Best 7 Quick Paella Recipes

QUICK AND EASY PAELLA

Steps:

• Cook and stir reserved shrimp shells and 2 teaspoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat until shells are pink and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir saffron into shells; add chicken broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until broth is a rusty brown and fragrant, about 20 minutes.
• Strain saffron broth through a fine-mesh sieve; measure out 2 cups of broth, pour into a small saucepan, and place over low heat to keep broth hot.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Cook chorizo slices in hot oil until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add onion to sausage; cook and stir until soft and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Stir garlic into chorizo mixture; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice to skillet and stir to coat rice completely in oil; stir in peas.
• Pat rice mixture evenly into the bottom of the skillet. Arrange shrimp in a single layer over the top of the rice. Lay pepper strips around and in between shrimp; season with salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
• Increase heat to high. When rice begins to sizzle in the skillet, pour reserved 2 cups hot saffron broth over the shrimp; gently shake the skillet to distribute liquid.
• Bake rice mixture in the preheated oven until rice is almost tender and still a bit wet, about 20 minutes.
• Place skillet over medium-high and cook until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed, and rice caramelizes and crusts slightly on the bottom of the skillet, 3 to 5 minutes.

QUICK CHICKEN AND CHORIZO PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in a large casserole or paella pan over high heat. Add chorizo and cook until browned and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes.
• Add rice (medium or short grain rice), pimenton, saffron, and bay leaves. Stir to combine and coat the rice, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add roast chicken, frozen peas, and tomato; stir to combine.
• Transfer skillet to oven. Cook uncovered until rice is tender and no liquid remains, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

QUICK SKILLET PAELLA WITH SHRIMP AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil and garlic over medium. Cook until garlic is fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in rice and chorizo and cook until rice is translucent, 3 minutes.
• Add wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated, 2 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until rice is tender and most of liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
• Stir in shrimp and peas, cover, and cook until shrimp is opaque throughout, 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

QUICK CHICKEN PAELLA WITH SUGAR SNAP PEAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix white wine and saffron threads in small measuring cup; set aside. Combine salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper in small bowl; rub spice mixture all over chicken thighs. Heat heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and sauté until fat begins to render and sausage browns, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer chorizo to large plate. Add olive oil to skillet. Add chicken thighs to skillet and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate with chorizo.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add long-grain rice and stir to coat. Add wine-saffron mixture and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add chicken broth, tomatoes with juice, and roasted red peppers. Bring to simmer. Stir in browned chorizo. Place chicken thighs, skin side up, atop mixture in skillet. Cover skillet tightly with foil, then cover skillet with lid. Bake paella until rice is almost tender, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to plate. Stir rice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter snap peas over. Return chicken to skillet, nestling into rice. Cover with foil and lid. Bake until snap peas are crisp-tender, rice is tender, and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.
• Sometimes labeled Pimentón Dulce or Pimentón de La Vera Dulce; available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and from latienda.com.
• ** Spanish chorizo, a pork-link sausage flavored with garlic and spices, is milder than Mexican chorizo. It's available at specialty foods stores and Spanish markets and from latienda.com.

QUICK PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until just smoking, then sauté garlic and frozen onions and peppers, stirring, until garlic and onions are golden, about 2 minutes. Add kielbasa and cook, stirring, until kielbasa is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add rice, wine, broth, saffron, and shrimp and cook, covered and undisturbed, over high heat until most of liquid is absorbed and shrimp are cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in cockles, peas, and olives and cook, covered, until cockles open wide, 2 to 4 minutes. (Discard any cockles that remain unopened after 4 minutes.) Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until all liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

ANOTHER QUICK SHRIMP AND CHORIZO PAELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F Warm oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and sauté until it starts to brown, 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in soup mix, paprika and rice; stir well to coat rice in soup mix. Cook for about 1 minute.
• Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Stir in tomatoes. Bring mixture to a simmer, then cover pot with a tightfitting lid.
• Transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes. Add peas and shrimp; cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before removing lid. Fluff rice with a fork and season with pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

QUICK PAELLA

Steps:

• Melt margarine in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook rice, onion, bell pepper and garlic in margarine, stirring occasionally, until rice is light brown.
• Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 5 minutes or until rice is tender.