Easy Spanish Chicken Paella - Valencian
This chicken paella is super simple to make and if you haven't made it before, just keep reading!
What is Paella?
Paella is a popular saffron infused rice dish originated in Valencia, Spain. It's cooked in a wide, shallow pan which is called a paella—hence the name of the dish. The most well known of version of paella—the one you're probably familiar with—is made with seafood, namely shrimp and mussels.
The traditional Valenciana version, is usually made with chicken, rabbit, snails or pork ribs—a combination of two usually. It also consists of these key ingredients: olive oil, green beans, grated tomato, saffron, garrafo or fava beans, bomba rice, and smoked paprika.
I'm making the Valencian version, Paella Vanelciana. Mine is not 100% accurate very closely based on the traditional method.
I'm making this dish for my Formula 1 series: Dine to Survive. Last weekend's Grand Prix was held in Barcelona, Spain so why not make one of the most popular Spanish dishes for it??
I know Paella may seem like an intimidating or difficult dish to make but it's more about the process. Once you learn them, you're good to go! I'll break down the steps to make it easy for you. Just make sure to read and follow the steps!
I'm making a chicken version because my family is NOT a fan of seafood, unfortunately. You can substitute in any other protein you like. However, if you want to make it with seafood, this is not the recipe for you.
Paella Rice
To make it the traditional way, the best rice to use is Spanish rice which goes by a few names.
- Valencia Rice - The one I got was called 'Valencia Pearls' or 'Paella Rice' (photo below)
- Bomba Rice - This is just another name for Valencia rice
This rice is short-grain and almost looks round. It's able to absorb 3 times more water then regular rice without becoming mushy which makes it perfect for this dish. It absorbs all the flavour while retaining its structure.
Substitute: You can use Arborio rice, which is risotto rice. It can also absorb a lot of water without getting mushy but make sure to rinse it before using. You can also use Calrose rice as well.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Chicken thighs
- Green beans
- Fava beans or garrafo beans
- Garlic
- Smoked paprika
- Grated tomato, no skin
- Saffron
- Chicken broth or water
- Bomba rice
- Fresh rosemary
My tips to make the best Paella
- Use a wide pan which isn't deep. The best pan for this is a paella pan but if like me, you also don't own one, use a wide pan. This is important because the water needs to evaporate as it cooks and a large surface area is a must.
- Once you've added the rice and lightly stirred to submerge it in the liquid, DO NOT TOUCH IT! You don't want to release the starch and make it creamy like a risotto.
- If you find that the liquid has mostly evaporated and the rice still hasn't cooked, sprinkle some more water.
Chicken Paella - Valenciana
Ingredients
- ¼ cup - olive oil
- 1 lb - chicken thighs or drumsticks bone in
- ½ cup - green beans (70g)
- ¼ cup - fava beans (45g)
- 3 cloves - garlic
- 1 - grated tomato
- 1 teaspoon - smoked paprika
- a pinch - saffron
- 900 ml - water or chicken broth (you may need more or less so start out with 750ml)
- to taste - salt
- ¾ cup - bomba rice 150g
- 1 sprig - fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Place the saffron on a peice of aluminum and fold into a pouch. Place it in a pan to toast on medium heat for about 20 seconds each side.
- Heat up a wide and shallow pan (12") on medium high heat and add in the olive oil.
- Add in the chicken and cook until browned. Flip and cook all sides until browned. I cover the pan witha lid because it splatters A LOT.
- Push the chicken to the edges and add in the green beans and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Push the beans and chicken to the edge of the pan and add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add in the fava beans and sauté for a bit.
- Add the smoked paprika and saute for a minute.
- Add in the grated tomato, stir to coat everything and cook for a few minutes.
- Pour in the water or broth and stir to remove any browned bits stuck to the pan.
- Add in the saffron and the salt and taste it. It should be slightly overseasoned as the rice will even out the salt level.
- Bring the moisture to a boil and then add the rice to the pan. (Don't wash the rice) Gently stir to submerge the rice and distribute the ingredients across the pan evenly.
- Cook at high heat for 10 minutes without stirring. Do NOT touch the rice. No touching from this point forward.
- Turn down the heat. Place the sprig of rosemary on the rice and lightly cover with aluminum foil and cook until the liquid has evaporated.
- You'll start to hear a slight crackling sound from the bottom layer of the rice and turn up the heat to cook the bottom for about a minute to carmelize and become crispy (making the socarrat). Make sure not to burn it.
- Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5-10 minutes and serve! Make sure to scrape the socarrat and give it to everyone. Enjoy!
Huzaifah Sheikh says
I tried it and it was super flavourful and crunchy. Unfortunately couldn't find fava beans but still it was amazing, never had these kind of rice before. Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe.