The Easy, Traditional Paella Recipes from Spain

Welcome to our Guide about the traditional recipes and way of cooking a Paella. Here you will find:

• The classic ingredients plus the Socarrat
  
• A detailed guide of the traditional cooking process
  
• A more straight list of the cooking steps
  
• The types of rice texture
  
• Some general advice and tips when cooking a Paella.

In essence, it is a dish that involves skills and time, since it takes a good amount of time of preparation and the right touch to properly balance the different ingredients in order to obtain a well, evenly made rice.

Thus, Paella is a dish that requires Patience, Attention and mostly Love, since it is cooked at a very low fire, synonym of knowing how to live, and with others in mind, symbol of sharing.

How to Cook a Classical Paella

So let’s dive now into the process of how to cook a true authentic Paella.

And when we talk about an authentic version, we are talking about the most pure and traditional version of it.

Keep in mind that it usually takes about 2 hours to cook an authentic Paella and a good, earned set of skills… So, why so much time? 

Because that is the way for the base to obtain the right creamosity and texture from all the ingredients so that when adding the rice, it will integrate the starch of the grain, giving it its beautiful and delightful taste plus its iconic texture.

The Definite Guide for the Traditional Paella Recipes

Since we understand that Paella is a dish full of mystic and confusion, we have developed the ultimate guide to understand how to cook a traditional spanish Paella, as usual, in an easy and simple way.

Here you will find the basic general steps to prepare a delicious Paella as well as the ingredients needed for the traditional recipes:

• Valencian or Meat Paella

• Seafood or Fish Paella

• Vegetable Paella. 

Plus some extra advice that will help you prepare the most amazing rice, the glorious dark and crispy “Socarrat”, the most precious prize of Paella rice.

Keep in mind that while these guidelines are made for you to understand the whole process of cooking a classical Paella, with our Paellita base you will only need to focus on the ingredients and our 6 Easy Steps for you to make a fantastic Paella and in just 20 minutes, as you can discover on our guide.

The 5 Classic Paella Cooking Steps

Essentially, we can say that in order to cook an authentic Paella, we can divide the process into 5 main steps.

However, you will be able to find right below a simplified and more concise guide, direct to the point, of the process that will make it easier when actually cooking the Paella.

Step 1 – Prepare the Fire

Time: 5 minutes

Usually Paella was cooked with wood, but in the modern times, for practical matters, it is common to use a classical gas equipment and a Paella pan. Keep in mind that the traditional way of wood will give the Paella a richer taste due to the woody flavour and aroma. 

When starting the fire there is only one important thing to know: it has to be a low fire, for the ingredients to be cooked slowly so the base can be created with the right flavour and texture.

Step 2 – Adding the Protein 

Time: 45 minutes

Once we have started the fire, it’s time to add olive oil and salt that will create the base where the ingredients will deposit its flavour that will later be sucked by the rice (we will repeat this when adding the meat so it doesn’t splash us).

After adding the olive oil and salt, it is time to add the animal protein, whether its meat or fish (chicken, rabbit, chorizo, fish, seafood, etc) and season it with a little salt. 

Fry the meat or fish until it is lightly browned and season with a little salt once again. We continue to fry until the meat is well browned and let cook at low fire for 45 minutes. 

Step 3 – Add the Vegetables

Time: 45 minutes

Once the protein has started to cook, we must make space for the vegetables by separating the protein, and then it’s time to add the beans and vegetables.

If the beans are dry, it is recommendable to soak them overnight with water so they hydrate. We then drain the beans, remove the tips of the green beans and cut each bean into three pieces (we can do it by hand).

Add the rest of the vegetables, season with a little salt and fry. Add the grated tomato and continue to fry.

The reason for this way of procedure is so the vegetables can mix with the protein and olive oil, creating the famous cremosity of the base that will later bathe the rice and give the Paella it’s celebrated texture. 

We add the rest of the ingredients and let it cook at low temperature.

