Easy Paella

Decent. My main complaints are (i) because of cooking in separate dishes, the rice and protein flavors don't blend, (ii) the dish is a bit drier than paella should be, and (iii) there isn't enough vegetables (needs more red bell pepper and peas and the like). I much prefer the Paella I recipe on this site. Not only does it taste better, but it's actually easier to cook (requiring no marinating time and only one pan on which to focus). It's also easier to drop ingredients from a good recipe than figure out what to add to a okay recipe like this.

I loved this Paella. Added 16 oz can diced tomatoes and left out the lemon zest. Removed the casing and cut sausage into 2" pieces,cooking sausage ahead, drained the fat. Added some back in the skillet for sauteing the chicken. Added the shrinp to the rice mix just before the finish. I will do this again soon.

I've now made this recipe several times, and each time, I've done something different, but its always tasted fantastic. My changes: instead of using shellfish (due to allergy), I fried fish separately, then cut it into strips, and added it to the meat. Also, I didn't use red pepper flakes and I'm glad I didn't, because either the smoked paprika or the chorizo gave the meat mix lots of spice. I also cheated with the lemon zest. Since its not my favorite thing to do, I used McCormick's "California Lemon Peel". Also, a lot of reviewers have complained about the cost of saffron (which is $10-13/gram), but I've found that Mexican Saffron-- aka "safflower" is a highly acceptable substitute. It makes a VERY good saffron rice, it's only $1 for a quarter ounce, and you don't have to feel guilty about adding lots. I've made it with both the Spanish/Moroccan saffron as well as Mexican saffron, and prefer the Mexican because it is quite good, easy to find, and doesn't break the bank.-- Basically, the difference in taste doesn't justify the money and time spent to acquire Spanish saffron. Those were my main changes, everything else has always been little; the recipe is forgiving enough to come out great, almost no matter what.

I made this even easier by using prepackaged saffron rice instead of making my own. I recommend cooking the chorizo separately and draining it before adding it to the mix. I also cooked the shrimp separately and added it at the end, since I think some of the shrimp tends to get overcooked if you have it in a large pot with many other items. I made this for my husband's birthday dinner, with a few tapas as appetizers, and it was wonderful!!!

Great Paella "Corrorian"! Paella, no matter how you make it, is always a bit time consuming but in the end, it's certainly worth it. After marinating my chicken, I cut the chorizo into bite size pieces and browned. I removed the sausage, then browned the chicken and then the peppers and onions. Everything was put back into my dutch oven along with a large can of crushed tomatoes. I simmered the meat and vegetables for a good forty minutes. From there I added chicken stock and the rice. The dish was fabulous!

I used chicken thighs, one per person, instead of pieces. I doubled the saffron and also cooked the sausage first and drained the fat. Keep extra chicken stock handy to moisten the rice if needed. THEN (a personal touch)I cooked about 3 dozen mussels and 3 dozen clams and put on top of the dish. My guests raved and I'll do it again and again....I don't care if it's not authentic paella, it's a great entertaining dish and delicious...

To get very moist rice, saute the finely diced onions until very translucent, approximately 15-20 mins., then proceed with Step 2. Approximately 13 minutes into rice cooking time, nestle shrimp and any shellfish desired in the rice; cover, and let steam until shrimp are opaque and shellfish open. Rice will come out perfectly moist with a bit of liquid remaining on bottom. Chorizo is available fresh (in meat case of most supermarkets) and dried (like pepperoni) and is blister packaged and found hanging where dried jerky is found. Use the latter as it's fully cured and requires only a couple of minutes to heat.

Excellent with a few tweaks: Marinate chicken and cook rice as called for however add a can of diced tomatoes with chilis to the cooking rice Sauté onion with olive oil for approx 1 minute, add chorizo until it starts to give off oil and then add chicken and sauté all together until chicken cooks and chorizo beings to caramelize. Add this to cooked rice and deglaze pan with red wine to get the flavorful bits and juices into the rice Add ½ pound shrimp, ½ pound squid, and ½ pound mussels to the finished rice mixture at the end, cover until seafood is cooked, then serve

FABULOUS! I substituted Sazon Seasoning for the Saffron and Bay Leaf, and used instant rice. We actually clean the pot each time I make it! Thanks a bunch!

