Home › Recipes › European Inspired

Chicken Paella

Snejana Andreeva - 1

By Snejana Andreeva

on Nov 18, 2021, Updated Apr 05, 2024

Add as a preferred source on Google - 2

This Chicken Paella is inspired by my bestie , Ange. Angie and I go way back – like, back when we both had questionable haircuts, wore questionable clothes, and back to the time when dinosaurs 🦖roamed the earth. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but we’ve been best friends for over two decades now. Our friendship has been through thick and thin, and we’ve shared many life-changing experiences. But the most recent milestone in our friendship is our newfound love for food and recipe-sharing, and Paella!

  • Why You’ll Love Chicken Paella
  • How to Prepare Chicken Paella
  • Nonna’s Tip🥘
  • Variations and Substitutions for Chicken Paella
  • Similar Recipes
  • Best Served With
  • Common Questions
  • Chicken Paella Recipe
Chicken paella in a white skillet. - 3

Why You’ll Love Chicken Paella

This Chicken Paella recipe is inspired by the real deal but is a little simpler to make for a family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 dinner. The flavors are still deep and aromatic and the texture is out of this world: crispy rice at the bottom, tender rice on top, and studded with flavorful veggies and juicy pieces of chicken thigh. Every bite is unique, flavorful and delicioso!

How to Prepare Chicken Paella

🔪 Start by cubing 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts with a sharp knife .

🫑 Now, dice the bell pepper and onion and mince the garlic.

🍗 Now, season the chicken with salt and pepper.

🥑 Next, in a big pan on the stove, heat up your oil of choice on medium-high heat.

🔥 Add the cubed and seasoned chicken pieces and sear on each side for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly golden.

Top-down view of ingredients for a dish: raw chicken pieces in a bowl, white rice, chopped tomatoes, red bell pepper, onion, garlic cloves, chicken broth, oil, spices, and fresh herbs, all arranged on a light surface. - 4

🧅 Now, remove the chicken from the pan and add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic.

🔥 Sauté for about a minute and add a tiny splash of broth just to loosen that flavor.

🧂 Next, add paprika and salt to taste and then stir.

🍚 Now, add the rice and stir, then add the tomato sauce and stir again. Now add your semi-cooked chicken breast cubes back in. Top it off with the vegetable broth and then stir again.

A pot of seasoned rice mixed with chopped red peppers and onions. A wooden spoon rests in the rice. A bowl of tomato sauce is visible in the top left corner. Fresh parsley is partially visible at the bottom left. - 5

🔥 Next, add a pinch of saffron (optional) and then let it all come to a boil.

🥘 Now, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let it cook for 25 minutes or until the rice is soft and most of the liquid has absorbed.

🌿 Finally, garnish with parsley or green onion.

⏲️ Let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes and enjoy.

Nonna’s Tip🥘

The key to this Chicken Paella is to let it rest for up to 10 minutes after you take it off the heat. This really allows all those wonderful flavors to meld together perfectly and for the rice to fully absorb the liquid.

A close-up of a spoon holding a portion of rice over a bowl filled with the dish. The plate features yellow rice, diced vegetables, and garnished with parsley and a lemon wedge. - 6

Variations and Substitutions for Chicken Paella

  1. I prefer using boneless, skinless chicken thighs 🍗 in this Chicken Paella recipe, but it’s totally up to you.
  2. Jasmine and long grain rice 🍚 are my preference, but you can add any rice variety you like.
  3. You can definitely experiment with different proteins in this recipe. Traditional variations include chorizo, 🍤 shrimp or mussels.

Similar Recipes

A white bowl filled with delicious vegetable fried rice, including peas, corn, and carrots, garnished with sesame seeds. Try this Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe and enjoy it with chopsticks resting on the side of the bowl. - 7 A white bowl filled with delicious vegetable fried rice, including peas, corn, and carrots, garnished with sesame seeds. Try this Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe and enjoy it with chopsticks resting on the side of the bowl. - 8

Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe

15 mins

A close-up of creamy mushroom risotto in a dark bowl, topped with sliced mushrooms and fresh chopped chives—an inviting dish that's perfect for any Simple Risotto Recipe. - 9 A close-up of creamy mushroom risotto in a dark bowl, topped with sliced mushrooms and fresh chopped chives—an inviting dish that's perfect for any Simple Risotto Recipe. - 10

Simple Risotto Recipe

45 mins

A beige speckled bowl filled with grilled, glazed chicken meatballs on white rice—similar to a delicious Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe—topped with shredded carrots, sesame seeds, nori strips, and avocado slices on the side. - 11 A beige speckled bowl filled with grilled, glazed chicken meatballs on white rice—similar to a delicious Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe—topped with shredded carrots, sesame seeds, nori strips, and avocado slices on the side. - 12

