Publication in the group: European cuisine
Paella is considered a classic Spanish rice dish with spicy bright saffron, which was traditionally cooked over an open fire in a frying pan with the addition of various ingredients, the most accessible of which in our latitudes is a healthy, hearty and dietary recipe with chicken. In total, in the homeland of this ancient culinary masterpiece, there are more than 300 types of different versions of this popular recipe; each Mediterranean housewife has her own secrets and subtleties of preparing this tasty and truly family dish.
Classic recipe
Paella with chicken, a classic recipe involves adding a large amount of spicy spices and fresh juicy vegetables, it turns out to be a very satisfying and at the same time light dietary dish.
Composition of ingredients
For the traditional classic version of preparing a delicious family lunch or dinner, you need to prepare the following set of products:
- 500 g chicken fillet or any part of chicken;
- 1 large onion;
- 1 tbsp. dry rice cereal;
- 1-2 sweet bell peppers of different colors;
- 100 g olives;
- 1 large fresh tomato;
- 1 carrot;
- 750 ml chicken broth;
- 70 ml tomato sauce paste or natural paste;
- 0.5 tsp. turmeric or a pinch of saffron;
- 0.5 tsp. ground curry seasoning;
- 50 ml olive oil;
- 2-3 cloves of garlic;
- 1 bunch of green onions;
- 0.5 lemon;
- 1-2 pinches of coarse sea salt;
- 2-3 pinches of freshly ground black pepper;
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley.
Paella with chicken.
The recipe is classic. Recipe below.
Step-by-step cooking process
The process of preparing this simple and satisfying dish includes the following simple steps:
- First, wash and dry the chicken meat, cut it into small portions, add salt and pepper, and sprinkle with lemon juice.
- You need to soak the saffron in the prepared broth.
- The peeled onion must be chopped into small cubes and fried in a large deep frying pan until golden brown.
- Then place the chopped chicken in a saucepan with the onions and fry on all sides until golden brown.
- Now you should add finely chopped carrots with sweet bell pepper strips, simmer the vegetables until soft for 5-7 minutes.
- After this, you need to add the garlic, cut into thin slices, and after 1-2 minutes. chopped pieces of fresh tomato and tomato paste, simmer for some more time.
- Then pour in the hot broth, add the remaining spices, and then add the washed rice, mix thoroughly and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, covering the saucepan with a lid.
- After this, add olives and lemon juice to the dish, stir and cover again, heat for another 3-5 minutes.
- Then you need to turn off the heat and let the rice stand to absorb all the remaining liquid for 10-15 minutes.
What can I add?
At the very end, you can add canned corn and green peas to the finished rice, which will add brightness and beauty to the dish.
How to serve a dish
Before serving, you can garnish the paella with chopped herbs, lemon slices and green onion rings.
With shrimps
Paella with chicken, a classic recipe that involves the use of various seafood, greatly benefits from the addition of frozen shrimp, which are readily available in any modern supermarket.
The cooking method is provided below.
Composition of ingredients
To prepare this hearty and healthy dinner for a large company, you need to take the following ingredients:
- 500 g chicken fillet;
- 700 ml chicken broth;
- 300 g round rice;
- 80-100 ml white wine;
- 250 g peeled thawed shrimp;
- 1 bell pepper;
- 1 large onion;
- 2-3 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 3-4 cloves of garlic;
- 0.5 tsp. sea salt;
- 1.5 tsp. saffron or ground turmeric;
- 1.5 tbsp. l. curry seasonings;
- 1 tsp. dry rosemary;
- 1 pinch of oregano;
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley.
Step-by-step cooking process
Preparing this beautiful dish does not require much time and effort:
- First you need to chop the peeled onion into thin half rings and fry it in a deep large frying pan or saucepan until golden brown.
- Then you need to add chopped garlic and medium-sized pieces of chicken, fry until golden brown, seasoning with spices and salt.
- Now you need to sequentially place bell pepper strips and prepared washed rice with curry into a saucepan, soak the grains in oil a little, and then pour in aromatic dry wine, simmer for about 2-3 minutes.
- Next, pour the heated broth with saffron and the remaining spices over everything, mix all the ingredients, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the rice is soft for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Then you can add the peeled shrimp to the saucepan and cook them until tender, according to the instructions on the package.
- Leave the finished paella for 1-2 minutes. over high heat until a crispy crust forms on the bottom of the pan, then cover the dish with a lid and let the dish stand for about 10 minutes.
What can I add?