I am not sure what paella is supposed to taste like, but this was fantastic! Following other reviewer's advice I browned the chorizo (removed from dutch oven), then browned the chicken (removed from dutch oven), then browned the garlic/peppers/onion. Poured in the stock (never realized this was so much richer than broth!), rice, spices and mixed the meats back in. The lemon zest was key. Simmered for about 1/2 hour covered and threw in the shrimp about 10 minutes before serving. Subbed 2 packs of sazon instead of saffron. Yum! Very hearty and full of flavor. I love one pot dishes!! Thanks!

First class keeper!! Used Saffron rice,and followed the directions. Looking forward to making it again. Maybe with a little less red pepper flakes.

Yummy! I cooked all of the "meats" in my wok since its my biggest pan, which worked out well. I used one can of diced tomatoes in with the rice since I like a little tomato with my paella. Our guests were impressed!

My wife made this for me for father's day and it was excellent. I love paella but I'm allergic to shellfish, so it was nice to find this recipe. She followed the recipe exactly and didn't experience flavor-blending or dryness problems that were mentioned by another reviewer. We will definitely make this again, soon.

Excellent recipe!! I only made 2 slight changes: 1. I added a green bell pepper as well. 2. I cooked the chicken, then then sausage, and then the rice & just did it all in 1 pot. AMAZING FLAVOR. My fiancee loved it and my future brother-in-law, who is a picky eater, went back for seconds and kept complimenting me on how good it was!

I love this recipe! I slice the chourico instead of grinding it, and add a little chicken broth to the chicken after I've browned it to ensure it cooks through. Also instead of a pinch of saffron, I use a 1/2 tsp that I've crushed (that's what Ina recommends per 2 c rice) and having made this the first time with the pinch, I found the revised amount much more flavorful.

I cooked everything in one pot. Used bone in chicken thighs, seared first, removed from pan then sautéed the onion, garlic and sausage. Then I added rice, toasted it., added my chicken stock and then some tomato juice. Added the chicken back and let it all simmer. Added peas and shrimp last five minutes of cooking. Next time I will integrate the spices in with everything not just the chicken. Overall a great recipe to work from.

This was very, very, good. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was because of the large amount of red pepper, which I think would have detracted from the dish had I used it. I used 1/4 t., and more saffron, about 1/4 t. of threads. The amount of paprika would probably be too much if everything was cooked together like a typical paella, but I liked it this way. Cooking the rice separately speeds up cooking time and I do not think diminishes the end result. I didn't have lemons so skipped the zest and didn't miss it. Also, I started putting a lid on my skillet after adding the chorizo, because I was concerned about the chicken not cooking through; 2" chunks are pretty big. With the lid, the 30 minutes prep time and 30 minutes cooking time were accurate. My seafood was very cold and needed a few more minutes, no biggie. About saffron: The last few years I have been having great difficulty finding it in grocery stores, so took the plunge and bought 5 grams of La Mancha saffron on eBay for $30 including shipping. It is an enormous amount compared to the little grocery store tubes, and will last for years. With good deals on saffron and shrimp ($4/lb.), this was an economical dish and I look forward to making it again.

I use this as my paella base recipe everytime and get so many compliments. Some things I've learned: 1. If you use brown rice, add a bit more liquid (maybe the juice form the lemon too or some extra broth) so that the rice cooks in more juice AND for longer than 20 min. until all is absorbed. 2. Don't be scared of the saffron. It's the secret ingredient in authentic paella. I use 3 or 4 times the amount asked for here. 3. I use spicy sausage. All around excellent recipe.

Just got back from a school trip to Spain, and the kids, teachers, and I (parent) had a "reunion party." Great recipe, but I made some changes for preference and availability: nobody wanted shrimp, so I omitted it; could not find saffron at my local market, so I used saffron rice. Overall, it got raves from the kids & teachers at my Spanish dinner/tapas party, although some thought a bit too hot (pepper flakes). Many asked for the recipe, and my husband loved the leftovers. A keeper--thanks.

