Easy Chicken, Chorizo, and Shrimp Paella
Try this Easy Chicken, Chorizo, and Shrimp Paella recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Easy Chicken, Chorizo, and Shrimp Paella recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 shallot or 1/2 onion chopped
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- pinch of spanish saffron
- drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs chopped
- 6 oz mexican chorizo
- 2 vine-ripened tomatoes chopped
- dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 6 oz large shrimp peeled then deveined and chopped
- Carbohydrate 22.183440990315 g
- Cholesterol 93.271912668 mg
- Fat 2.578645124445 g
- Fiber 2.15570004653931 g
- Protein 18.635962212415 g
- Saturated Fat 0.579927153652 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (257g)
- Sodium 133.490584511167 mg
- Sugar 20.0277409437757 g
- Trans Fat 0.55162906632 g
- Calories 189 calories
Step-by-step
- Bring chicken broth and saffron to a boil in a small saucepan then turn heat to low and place a lid on top to keep hot.
- Meanwhile, heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat then add chicken, chorizo, and shallots, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until chorizo and chicken are cooked through, 5 minutes, breaking chorizo up as it cooks. Add garlic then saute for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and their juices, paprika, and cayenne pepper if using then saute until tomatoes are softened, 3 minutes.
- Add rice and hot broth to skillet then stir to combine and bring to a boil. Place a lid on top then lower heat and simmer until rice has nearly absorbed all the broth and is just slightly al dente, 13-15 minutes. Stir in shrimp and peas then place lid back on top and let skillet sit off the heat for 5 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste then serve.
Unlike a traditional risotto, which demands constant attention and sequential ladle-adding over forty minutes, this paella relies on a fixed liquid ratio and minimal stirring to achieve proper starch development. Long-grain white rice requires precise hydration management, meaning the hot broth infused with saffron must be measured accurately before it meets the grains in a wide, shallow skillet. Standard home burners distribute heat unevenly under wide pans, so rotating the skillet halfway through the simmering phase prevents localized scorching while ensuring the rice absorbs the 2-1/2 cups of liquid uniformly.
Managing Moisture and Protein Timing
Proteins cook at vastly different rates in a shared pan, requiring strict chronological separation. Chicken thighs and chorizo need initial rendering over medium-high heat for five minutes to develop browned fond on the skillet base, whereas delicate shrimp and frozen peas will turn rubbery or waterlogged if subjected to that duration of direct heat. Adding the shrimp and peas only after the rice has absorbed the bulk of the broth and the pan has been removed from the heat source utilizes residual steam to cook them gently. Covering the skillet tightly with a lid for a five-minute resting window traps vapor, allowing the shrimp to turn opaque and firm without losing their natural moisture to the surrounding air.
- Rice remains crunchy after the liquid is gone: Add two tablespoons of hot chicken broth, cover tightly, and let sit off the heat for three additional minutes.
- Shrimp overcooks and turns rubbery: Ensure they are folded into the hot rice mixture only after the burner is switched off, relying entirely on ambient heat to finish them.
- Bottom layer burns before the center cooks: Lower the burner temperature by one notch and rotate the skillet ninety degrees every four minutes to compensate for hot spots.