You can add frozen green peas and brightly colored sweet corn to the recipe, which go well with all the ingredients and give the paella a more elegant look.
How to serve a dish
The finished dish should be decorated with chopped herbs and lemon slices.
Serve directly in the pan.
Vegetarian paella
Ingredients:
- 150 g rice;
- 450 ml vegetable broth;
- 3 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- 4-5 large tomatoes;
- 1 small zucchini;
- 1 carrot;
- 1 onion;
- 100 g green beans;
- 50 g canned or young green peas;
- 50 g canned sweet corn;
- salt, turmeric, saffron, paprika to taste;
- parsley, lemon for serving.
- To make paella quick and easy, first prepare everything you need: chop the garlic and onion, cut the carrots and zucchini into medium-sized cubes. Scald the tomatoes, peel and cut into slices. Prepare the spices you plan to add to the rice and vegetables. Strain the broth.
- That's it, you can take out the frying pan and heat the oil. As soon as a pleasant aroma floats through the kitchen, add the garlic, after a couple of seconds add the onion, fry over low heat until lightly golden. Add zucchini and carrot cubes. Stirring, cook for 5-10 minutes, then add tomatoes. After 2-3 minutes – green beans, peas and corn. Stir, add rice, then salt and add spices. Stir again, then pour the broth into the pan and cook over low heat until the liquid has completely evaporated.
Serve with herbs and lemon wedges.
With vegetables
Paella with chicken, a classic recipe that requires the use of vegetables, can be prepared from fresh seasonal or from various frozen or canned mixtures.
Composition of ingredients
To prepare a delicious, bright dish you will need a set of approximate ingredients:
The basis | Products | Quantity |
Rice cereal | 300 g | |
Chicken drumstick or breast | 550-600 g | |
Chicken bouillon | 1-1.5 l | |
Additionally | Dry white wine | 150-200 ml |
Olive oil | 100 ml | |
Lemon | 1-2 pcs. | |
Vegetables | Bulb | 2 pcs. |
Garlic | 4-5 cloves | |
Red bell pepper | 1 PC. | |
Green pea | 100 g | |
Sweet corn | 100 g | |
Fresh or canned tomatoes | 300 g | |
Green beans | 300 g | |
Spices | Sweet or smoked paprika | 1.5 tsp. |
Saffron | 1 pinch | |
Turmeric | 1 tsp. | |
Ground red pepper | 3-4 pinches | |
Curry | 1 tsp. | |
Rosemary | 0.5 tsp. | |
Freshly ground black pepper | 0.5 tsp. | |
Sea salt | 1-1.5 tsp. | |
Greenery | Fresh leaf parsley | 1 bunch |
Young dill | 1 bunch | |
Green onions | 1 bunch |
Step-by-step cooking process
To prepare this simple and satisfying dish, follow these simple steps:
- It is necessary to soak a pinch of saffron in the prepared broth in advance.
- Chicken drumsticks should be cleaned of skin and bones, cut into portions and fried in a saucepan until golden brown, then removed to a plate and covered with a lid or foil.
- In the oil remaining at the bottom of the saucepan, fry the ground spices over low heat for 1-2 minutes, then add crushed garlic cloves and finely chopped onions, fry for about 3-5 minutes.
- After this, you need to add finely chopped sweet bell peppers and chopped tomatoes without skin, and simmer the vegetables for about 5 minutes.
- Next, distribute the washed rice evenly, stirring, and fry it for about 3-5 minutes so that it has time to soak in the oil and spices.
- Now you need to return the chicken pieces to the pan, pour in the wine and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the warm broth with saffron and bring to a low boil.
- Then you should add green beans, corn and green peas to the saucepan, cook, stirring and adding broth if necessary, until the rice is soft.
- Then you can fry the rice over high heat for 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat and cover the saucepan with a lid for 10 minutes.
What can I add?
You can add any ready-made frozen vegetable mixture to the dish to your liking.
How to serve a dish
The finished paella should be sprinkled with chopped parsley and dill, thin rings of green onions and garnished with lemon slices, after which you can place the dish on the table.
With mushrooms
Paella with chicken, a classic recipe that can be easily varied with many interesting cooking options, goes well with any fresh or frozen mushrooms.