I was really looking forward to this dish, but it was nothing like paella I remembered from trips to Spain. I followed the recipe very carefully; however, I was very disappointed with the results. Specifically: * The combination of that much crushed red pepper and the zest from two full lemons made the rice very bitter (it made me wish I had saved my very expensive saffron). The rice would have been nearly inedible on its own without the chicken mixture to tone it down. I RECOMMEND cutting back on both the red pepper and lemon zest. * The chorizo nearly overpowered the dish. If I try the dish again, I will skip the chorizo (though I actually enjoy chorizo). I RECOMMEND: - Substitute a mild smoked sausage instead of chorizo - If chorizo is desired, > Reduce the amount at least by half > If concerned by the fat, etc. of the chorizo, try substituting soy chorizo (or a 50/50 mix of soy and pork chorizo) > To prevent possibly serving undercooked chorizo, fry it separately before adding it to the chicken mixture * Consider enhancing the dish with additional types of shellfish; Since I'm a huge shellfish lover, I added pre-cooked hard-shell clams (heated until shells opened for 5 minutes in water, juice of 1/2 lemon, butter and some crushed garlic) and Jonah crab claws (boiled in bay seasoning for 6 minutes). I spooned the extra shellfish on top of the chicken/shrimp mixture with a little bit of the liquid from the steamed clams.

We really didn't care for this, rice was way too lemony, not enough saffron and dry. The meat mixture needed more red pepper/onions and maybe some other vegetables, and the "sauce" it made was kind of bland, won't be making this again :(

I lived in Spain for 2 years and I have to admit that this is not the most authentic reipe I've ever seen. It's too spicey. But, as a dish on it's own it is good. I made it for an iron chef competition where the theme was yellow, and it got top marks for both color and taste. I used the pre-mixed safron rice dinners that you can buy at the super market. This saves a lot of money and a little bit of time, and the taste is just as outstanding.

Very tastey! I made it for my family and my parents today. I used 3 chicken legs and 3 chicken thighs instead of chicken breast, I used skin on chicken, smoked sausage along with the chirozo, a huge pinch of saffron as suggested by another veiwer, and it was awesome! Thanks!

Wow, great recipe! I made a few modifications simply based on personal preference. I cut chicken into smaller pieces (about 1"), used chicken kielbasa, and no seafood (I know, I know...) Used arborio rice, substituted 1/2 cup of white wine for 1/2 cup of chicken stock (I think it brightens the flavors), and drizzled fresh lemon juice & chopped parsley over the final dish. Enjoyed it outside on a hot day & served with the sauvignon blanc I used in the paella. Absolute perfection ... thank you mls!

This was delicious! I usually use a lot of short cuts in making paella (prepackaged Spanish rice, no real veggies, etc.), but this is an easy version that is much healthier, and I will never go back! I followed the recipe pretty close, except I cut out the chicken entirely, and used jalapeno chicken sausage instead of chorizo. I also used short grain brown rice instead of white. This was a wonderful meal that lasted through the week as leftovers.

My hubby liked it, I didn't. I didn't think it was too original. Just tasted like shrimp-chicken-ground sausage over rice. I would recommend that after all the meat cooks, drain the grease and blood from the pan. Ew.

This recipe was amazing. I'm from Iowa and my family is defintely a more steak and potatoes kind of group. I went to Spain for 2 weeks and came back with the idea for an ethnic food night once or twice a month just to get them to try new things. This was my first choice and it was phenominal! Everyone loved it and it was just like being back in Spain. Tip: I live in a rural area and was having a hard time getting saffron and chorizo sausage. If you have the same problem, try a Mexican grocery store. They usually have everything you'll need at a great price. I got my saffron threads and the sausage for a total of $9 and it tasted perfect!

We loved the dish but made a few changes to "marry" the flavors better. We sauted the chicken pieces separately and then the onion. We added that to the rice part way through cooking, along with shrimp and pieces of a good poultry chorizo sausage which was packaged fully cooked. We added a couple tablespoons of white wine at that time also. Great aroma and flavor.

Relatively easy to make. I left out the lemon zest (not my favorite thing) and it turned out beautifully. One of the best meals I have made from this website. I mixed everything together at the end and let it cook for about 5-10 min covered. Really good flavor!

