Paella Recipe

Season chicken

Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Combine smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper and rub evenly over chicken. Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare other ingredients.

Heat a 14-inch paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place chicken thighs skin-side down and sear until deep golden brown, about 6–8 minutes. Flip and brown the other side 3–4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside. Reserve rendered fat in the pan.

If using chorizo, add it to the pan with the reserved fat and cook 2–3 minutes until it releases oil and begins to brown. Transfer chorizo to the plate with chicken.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan if needed, reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and sliced red pepper and cook 2–3 minutes until softened.

Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove rawness, scraping browned bits from the pan. Add halved grape tomatoes and cook 2 minutes until they just start to break down.

While the aromatics cook, bloom saffron: place saffron threads in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons hot water and let steep 5 minutes.

Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat the grains with the tomato-onion mixture, toasting 1–2 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits, and let the alcohol reduce for 1 minute.

Pour in the hot chicken stock and the saffron with its soaking liquid. Stir once to distribute ingredients evenly. Return the seared chicken and chorizo (if using) to the pan, nestling the pieces into the rice, skin-side up. Do not stir after this point.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and cook uncovered 18–20 minutes, or until rice is nearly tender and most liquid has been absorbed. If the surface is drying too quickly and rice still firm, add up to 1/2 cup hot stock or water and continue cooking.

About 5 minutes before the end of cooking, scatter the frozen peas over the rice and tuck the grape tomato halves (if you prefer fresher texture, reserve a few for garnish) into the rice surface so they warm through and finish cooking with the rice.

While the paella finishes, make the grape tomato compuesta: in a small bowl combine the remaining halved grape tomatoes (if any left raw), chopped parsley, lemon juice, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and the cooked chorizo bits (optional). Toss gently to combine. This compuesta adds bright fresh flavor and can be spooned over finished paella.

Once rice is tender and liquid absorbed, remove the pan from heat. Cover loosely with aluminum foil or a clean kitchen towel and let rest 5–8 minutes to finish steaming and set the socarrat (the toasted bottom).

Spoon the tomato compuesta over the chicken and rice or serve on the side. Sprinkle chopped parsley and flaky sea salt over the paella and arrange lemon wedges around the pan.

Serve warm straight from the pan, encouraging diners to squeeze lemon over their portions.