Step 4 – Add Water

Time: 2 to 3 minutes

Once the ingredients have mixed properly with the olive oil, it is now the time to add the water so the right base will be created. 

It is of critical importance that the pan is well balanced so water is equally distributed for the rice to be cooked. Remember that this is a dish to be shared, and we want all of our guests to have the same experience! 

Add the sweet paprika and stir immediately so that it does not burn. Then we add the water to cover the rivets of the handles.

It is at this moment when we must raise the temperature until the water starts boiling and we add saffron, plus the coloring to taste and rosemary just a bit before we add the rice for about 2 to 3 minutes.

When the paella base has cooked for 25 minutes, remove the rosemary and we will see that the base will be just below the rivets of the handles. If necessary we will rectify the salt.

Step 5 – Add the Rice

Time: 20 minutes

Now that water is boiling, we add the rice in an evenly manner through the pan and distribute it equally. We must now again lower the temperature and let it cook for about 20 minutes: the first 5 minutes over high heat and the remaining 15 over medium-low heat.

After those 20 minutes, we will turn off the fire and let the rice rest for about 5 minutes so that it finishes calmly and firmly and, if possible, covered with kitchen napkins.

Before serving at the table we can decorate with lemon and a few branches of rosemary.

Remember that with the right rice, the Bomba rice, we will ensure ourselves that the Paella has the right taste and texture, dry and lose.

Extra Step – The Socarrat

If after the 20 minutes, we let the lower layers of rice dry, it will burn a bit and get dark and crispy, but we will have the famous, celebrated and highly demanded “socarrat”! You can read more about it on our own “Socarrat” recipe post later on.

So here it is, the classic steps when cooking the traditional recipes for the authentic Paella: meat or Valencian Paella, fish or seafood and vegetable. However, we have developed a more straight and direct approach for when we are actually cooking it.

A Practical Guide to Cooking Paella

However, due to practical reasons, we have simplified the 5 classic steps into a series of 10 concise, straight to the point, steps that will be easier to read while cooking our Paella:

1. Add the olive oil in the Paella pan once it is hot and add salt to taste (we will repeat this when adding the meat so it doesn’t splash us).
   
   
2. Add the animal protein, whether its meat or fish (chicken, rabbit, chorizo, fish, seafood, etc) and season it with a little salt. Fry the meat until it is lightly browned and season with a little salt once again. Continue to fry until the meat is well browned.
   
   
3. Time to add the beans and vegetables. If the beans are dry, it is recommendable to soak them overnight with water so they hydrate. We then drain the beans, remove the tips of the green beans and cut each bean into three pieces (we can do it by hand).
   
   
4. Add the rest of the vegetables, season with a little salt and fry. Add the grated tomato and continue to fry.
   
   
5. On one side of the paella we toast the saffron, add the sweet paprika and stir well immediately so that it does not burn.
   
   
6. Then we add the water to cover the rivets of the handles.
   
   
7. When it starts to boil, add coloring for taste and rosemary just a bit before we add the rice.
   
   
8. When the paella broth has cooked for 25 minutes, remove the rosemary and we will see that the base will be just below the rivets of the handles. We rectify the salt if necessary.
   
   
9. It’s time to add the rice. It is very important to distribute it well over the paella pan and let it cook for around 18 minutes: the first 5 minutes over high heat and the remaining 15 over medium-low heat. After that time we turn off the fire and we let the rice rest for 5 minutes, covered with kitchen napkins.
   
   
10. The Socarrat. The last fundamental step is not to stir it and raise the heat to maximum power when the broth begins to decrease, we will do so only during the last minute of cooking so that the grains can get the desired reaction. 
    

To sum it up, we can decorate with lemon and a few branches of rosemary before serving the Paella.

The Paella Recipes

Once reviewed the basic steps, plus the type of cook we want to have for our rice, let’s finally take a look at the ingredients needed for the classic versions of Spanish Paella recipes: Valencian or Meat, Fish or Seafood and Vegetable.

Keep in mind that the sizes and proportions of the ingredients that you will find on these recipes are calculated for Paellas for 6 people, the maximum number of people that you will get with one Paellita can.

Paella Valenciana: The Original

As you know from other posts, the people of the area of La Albufera, the ones who originated our beloved dish, would pick any possible ingredient they could get from the fields of the land.

Ingredients of the Valencian or Meat Paella

These are the basic or most traditional ingredients for Meat or Valencian Paella with the right quantities for 6 people:

Ingredient	Quantity
Chicken	800 gr
Rabbit	400 gr
Green Bean	350 gr
White Bean or “Garrofó”	250 gr
Artichokes (optional)	6 units
Natural Tomato Chopped	100 gr
Sweet Paprika	1 tablespoon
Rosemary	1 spring

Seafood or Fish Paella

Actually, seafood and fish Paella has a slightly different origin from the classical Valencian Paella.

And, as in the case of meat Paella, it started with the local people of Valencia. In this particular case, the Servants and workers of the wealthy families would have Thursdays as their free day.

Since fresh fish was delivered on Mondays to the different markets, primarily on the coast cities and mostly to the cities of Madrid and Barcelona, the humble workers from Valencia would have to wait until Thursdays to receive the leftovers of the fish. 

Since Thursday was their day for rest and celebration, that’s how the Seafood Paella actually started.

Seafood or Fish Paella Ingredients

These are the basic or most traditional ingredients for a seafood of fish Paella with the right quantities for 6 people:

Ingredient	Quantity
Prawns	12 units
Mussels	12 units
Squid Rings	150 gr
Clean Monkfish	300 gr
Clams	250 gr
Red Pepper	1 unit
Green Pepper	1 unit
Rosemary	1 leaf

Vegetable Paella

Whether you are vegetarian or looking for a more light and fresh type of Paella, you will love to know the best ingredients and combinations to create a real vegetarian Paella and how our Vegetable Paellita is your best ally to help you prepare a proper Paella.

The Classic Vegetable Ingredients

Over the last years the vegetable Paella has gained more and more popularity, since Spain has an incredible mediterranean weather known for the quality and variety of the different vegetables that grow in the country. 

And since Paella can be a very consistent and heavy dish, many people prefer the freshness and more light experience of a Paella made only of vegetables.

So, what kind of vegetables are the most used? 

Ingredients	Quantity
Artichokes	12 units
Green Beans	30 units
White Beans or Garrofó	30 units
Garlic	1 clove
Tomato	2 units
Red Pepper	1 unit
Green Pepper	1 unit
Broccoli (optional)	250 gr
Zucchini (optional)	300 gr
Carrot (optional)	2 units

The Socarrat Rice

If you have been lucky enough to have tried the most typical Valencian Paella so have probably noticed a very particular element in the dish that gives it a very special flavor and nuance:Socarrat. 

By Socarrat we are making reference to the idea of the rice as being ‘scorched’ in the traditional valencian language, and we are talking about a dark and somewhat burnt part, intentionally prepared, that remains under the grains. 

Socarrat is actually the great protagonist of many disputes during Paella celebrations and a rice that both chefs and diners alike are passionate about because of the difference it brings in taste compared to a more conventional dish. 

Even though it may look as difficult to cook, don’t be fooled by the images. Actually doing the socarrat is not a complex process, but it does require knowing what it is, how it is formed and being methodical in the elaboration.

The Basics behind Socarrat Rice

The first big secret or step in order for us to obtain the desired “socarrat” is nothing more than the spreading of the rice grains evenly in the paella pan, or frying pan, as if it were a thin layer, so that at the end of the cooking we will increase the fire power and the rice will be toasted underneath. 

In this way, the rice will end up obtaining a darker tone -brown in color-, a crunchier texture and a flavor that is enhanced with a certain caramelized aftertaste. All of this is very pleasant on the palate, when crisp and sweet notes appear in a single bite, and will give our Paella an even more special touch and distinction.

The Science behind it: Maillard’s Reaction

So, how does actually the “Socarrat” rice come to happen?