This is a reasonably tasty seafood and rice dish, but it is not paella. Real paella is a dish with a lot of regional variations, but the technique is always the same, and that technique is what makes it paella. This isn't even close.

I absolutely love this recipe. One thing I changed is that I combined the pans when the rice was nearly done and cooked it for a bit longer so the flavors combined more thoroughly.

Thought that this was great! I would suggest adding a small can of crushed or diced tomatoes to the rice while it's cooking. I will certainly make this again.

This was a good recipe. If it wasn't called Paella I would have rated it higher as I don't think this tastes much like traditional Paella. The only changes I made were adding tumeric to give the rice a more vibrant yellow color and topping with fresh parsley. Will consider making again.

I made this for a dinner party, and it was a huge hit. After reading a bunch of reviews, I did a few things differently. I used a package of saffron rice but otherwise did the rice the same way. I actually made the rice earlier and reheated it before serving. I added frozen peas to it when reheating. When it came to the meat, I cooked the chorizo first and drained it on a lot of paper towels. So oily! I cooked the chicken, onion and red pepper in batches since there was so much of it. At the end I cooked the shrimp on it's own. When I served it, I put the rice down the center of a large platter and put the chicken, veggies and shrimp across the top pouring the cooking juices over the rice. There was a non-red meat eater at the table so I put the sausage at only one end of the platter. I made approximately a recipe and a half, and it made SO MUCH FOOD! It was really delicious, and everyone absolutely loved it which was very gratifying. It's a lot of work and a lot of last minute cooking so be prepared to be in the kitchen at the end. It's a very impressive looking dish to serve to company. It would be easy to tweak it anyway that you like.

This recipe is not as involved as the recipe seems. It is actually quite easy. And it's outstanding. I got rave reviews and will definitely make it again. I arranged it in a large flat paella dish and put steamed snap peas around the outer edge. Pretty as well as delicious!

Loved this. My father-in-law said it was "restaurant quality". Did not change a thing. Did have to search 3 grocery stores before I found saffron, but it was well worth it. Make sure you use extra large skillets, this will feed a crowd!

Excellent dish. I am in Central America and could not locate saffron. So, I used achiote in its place. Very tasty!

Other than adding more chicken and omitting the shrimp, I followed the directions exactly; I substituted saffron threads with saffron powder. I think this is the best thing I've ever cooked. My family enjoyed it, and said it was the best "mexican" food they ever had. I don't think it tasted mexican, it had a distinct, new flavor I've never tasted, yet we all loved it. I was told repeatedly how good it was. I would suggest ANYONE to cook this, it is easy and you feel accomplished after crafting such a delicious meal.

Recently, my wife and I went on holiday to Barcelona. One of the things we were looking forward to some nice paella. What we found there was horrible! This recipe is absolutely delicious and is well on the way to becoming a family favourite.

This was delicious, and reasonably quick and easy. The quick and easy is a huge plus, because my husband said that he will be requesting it several times a week.

My husband and I LOVE this recipe! We keep kosher so I left out the seafood and used beef sausage. I also used saffron rice and added peas. I can't wait to make it again!

Having lived in Spain I know what real Spanish Paella tastes like. I must have had a few too many because I followed the recipe without really thinking and they (spanish people) NEVER put crushed red pepper in paella or atleast the amount called for in teh recipe. Spanish food IS NOT spicy in general. Please do yourself a favor and go lightly on teh red pepper. The rest would have been wonderful without the crished red pepper. Otherwise a good receipe. Always use fresh garlic and double whatever is called for! :)

This was great. I cut the recipe in half and it still worked great. Wait to start the chicken until the rice is done (more time to marinate). Saffron is yummy, but very pricey. I think I will try the saffron rice sold in the stores next time. I would recommend adding salt and pepper to the rice. Also, I used smoked hot links instead of chorizo and it was fabulous. Mix all of the rice into the skillet with the meat at the end and the sausage will help to flaver and the rice. mixture. Thanks for the recipe...it gets into the rotation!

This recipe is incredible! An explosion of wonderful flavors, and has such a beautiful presentation! The lemon zest in the saffron rice is refreshing and a nice contrast to the red pepper spices. I was not sure I would like the flavor of the chorizo sausage -- but it is really tasty and makes the dish! This is a definite keeper.

I love this recipe. It was easy & delicious! A huge it!!

This took way more than 30 minutes to prepare and definitely more than 30 minutes to cook. Still, the flavour was quite nice.

Excellent. I had the in-laws over and served them this dish. It seemed that even the very picky eaters liked it. Prepare to feed and army or have leftovers for days with this recipe though.

VERY good! I followed to a 'T'. My family loved it. Will definitely make again.

This was awesome! I loved the variety of flavors in this ranging from the lemon zest to the saffron and on to the savory side. The crushed red pepper was perfect for us (just mildly spicy), and the chorizo added excellent flavor and body to the dish. I read through some of the tips & tricks and made it according to the recipe except: 1.)added a can of diced tomatoes to the rice as it cooked for 20 minutes. 2.)doubled the saffron and prepared it by grinding it up with a mortar and pestle and hydrating it in about 1/4 cup of boiling water 10 minutes before adding it per the recipe. My family of 5 all loved it. My daughter even had her 13 year old friend over for dinner, and she gobbled it up as well. Easily fed 6 people with enough for those who wanted seconds. Even after that, we had enough to put a leftover serving in the fridge. Fantastic all around and will definitely make this again!! Thanks!!

My husband agrees that it is not authentic paella, but when it tastes like this, who cares? Great recipe! The whole family gobbled it down and the 1-year-old had three bowls! I didn't put the full amount of red pepper in, but brought the jar to the table for folks to add. I think the only changes I made was to eliminate the shrimp, to use green bell pepper instead of red, and to eliminate the lemon zest. I cooked the chorizo first and then cooked the chicken in the oil left by the chorizo. We all loved this recipe (fought over who got the leftovers the next day) and are planning to try it with different veggies in.

This recipe is fantastic - since I am on a "point" counting diet - I made a few minor changes - used tsp's of oil instead of tablespoons - no affect on the taste - also was out of paprika and used a little cumin - and used instant brown rice - lastly instead of chorizo sausage, I used hot lean Italian turkey sausage, minus the casings (3) - all combined it still had all of the flavor you would expect and very healthy. Everyone in my family LOVED it.

I love, love, love this dish

Delicious, and a guaranteed winner every time. I spruced this up a bit by adding 2 lbs. of fresh clams and a few strips of bacon. Also, I shred my chicken instead of cube it. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

My granddaughter and I ate this in Spain and it was very close. The consistency wasnt exactly like what we had as it was more like an American casserole but I used a large wok and put under the broiler for about a minute. It then had the sticky wonderful consistency we had in Spain. Prior to this I never liked Paella. I'm making it again for the second time and will continue

I've only had paella a once in a chain restaurant, so I'm not sure how authentic this recipe is, but it was very good. I looked at some of the other recipes and changed a few things. First off, I didn't have any saffron, or the $$ to buy it, so I did without. The chorizo I used was very greasy, so next time I'll cook that separately, drain some grease, and add it to the mix. I added tumeric to give it a yellow color, and thyme for a little more flavor. I also added about a half cup of white wine in place of a half cup of chicken stock, mostly because I love cooking with wine. Lastly, I added some diced tomatoes.

Excellent recipe. Delicious and tasty. I added a half teaspoon of Vegeta, in with the chicken coating and I substituted Italian sausage with basil for the chorizo sausage because I don’t care for that smoked flavor. Then I finally added a little lobster meat in with the shrimp. My guests were ecstatic. It took me a little longer than 1 hour because I was not prepared and it ended up taking me 1 hour and 45 minutes from start to finish.

This is definitely a keeper. Even though it says "Easy Paella" make no mistake, this was labor intensive (at least to me) If this was considered "easy" I can't imagine what the regular paella is like. Well, for all the work, it was delicious. Rinsing the rice helped eliminate the starchiness, using chicken thighs instead of chicken breast eliminated dry meat, and I skipped the chorizo, cause I don't like spice. Overall, I enjoyed this recipe.

Excellent recipe. I substituted the chicken breast for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Would definitley make again.

So easy and really good! This recipes makes a TON, so be sure you have lots of folks to feed.

Didn't use chicken. My husband loved it. I don't eat sausage - just ate the rice - WOW.