Composition of ingredients
For a hearty, aromatic dinner, you need to prepare the following components:
- 4-5 chicken thighs;
- 200 g dry round rice;
- 500 ml chicken or mushroom broth;
- 50 ml white wine;
- 200 g of fresh, frozen forest mushrooms or canned champignons;
- 100 g cherry tomatoes;
- 1 red bell pepper;
- 45-50 g butter;
- 2 onions;
- 3-4 cloves of garlic;
- 4-5 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 1 pinch of saffron;
- 1 tsp. turmeric;
- 0.5 tsp. dry oregano;
- 2-3 pinches of thyme;
- 1 tsp. mixture of ground peppers;
- 1 tsp. sea salt;
- 1 lemon;
- 1 bunch of any fresh herbs.
Step-by-step cooking process
To begin with, it is advisable to prepare and cut all the ingredients in the desired way and size, and soak the saffron in the broth:
- Next, fry the chicken pieces in butter in a deep frying pan until an appetizing crispy crust forms, add salt and pepper during cooking.
- Then you need to add finely diced onions and crushed garlic cloves.
- After 5-7 minutes. add thin strips of sweet bell pepper and sliced mushrooms, fry, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes, adding olive oil if necessary.
- After this, add the tomatoes and rice grains cut into slices, stir so that all components are evenly distributed, and then pour in dry white wine.
- Now you need to pour the required amount of broth into the saucepan so that all ingredients are completely covered with liquid, add the remaining spices and salt.
- The dish should be cooked until the rice is soft, adding warm broth to the saucepan as needed.
What can I add?
You can use not only fresh or frozen mushrooms, but also salted, pickled or canned champignons, honey mushrooms or any others you wish.
How to serve a dish
The finished dish should be generously sprinkled with fresh chopped herbs, seasoned with lemon juice, and then served immediately.
Spanish paella with chicken and rabbit
Ingredients:
- 1 kg chicken meat (with bones);
- 1 kg rabbit (with bones);
- 4 tomatoes;
- 3-4 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 2 onions;
- 500 g rice;
- 200 g green beans;
- 100 g of young green peas;
- 2.5-3 liters of water;
- saffron, salt, pepper to taste.
Heat the oil in a wide frying pan, lightly fry the onion, lay out the chicken and rabbit cut into portions, brown on all sides. Add peeled tomatoes, cut into 4-6 pieces. Add salt, add water and simmer until the meat is cooked - about 30-40 minutes. Remove the lid, add saffron, pepper, rice, mix, add water if necessary (it should cover the rice with a layer of about 1.5 cm). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the liquid evaporates.
In a slow cooker
The classic chicken paella recipe can be easily adapted for cooking in a modern slow cooker.
Composition of ingredients
For this version of a hearty and flavorful dish, you should select an approximate set of ingredients:
- 250 g chicken fillet;
- 100 g smoked sausage or sausages;
- 1 tbsp. dry round rice;
- 2 tbsp. vegetable or chicken broth;
- 1 onion;
- 2 colored sweet peppers;
- 3 fresh fleshy medium-sized tomatoes;
- 100 g green frozen peas;
- 50 g olives or pitted olives;
- 2-3 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 1 pinch of saffron;
- 1 tsp. curry;
- 0.5 tsp. ground paprika;
- 1 tsp. salt;
- 1 bunch of fresh herbs and onions;
- 1 lemon.
The recipe follows.
Step-by-step cooking process
First you need to prepare all the specified components, wash, peel and cut into the desired size, and soak the saffron in the broth:
- In a multicooker bowl, heat the olive oil and then fry medium-sized pieces of chicken with spices and salt until the meat is golden brown on all sides.
- Now you should fry the onions, chopped into thin half rings, with chopped garlic cloves in the same oil; the meat can be taken out onto a plate and covered with a lid.
- Then you need to add straws of sweet bell pepper to the onion, and a little later peeled tomato slices with olives and green peas.
- After 3-5 minutes. you need to add all the remaining spices, place the washed rice grains into the vegetables, stirring, and fry until translucent for 3 minutes.
- After this, return the pieces of fried chicken and chopped sausage to the frying pan, heat all the ingredients, and pour in warm broth.
- Next, you need to close the lid of the unit and set the rice or baking mode for 30-40 minutes.
What can I add?
You can add any meat or sausage products to the dish in a wide variety of combinations; ham, bacon, sausages, tongue or boiled beef go equally well with chicken.
How to serve a dish
Place the finished dish on a large flat plate, garnish with thin rings of green onions and lemon slices, and sprinkle with chopped aromatic herbs.
Description of preparation:
Believe me, you don’t have to fly to sunny Spain to try the national dishes of this wonderful country, because today I will tell you how to cook paella with chicken and seafood at home.
