C 72 %
** Calcium 14 %
** Iron 93 %
** Thiamin 71 %
** Niacin 122 %
** Vitamin B6 39 %
** Magnesium 29 %
** Folate 137 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.