We made this dish for a family gathering celebrating foods of the Caribbean. Our extended family thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fun and easy to put together. We added scallops, clams and mussels. Like many other reviewers, we used a yellow rice mix and added corn and peas to it. We also browned and drained the chorizo in the skillet then cooked all the other meats in the drippings.

This is a terrific dish. I used Aidell chorizo which is a turkey/chicken sausage. I didn't change anything else and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

It is an awesome dish. I 'fished' it up a little by adding some sardines! It is also nice to sautee the shrimps in some olive oil with garlic. The italian parsely is essential, so it the lemon zest. The red bell pepper should still be crispy. Some black olives compliment it all, make it real spanish. The name Easy Paella is not completely true, it takes some work to put it together, but is it worth it. Put some italian parsely, shrimps, lemon slices and olives on top, to make it look real good!

So, I made this worried my roommates would hate it (they're totally picky). I did leave out the crushed red pepper flakes because one roommate can barely even handle black pepper and I thought with the chorizo I might already be pushing it. Turns out this was a good choice, because I made it and he said it was PERFECT, and it tasted SO GOOD. Every bite was gone. Otherwise, I followed the instructions exactly.

despite the long list of ingredients this is pretty easy. i would add another cup of rice and quadruple the garlic and add more peppers to make it hotter. more rice to match the amount of meat it is immense! i fed 7 people with this. guys. and we had leftovers. i used mexican saffron. spanish saffron is too expensive. i added some red chili powder to the meat(i love it spicy). more salt and pepper. all the meats together tasted wonderful. everybody loved it. this one is in my recipe box and in rotation.

Awesome. Had fun making paella for the first time, and it turned out fantastic!

This recipe was fantastic... I did substitute tumeric (spelling?) for the saffron (1 tsp.) as I wasn't about to spend $20 on four threads of saffron... one day I will though. I also did feel that it wasn't necessary to add oil to the pan when cooking the chicken as the marinade had plenty already. Lastly I did keep draining the fat off of the meats as it did get pretty greasy from the chorizo. My whole family loved it. Not real spicy but did have a good kick to it.

This recipe was amazing. We used arborio rice which needed a bit less than 20 minutes of cook time, in my opinion. I also made this without the chicken, just shrimp and chorizo.

Very easy, changed it up a bit and cooked everything one at a time in the paella pan. Meat, veggies, and shrimp first and then followed the rice recipe. Brought them all together once the rice was done.

I used wing drummettes rather than chicken breast. I browned them before the other ingredients, removed them and added them back when the stock and rice were added so they could finish cooking. Also added frozen peas. When ready to serve I squeezed lemon juice over all. Very good!

Great recipe! Before you make it, be aware that it makes a ton of food. I made a few minor changes. First, I cut up a whole chicken (about 3lbs) into about 10 pieces and cooked the meat on the bone and with the skin on. I marinaded the meat in the olive oil/paprika/oregano mixture for a few hours before hand to make sure it wasn't bland. I cooked the chiken for a few minutes longer due the the pieces I used being larger. Other than that, I followed the recipe to the letter. I probably used a touch more than a pinch of safron in the rice.

I used a paella pan, and medium grain rice. Note - long grain rice will not absorb the flavors and liquid for a true paella. Even then adjust your liquid in the paella to match the ratio on the rice instructions. I used a smoked papika and a good saffron. I bought McCormick's spices at Safeway and both were on sale! Often the saffron is behind the service counter and not in the spice section of the grocery store. Fresh seafood is a must and can be substitued for the sausage and the chicken. I prefer chicken thighs over white meat because of the moisture of the darker meat and the bone which adds flavor. Made this with Clams, sea scallops, shrimp and mussels they worked beautifully. I used the water I steamed the seafood in, in leu of the chicken stock. The paella pan really helps the dish in the distribution of heat and the nice carmelization of the rice on the bottom of the pan. We have an electric range and I used two burners to heat the paella pan turning the pan often in the last stage of cooking. I do agree with reviewers who said a charcoal of gas grill would be a plus but, with snow on the ground the electric stove did fine. Portions are very generous expect leftovers. Great recipe and a very fun and beautiful dish to serve.

This was beyond delicious! I did decrease the red pepper flakes by half, because that was the preference of my guests. I also decreased the paprika by half, as suggested by other reviewers. I stirred a can of diced tomatoes (drained) into the cooked rice. The only change I would make is to cook the chorizo first to drain it (as its quite greasy), and then simmer with the other meats to let the flavors blend. Thanks for the recipe!! Served with sangria!!

Excellent! A big hit, even with the kids. The only change I made was to use a chicken sausage instead of choritzo because it's what I had. Next time I make it (and there will be a next time) I will reduce the oregano to 1 tsp. because it was a little strong for my taste.

This was DELICIOUS! The only modification is that I added one cup of peas and used one package of sazon seasoning :)

I think this would have been a better recipe if the amount of chorizo was cut in half. The chorizo dominated the flavor and took away the flavor of shrimp, chicken, and red pepper.

I LOVE THIS recipe, this is one of my family's favorite.

hubby loved it!

This recipe was delicious, easy to make, and works well as a leftover dish. This paella is definitely a crowd pleaser, and it's a medley of great flavors and aromas.

We really enjoyed this Paella very much, unfortunately I used ground chorizo that had a lot of Heat, and this really impacted the overall meal. Next time I will use chorizo Saugage links and slice them so they can be passed up individually. I also used lobster which was a terrific add.

Very good! I used andouille sausage and instead of shrimp I used clams and mussels. Also added a dry white wine to rice and my meat/seafood. ( broth was delicious) Tip.... I added a packet of Sazon to my chicken marinade!

i used saffron rice as well, and green bell pepper. i substitued some cayenne pepper for the red pepper flakes (maybe only 1/2 tsp), omitted the shrimp, and added tomato. it was a huge hit -- my best friend, for the first time, asked for the recipe, and she's not a big cook. this was an easy, flavorful dish.

I couldn't find saffron anywhere and made several other changes. The end result was still delicious, even if it wasn't completely authentic.

I liked this, and I had three guys helping me making it, which cut down on the prep time. We went to the Mexican grocery market for fresh chorizo, and bought saffron boles there as well. (Thanks to the reviewer who pointed me to Mexican saffron! Or azafran, as the package label calls it.) We steamed mussels and added those. Yummy. You can also add the steamed "juices" from the shellfish to the paella sauce, if you so desire. The rice turned out wonderfully. I gave this whole recipe four stars as I wasn't thrilled with it necessarily, but it was good and certainly worth making. The rice was five star rice for sure.

Yummy & easy. I halved this recipe for the two of us & I used a bunch of substitutions since I just needed a bit of a reminder what all goes in Paella. THE SAFFRON IS ESSENTIAL! Turmeric will turn it yellow but adds the wrong flavour entirely - tends toward bitterness. And yes, I like to use a lot of saffron when I cook with it - I used three pinches of it along with two bay leaves. Breakfast sausage, frozen chopped turkey breast and bay scallops (all bits & pieces from the freezer) went in mine. Instead of paprika & crushed red pepper flakes I used ground chipotle peppers, and ditched the flat leaf parsley and chicken stock. I also put a big glug of lemon juice on top of the meats and onion/pepper mix before folding it into the basmati rice I chose to use. It tastes best with a good grinding of alder smoked sea salt crystals on top and a lot of freshly ground pepper. My husband was surprised that he liked it, as simple as it is. His favorite question when I'm cooking dinner is "Have you made this before?" which really means "Do I like this?" This is a good recipe for cleaning out your freezer (as is jambalaya.)

Paella is one of my husband's favorite dishes at restaurants, I made this for him as a surprise but worried it wouldn't be good enough. He loved it! It is time consuming but not difficult. It looks impressive and would be great for a dinner party. I was hesitant to buy saffron threads for $17 but you use so little and I could make this recipe at least 8 more times with the same bottle. I had trouble getting the rice to cook. I slowly kept adding more broth until it absorbed and got softer. This recipe is a keeper!

This was very good. I used basmanti rice and did not add sausage. I put small scallops (same time as shrimp) and a can of drained clams (at the last 5 minutes of cooking). My family loved it. It was the best!

This is awesome! The rice alone is outrageous! I love rice and could not stop eating it! I used the zest of one lemon instead of two and it was just right. I used mild italian sausage instead of chorizo because that is what I had on hand. I reduced the red pepper to 1/3 tsp and paprika to 1 tsp for the kids' sake (3 & 5 yr old) and it's a good thing I did - the mild sausage was spicy enough for them (though very mild for the parents). Other than that, I used 1 tbsp dried parsley and the rest as directed. Just fabulous!

It's my first time to cook this dish. I made a few changes - used half ordinary white rice and half sweet rice, have to add more broth to the rice as sweet rice absorbs more liquids. Served this on New Year's eve - my family liked it a lot. One of my kids even returned the next day for the left-overs! :)

amazing. I made this in a hurry as we have invited guests over and ended up using chicken that was cut for stir fry and didn't zest the lemons (I couldn't figure out what zesting meant!) It was amazing - rave reviews and easy to make. thanks for sharing.

Yummy! We loved it. I used turkey keilbasa, 1/2 the chicken, 1/2 the shrimp and arborio rice and it was wonderful. Thank you for the recipe.

Made this dish and it came out perfect, Although I used the pre-packaged yellow rice with the saffron-seasoning already in it. I read alot of the other reviews and people mentioned cooking things separately. I read somewhere that paella was to be cooked over hot coals so that is the way that I did it (on my cheesy weber coal bbq) it came out perfect that way. Only suggestion for that cooking method is that you have all the ingredients ready to go, you can't turn down hot coals.

Oh so tasty! At first taste, seemed a little bland, but then that little fire hit our tastebuds. We don't like really hot food so used 1/4 tspn ground red pepper and vidalia onion. Not a fan of oregano so used marjoram, no lemons, so used lemon juice, couldn't find chorizo sausage so used sweet italian. With about 5 minutes left for rice to cook, mixed rice and meat pans together and let simmer to marry the flavors even more. Can't wait for leftovers tonight! Next time, would use just sausage and shrimp, due to personal preference. Thanks for the recipe mls.

Excellent recipe. I could not find any saffron so had to leave it out but still ended up fantastic. I added fresh mussels and fresh calamari. I also used fresh oregano rather than dry and fresh chilli. Absolutely loved it!

My son made this dish as a course assignment in his high school Spanish class. It took about two hours to make, teaching the novice cook how to prep food. Overall, this is a 5-star recipe for flavor and texture. The delicate blend of lemon zest with the bite of red pepper, the hint of saffron, and the savory flavor of garlic, with a little parsley kick, stir fried in olive oil made the rice the best part of the dish. We discovered that the best meat in the mix was the shrimp. He used the small salad shrimp, rather than raw shrimp with the tails on, and this worked out perfectly, by adding the shrimp in at the very end so as not to overcook them. The chorizo had flavor of its own with more of a dusky taste which was slightly overwhelming to the delicate flavor of the rest of the dish. He thought that the next time the meats should be a mix of scallops and shrimp. He cooked the chorizo separately to cut back on some of the fat in the dish. It was wise to rinse the chorizo, not only to decrease the fat but particularly in light of its strong flavor. We were a little surprised that the recipe called for 2" pieces of chicken. The chicken could have been cut a little smaller for more flavor from the rub. We were initially surprised that this dish was for 8 servings, but after the explosion of flavor, it was about right. We all cleaned our bowls! It was so good we are still savoring the lingering flavor from the meal. Very filling. He did a fantastic job.

I've never had real paella, so I can't compare. But this recipe was good on its own, easy to make and doesn't take much time. I only used half as much chicken and chorizo and no shrimp at all. I also left out the lemon, used two jalapenos instead of the bell pepper and used extra saffron. If I make this again, I will probably just make the rice part and leave out the meat.

Loved it! Easy & quick-I made it for company & got raves! I think I will try slicing the sausage next time instead of crumbling.. Definitely will make this again!

Incredible Paella! I added some peas, and marinated the prawns in tomato sauce, basil, seasoning salt, black pepper and olive oil for a 10 minutes before adding them to the mixture. Turned out wonderfully!

I just made it. The result was great. I will not change or add anything. Keep it the way it is. Thank you for sharing.