Salmon Rice Bowl

15 mins

A bowl of white rice mixed with chopped zucchini, ground meat, and fresh green herbs, served in a white dish—an inspired twist on classic Zucchini Cakes. - 13 A bowl of white rice mixed with chopped zucchini, ground meat, and fresh green herbs, served in a white dish—an inspired twist on classic Zucchini Cakes. - 14

Zucchini Rice

25 mins

Best Served With

  • Crusty bread is a must with paella! Try my 🍞 No Knead Peasant Bread .
  • A Simple Green Salad 🥗 helps balance out all those big flavors and adds freshness.
  • These Crispy Parmesan Potatoes 🥔 would be really delicious with this Chicken Paella recipe.

Common Questions

I like the tenderness and juiciness of the chicken thighs here, but you can certainly use chicken breast instead.

The key to a crispy bottom is using a large pan . By using a large pan, there’s more surface area and the rice can spread out and get beautifully crisp on the bottom while staying tender on top.

Saffron is definitely a traditional spice in Spanish paella, but it’s not so common in most of our kitchens, and it can be quite expensive! It’s used for its unique flavor and color, but I say it’s optional in this recipe adaptation. The paprika and tomatoes will help give this Chicken Paella its signature color.

Absolutely have fun with the protein options in this recipe. Traditional variations include chorizo, shrimp or mussels.

You definitely can make this vegetarian by adding in shrimp or mussels instead of chicken (if your diet includes fish) or omitting the meat altogether. I haven’t tried this, but perhaps tofu cubes would work in this recipe. Please comment if you’ve tried this variation and let me know!

A New Recipe Card!!

  1. Check off each step in instructions!
  2. Add ingredients to your shopping list!

Video

Equipment

  • ▢ Nakiri Knife
  • ▢ Cutting Board
  • ▢ Frying Pan
  • ▢ Redmond Real Salt

Ingredients

  • ▢ 2 tablespoons avocado oil , any variety
  • ▢ 4 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless) , or cubed thighs
  • ▢ ½ teaspoon salt , to taste
  • ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper , to taste
  • ▢ 1 onion , finely diced
  • ▢ 1 red bell pepper , finely diced
  • ▢ 6 cloves garlic , minced
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon paprika , to taste
  • ▢ additional salt , to taste
  • ▢ 1.5 cups jasmine rice , any variety you prefer
  • ▢ 1.5 cups plain tomato sauce , or can of crushed tomatoes
  • ▢ 2.5 cups vegetable broth , or chicken broth
  • ▢ pinch saffron , optional
  • ▢ parsley/green onions for garnish

Instructions

  • ▢ In a big pan on the stove on medium high heat, heat up the oil of choice. Add the cubed and seasoned chicken pieces and sear on each side for 1 to 2 minutes or until light golden.
  • ▢ Remove the chicken from the pan and add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté for about a minute and add a tiny splash of broth just to loosen that flavor. Add paprika and salt to taste and stir.
  • ▢ Add the rice and stir, the tomato sauce and stir again, and add your semi-cooked chicken breast cubes back in. Now top it off with the vegetable broth and stir again.
  • ▢ Pinch of saffron is optional, let it come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover it and let it go for 25 minutes or until the rice is soft and most of the liquid has absorbed. Garnish, let it rest for 5-10 minutes and enjoy.

My Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Chicken Paella

Equipment

  • Nakiri Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Frying Pan
  • Redmond Real Salt

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil any variety
  • 4 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless) or cubed thighs
  • ½ teaspoon salt to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper to taste
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 1 red bell pepper finely diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon paprika to taste
  • additional salt to taste
  • 1.5 cups jasmine rice any variety you prefer
  • 1.5 cups plain tomato sauce or can of crushed tomatoes
  • 2.5 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • pinch saffron optional
  • parsley/green onions for garnish

Instructions

  • In a big pan on the stove on medium high heat, heat up the oil of choice. Add the cubed and seasoned chicken pieces and sear on each side for 1 to 2 minutes or until light golden.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan and add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté for about a minute and add a tiny splash of broth just to loosen that flavor. Add paprika and salt to taste and stir.
  • Add the rice and stir, the tomato sauce and stir again, and add your semi-cooked chicken breast cubes back in. Now top it off with the vegetable broth and stir again.
  • Pinch of saffron is optional, let it come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover it and let it go for 25 minutes or until the rice is soft and most of the liquid has absorbed. Garnish, let it rest for 5-10 minutes and enjoy.

Video

Nutrition

Chicken Paella https://themodernnonna.com/chicken-paella/ November 18, 2021