Making this interesting dish is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance; the main thing is to follow a few cooking rules. And then, in about an hour, there will be amazing paella on your table with a unique aroma that everyone will like without exception. So please your loved ones with an exotic Spanish dish, and my recipe for paella with chicken and seafood will help you with this. Purpose: For lunch / For dinner / Festive lunch / Romantic dinner Main ingredient: Cereals / Rice Dish: Hot dishes / Paella Geography of cuisine: Spanish
With seafood
A very beautiful and healthy Mediterranean dish deserves to appear on the family menu at least sometimes.
The cooking method is below.
Composition of ingredients
To prepare a hearty dietary dinner rich in minerals and trace elements, you will need the following ingredients:
- 300 g dry round rice;
- 500 g chicken meat;
- 1-1.5 liters of any broth;
- 300 g fresh frozen squid;
- 15 peeled mussels;
- 200 g scallops;
- 200 g frozen shrimp;
- 300 g of fresh or canned tomatoes in their own juice;
- 200 g green frozen peas;
- 2-3 pods of sweet bell pepper of different colors;
- 2-3 stalks of green celery;
- 100 g sweet corn;
- 100 g pitted olives;
- 1 pinch of saffron;
- 1 tsp. ground paprika;
- 1 tsp. turmeric;
- 1.5 tsp. mixture of freshly ground peppers;
- 1 tbsp. l. coarse sea salt;
- 2 lemons or limes;
- 4-5 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 1 bunch of any fresh herbs.
Step-by-step cooking process
To prepare the dish, first soak dry saffron in a small amount of broth, peel and chop all the vegetables.
Procedure:
- The chicken, cut into small portions, should be fried in a heated frying pan, stirring constantly, to form an even crust on all sides of the meat.
- Heat in oil in a saucepan for about 1 minute. all ground spices, then add chopped cloves of garlic, celery and thin onion half rings, fry for 5 minutes.
- After this, you need to add thin colored strips of sweet bell peppers, and then peeled and chopped tomatoes, simmer and add grains of dry rice, heat and pour warm broth with the remaining spices, returning the fried pieces of chicken to it.
- At the same time, in the vacated frying pan, you can quickly fry shrimp, mussels, scallops and squid cut into strips.
- Now you can add sweet corn, olives and green peas to the rice and chicken saucepan, stir and, if necessary, add more broth and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Then add all the other seafood to the paella, season with spices and simmer over medium heat until fully cooked, so that all the liquid has evaporated and been absorbed into the rice.
What can I add?
The frying pan with seafood can be placed in the oven for 20 minutes so that the dish is baked at a temperature of 180-200 degrees.
How to serve a dish
The finished paella can be kept under a lid or foil for about 10 minutes, so that the dish cools a little and is saturated with juices, then pour over lime or lemon juice, sprinkle with green leaves of fresh parsley, garnish with olive rings and large shrimp.
There are special dishes for cooking paella over an open fire for a large company, but it is quite possible to prepare a delicious dish on the stove using a large-diameter deep frying pan or a thick-walled saucepan. You also need to choose the right rice for a classic taste. The ideal cereal would be the “Bahia” or “Bomba” variety with round large grains of rice that absorb liquid well.
To prepare classic paella, you need rich chicken, meat or fish broth, which can be replaced with any vegetable, or even use a concentrated dry cube diluted in water. Among the required set of spices are saffron, rosemary, cumin or turmeric, as well as ground sweet or smoked paprika and curry. The finished dish needs to be kept a little over high heat so that the rice at the bottom is fried and a crispy crust is formed, which is considered the most delicious part of the traditional dish.
The classic Spanish recipe for paella with chicken can be easily varied with various ingredients and additives that will give the dish its own special unique taste and aroma, and for decoration you should use slices of fresh lemon, rings of olives and aromatic tender leaves of fresh curly parsley.
This is interesting!
Whatever recipe for paella with seafood and chicken you choose, the dish will turn out not only tasty, but also incredibly healthy! Firstly, rice is the leader in the content of minerals and carbohydrates among other cereals. In addition, it is a natural absorbent.
Secondly, chicken meat has just the perfect combination of nutrients. It is recommended to be included in the diet menu. And there’s no need to talk about the benefits of seafood! Moreover, they contain few calories - from 70 to 130 per 100 g of product. And most importantly, the calorie content of paella is about 80 Kcal, so those who are afraid of gaining extra pounds can safely enjoy it.