Paella Master Recipe

By Mark Bittman

Updated June 22, 2025

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
50 minutes
Rating
4(2,630)
Comments
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The technique for paella is pretty straightforward: Unlike with risotto, paella is hardly stirred or not at all. And equally unlike with risotto (but very much as with Persian tahdig), you want a brown bottom, which is called socarrat, the sign of a good paella. This can be a matter of chance. But the likelihood increases if you keep the heat relatively high, turning it down only when you smell a little scorching. (That won’t ruin the dish as long as you catch it in time.) Perhaps the best thing about this recipe is that it is delightfully adaptable: Add whatever meat, seafood, vegetable or seasoning that sounds good to you.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • ½ pound meat, like boneless chicken thighs, chorizo or pork, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)

  • Salt and black pepper to taste

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 1 bell pepper, chopped

  • 2 cups short-grain rice, such as Bomba, Calasparra, Calrose or Arborio

  • 1 pinch of saffron threads (optional)

  • 3 ½ cups hot chicken, lobster or vegetable stock; water; wine; or a combination

  • ½ pound seafood, like shrimp, mussels or squid

  • ½ pound vegetables, like olives, tomatoes, snow peas or mushrooms

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

62 grams carbs; 98 milligrams cholesterol; 584 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 18 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 848 milligrams sodium; 19 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add about ½ pound of meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until nicely browned. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until soft. (If you want a meatless paella, skip right to the onion.)

  2. Step 2

    Add 2 cups rice and a pinch of saffron, if using, and cook, stirring, until shiny with olive oil. Add 3 ½ cups hot stock and stir until just combined, then stir in seafood or lay it on top of the rice. (Skip the seafood if you want vegetarian paella.)

  3. Step 3

    Cook over medium-high heat, undisturbed. If the pan is too big for your burner, move it around a little; but otherwise, leave it alone. About halfway through the cooking (about 10 minutes), add any vegetables, taste and season with salt and pepper, and stir gently, just once. When the mixture starts to dry out, begin tasting the rice. If the rice seems quite tough, add another ½ cup or so of liquid. And if you can smell the bottom starting to burn, lower the heat a bit.

  4. Step 4

    The rice is done when tender and still a bit moist; if the mixture has stuck to the bottom of the pan, congratulations: you have socarrat, a characteristic of good paella. Serve the paella in the pan, in the middle of the table, and dinner guests — up to six — should fight over it.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,630 user ratings
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Comments

Lesa

I was taught that the foundation of a good paella is a good sofrito -- made of chopped tomato, onion and garlic and seasoned with smoked paprika, it forms the basis for much Spanish cooking. I think that's a good addition here if you have the time. I make it in the pan before adding anything else.

The dish turns out better if the liquid is very hot before it is added to the rice. Also, I've noticed the overall taste improves if the broth is "as salty as the sea," as one paella expert told me!

sandra bloomberg

Prepare sofrito first: 1cup diced tomatoes with juice (from can), 1 med to leg white onion, 3-4 garlic cloves, 1 red bell pepper. After done sautéing add 1 teas of Spanish smoked paprika Well heat 2 cups of chicken before adding to rice. Add 1/2 cup of white wine Use Bomba rice or Calrosa rice. Don’t add seafood until last five minutes.

Cody Stanford

I made this using Lesa's advice to add the sofrito step, although I sauteed the onion first and added the garlic and tomato later. I also added smoked paprika, since I see it's an essential ingredient in every other paella recipe I've seen. I also heated up the stock before I added it (I used a little white wine, too). The results were astonishing!

Craig Burdick

Flavorful stock is key. A generous half teaspoon of quality is next. After that, this recipe is a blank canvas. Go for it.

Craig Burdick

Flavorful stock is key. A generous half teaspoon of quality saffron is next. After that, this recipe is a blank canvas. Seafood, chicken. Go for it.

Paul E.Doniger

Two observations: 1) Saffron should not be optional; it's considered essential to a classic paella. 2) Traditionally served with lemon wedges nestled into the pan at the end.

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