Actually, the physical phenomenon responsible for it is known as the Maillard reaction. Let’s get a closer look in a more technical way to understand how it does happen.

While cooking the rice, a series of chemical processes take place as a result of the heating of proteins and reducing sugars. A product of caramelization, it is what causes the food coloring and the appearance of flavors and aromas. 

More specifically, it is the result of the reaction between the carbohydrates of the cereal and the vegetables with the proteins of the meat or fish. Essentially, it’s the same process that takes place when grilling a steak, for example, which ends with a crispier outer layer and gives it a slightly different touch. 

The danger of this process is that if it gets too hot and we go beyond the right point, we can truly burn the rice, and in consequence make it lose the caramelized flavor and crunchy texture that we were looking for. 

Not only it will affect the taste and texture, but since the formation of acrylamide is also induced, it is a substance that has been linked to the possibility of suffering from certain cancers.

How to Make the Socarrat Rice

But let’s not worry about it getting burned, because we are now going to learn how to properly prepare our rice so we can achieve our desired “Socarrat” that will take our Paella to the next level.

It is very important to understand however, that in order to achieve this toasted base in Paella, it must be taken into account that it is the last step of the preparation. 

Before dealing with it specifically, you have to first cook the base, or just prepare it in the case you are using our Paellita, and pour in the rice and wait for the corresponding broth to start cooking while mixing the flavors. 

Take in mind that it is essential to distribute and spread the grains evenly throughout the pan, which must be large so that they do not pile up and form a thin layer under which the “socarrat” will appear. Remember that It can be made with the rice in a fish or seafood, meat or vegetables Paella.

The last fundamental step is not to stir it and raise the heat to maximum power when the broth begins to decrease, we will do so only during the last minute of cooking so that the grains can get the desired reaction. 

This is the only way not to exceed the threshold that differentiates a burnt and charred dish from a tasty and crunchy toast.

Types of Rice Cooking

Yet when it comes to preparing a Paella, what many don’t know is that there are actually 3 ways of preparing the rice that will give you totally different experiences, and they are based on the relationship of the rice and the broth.

Dry Rice

The usual and most popular version of Paella: grains of rice separated from each other and clear, since the cereal absorbs all the liquid (be it water, sauce in which it has been boiled, etc). 

The trick to cooking dry rice is not to stir the cereal while it is cooking, as this way we ensure that the rice does not release the starch it contains and the grain remains loose.

Normally, to get a dry rice, we have to cook it over the base that is preferred, and add twice as much water as rice in the container in which it is going to be cooked. Finally, the rice is left to rest for 10 to 15 minutes and it is ready to be served.

This is the type of rice you will be getting following the Paellita method with our instructions. However, if you are willing to try a more watery type of rice, then the next two versions might interest you.

Creamy Rice

Creamy rice, or “arroz meloso” as we call it in spanish, is characterized by having a more viscous and unctuous texture, with the grains more stuck together. 

Creamy rice is very traditional in the Valencian Community and consists of leaving the rice at the exact point between a soupy and dry one. The result must be eaten with a fork, without any broth and with a texture similar to that of risotto, although it has nothing to do with it. 

To achieve it, creamy rice must be cooked for 15-17 minutes and, very importantly, we have to let it rest for five minutes so that it settles correctly.

Soupy Rice

We could consider this type of rice a step further to the creamy rice.

Soupy rice is one that is eaten with a spoon and in which the broth takes on special importance, since it will be eaten at the same time as the grain. In addition, it must be taken into account that the quality and intensity of the broth will be what will give the dish its flavor. 

To cook this type of rice, you must use a type of rice that will last the entire cooking without breaking or falling apart and that at the same time absorbs a large amount of liquid. The best type of rice, therefore, will be the Bomba rice.

During the cooking of it, we have to add the rice and bathe it with 4x measures of broth or base for each one of rice. Finally, we let the rice cook for about 15 minutes and it will be ready to serve.

Some General Advice and Tips when Cooking a Paella

How to Make a Good Paella Base

Put the paella pan or container over high heat with olive oil and a little salt so that the meat won’t splash, and after adding the meat (if you are making seafood paella then shellfish or fish) and brown it. After that, lower the heat to medium temperature and add the vegetables, letting them sauté for about 5 minutes.

Good news is, with our Paellita base, that step, the hardest and most time consuming, is already taken care of, so you just can focus on cooking the ingredients, adding the rice and enjoying a beautiful Paella.

What is the Ideal Rice for Paella

Rice is the main ingredient in Valencian paella, and getting rice just right is the best secret for your paella to shine with its own light.

In case you would like to go in full depth, we have explained in our Ultimate Paella Guide the different types of rice that exist, and as you probably know by now, for Valencian Paella the best rice is the Bomba variety, due to its medium-short grain and whose main characteristic is that it absorbs more water than other rice grains.

How to Sauté the Rice

A typical question: Is it better to sauté the rice before or add it when the broth is already boiling? 

When following the traditional way of cooking Paella, we recommend you to add it when the base has already taken on the flavors, even though for differences in taste, many people prefer to sauté the rice first and then add the base.

What is truly important though is that once we add the rice, to distribute it proportionally throughout the Paella pan with the help of a ladle, since this will be the last time we will touch the rice during the cooking process.

Once we have added the rice, keep it for 5 minutes over high heat and after that put it on medium-low heat for another 13 minutes. After this 18 minutes are completed, it is very important to let the rice rest without any fire and cover the Paella for 3-5 minutes with a cloth, so the rice will finish its cooking process.

About Saffron in the Paella Base

Since the base is the key element that will give the iconic flavor to our Paella, we recommend you to use saffron for the flavor, an ingredient essential to bring the traditional flow of the Valencian Paella. 

If you are using Bomba rice, take in account that the exact ratio for the base is 1 kg of rice per 2.5 liters of base. If you prefer measuring through cups, put 5 cups of broth for every 2 cups of rice.

What Pan should be used for the Paella?

Unfortunately there is a lot of confusion with this issue, since the container that is used for Paella is also called a “Paella”, actually meaning pan in Valencian dialect. So you read more in detail on our extensive post about this issue here. 

And while using a proper Valencian pan will always give you the authentic experience this detail is not fundamental, since a good wide pan will do. What is really important is the fact that the Paella or Paella pan has to be wide and shallow so that the layer of rice is as thin as possible and thus gets to be cooked evenly.

Regarding the right size, it will always depend on the number of guests you are going to serve. To know more about the importance of the Paella pan, you can visit our Ultimate Guide where you will find all the information related to this topic.

The Perfect Fire and Equipment for Cooking Paella

As we have seen, in order to cook the right Paella, the Pan has to be wide and shallow. That means that the fire must be a big one so that the paella cooks as homogeneously as possible. If not, the fire will concentrate on the center of the pan and the rice will be hard on the borders of the pan. 

There are 3 methods or equipments used to cook Paella:

First and foremost, since it is nowadays the most used method by far in Spain, we have the gas stove. You can use special dispersers for the Paellas, and you can read all about how to install one on our blog. 

In the case you are using vitroceramics, we recommend that you buy a container for the Paella with a thicker base that diffuses the heat well (don’t worry, there are special containers for this type of method). Keep in mind that there is also the option of using an electric Paella pan. 

But if you are looking for the authentic Paella experience, the one that is close to tradition, then we recommend you to make it over a wood fire. If you feel ready for it, then don’t miss the opportunity, since it will be delicious.

To know more about the importance the right equipment for Paella, you can visit our Ultimate Guide where you will find all the information related to this topic.

If you looking into knowing everything about Paella, it’s history, what type of rice, equipment, accessories and more, please check out All Things Paella, the Ultimate Guide about Spain’s Most Famous dish.

And if you want to know the true essence of Paella, the reason on why it has such a special place in the life of the Spanish people, check out our Guide about the Paella Ritual in which we explore the real dynamics and benefits of the social aspect of it.

Thank You!

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