Traditional Spanish Seafood Paella (Paella Marinera)
A traditional Spanish seafood paella, aka Paella Marinera, made the everyday way: prawns, squid, clams, or cockles with bomba rice and paprika. The easiest way to bring Mediterranean sun to your table.
There are dishes that belong to a place so completely that making them feels like a small act of time travel, and paella is one of them. After years in Spain, I’ve learned all the tips and tricks to nail it. Rest assured, you don’t need a special paella pan; just a large skillet works perfectly fine. This is an easy-breezy recipe made with smoked paprika, no saffron, no fuss, whatever seafood you have on hand, fresh or frozen. The only non-negotiable really is the rice: bomba rice, a short, round grain similar to risotto rice, but unlike risotto, paella is strictly a leave-it-alone dish. No stirring, no babysitting, just let the pan do its thing.
A Dish Born in the Fields
Paella didn’t start in a restaurant; it started in a rice field. Rice field workers in Valencia would cook directly over an open fire, throwing in whatever they had on hand: snails, rabbit, chicken. That’s your original paella Valenciana, and it’s still considered the classic. The seafood version came later, born from coastal communities who swapped land for sea, and it quickly became a nationwide favourite. So no, paella was never precious. It was always practical and that’s exactly why it’s still on the table every week in Spain, whether it’s Thursday lunch at a traditional restaurant or a long, unhurried Sunday afternoon with the whole family.
Skip the Saffron, Sweet Smoked Paprika Does the Job
Saffron is beautiful, no question, but it appears in maybe twenty percent of paellas, in Spain, mostly in high-end restaurants. The everyday home version? Food colourant (or turmeric) and sweet smoked paprika. This last one brings that deep, warm colour and earthy flavour that makes paella taste like paella, at a fraction of the cost. For a family meal on a regular weeknight, sweet paprika is not a shortcut, it’s just the real way most people in Spain actually cook it.
The One Thing You Can’t Skip: The Rice
If there’s one place not to cut corners, it’s the rice. Bomba is a short, round grain, similar in appearance to risotto rice but worlds apart in behaviour. It’s never stirred, it absorbs up to three times its volume in liquid, and it needs to be lightly fried in the sofrito before any broth goes in. Always use warm broth, always keep a little extra on standby, and never rush it.
Outside of Spain you’ll find it labelled as Bomba or paella rice, which both work beautifully. If you want to go deeper, look for:
- Arroz Albufera (great flavour absorption, firm texture)
- Arroz Senia/Bahía (the classic Valencian choice, slightly more tender)
- Balilla x Solana (budget-friendly, solid results)
When in doubt, anything grano redondo with a Denominación de Origen Valencia label is your guarantee of the real thing.
The Socarrat, The Crust Worth Chasing
If you’ve ever eaten paella in Spain and scraped the bottom of the pan with a spoon, you already know about socarrat. It’s the slightly caramelized, toasted crust that forms on the bottom of the rice during the final minutes of cooking, and it is, without question, the most fought-over part of the pan.
Getting socarrat is not guaranteed, and it’s not strictly necessary for a great paella. But when it happens? Pure satisfaction. You’ll hear it before you see it, a faint crackling sound from the bottom of the pan. A quick smell check (toasty, not burnt) and you’re there. It won’t happen every time, and that’s fine. When it does, take full credit.
What Seafood Goes in a Paella? (Pretty Much Whatever You Love)
This is where paella really earns its reputation for flexibility. My go-to is prawns, squid, and cockles, but the list of what works is long and very forgiving. Here are some great options to mix, match, and make your own:
- Prawns or scampi — the backbone of most seafood paellas
- Squid or cuttlefish — adds depth and a slightly silky texture
- Cockles or clams — briny, sweet, and they open beautifully in the pan
- Mussels — dramatic, easy, and packed with flavour
- Monkfish — meaty chunks without bones that hold their shape perfectly
Fresh is ideal, but frozen seafood works just fine here; just make sure it’s fully thawed and patted dry before it goes in the pan. A good sofritо and well-seasoned broth will do the rest.
Seafood Paella (Paella Marinera)
Equipment
- paella pan (40 or 50cm) or any large pan or skillet
Ingredients
The Rice
- 1.5 l fumet warm it up in a pot prior
- 400 g bomba rice round grain
Aromatics & Base
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 100 g crushed tomato or purée
- 1 tsp sweet paprika smoky type best (De la Vera)
- 1 tsp curcuma or food colourant powder *optional (for colour)
- salt and pepper
The Seafood
- 300 g calamari (squid) or cuttlefish about 3 whole ones cut into rings
- 20 cockles, muscles or clams any mollusks
- 10 shrimps could be scampi too, or a mix
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a traditional paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimps (or scampi) and sear for about 1 minute per side until they turn pink. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium. In the same oil (now infused with seafood flavour), add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent. Stir in the garlic and crushed tomato, cooking for about 4 minutes until the mixture darkens and thickens.
- Next, add the calamari rings and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Make a well in the center of the pan and add a bit more olive oil and the bomba rice. Stir well for 1–2 minutes, ensuring every grain is coated in the "sofrito" oil. This toasting process helps the rice maintain its structure and absorb the flavours more effectively.
- Stir in the sweet paprika and curcuma, just for a minute and being careful not to burn the spices.
- Pour 1 litre of your prewarmed fumet into the pan, ensuring the rice is covered by about 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) of liquid. Set the remaining 500 ml aside. Season with salt and pepper, giving the rice one final, gentle stir to distribute it evenly.
- Allow the paella to simmer undisturbed for 15 minutes. If the liquid evaporates too rapidly due to high heat, the rice may still be firm while the pan looks dry. Keep a close eye on it: if the liquid level drops below the rice too quickly, gradually add more of your reserved warm fumet to keep the rice slightly submerged until it is al dente.
- Arrange the cockles (or clams/mussels) and the seared shrimps on top of the rice. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the clams have opened.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 5 minutes. This final step allows the moisture to redistribute, ensuring the rice is perfectly tender.
Video
Notes
- Keep your fumet hot on the side before adding it to the pan so you don’t lower the rice’s temperature while it’s cooking!
- The “Liquid Rule”: When you remove the pan from the heat, there should still be a tiny amount of liquid visible at the bottom. Do not wait for the pan to be bone-dry on the stove, or the rice will become parched and tough.
- Embrace “Al Dente”: Aim for the rice to be al dente (firm to the bite) when you turn off the flame. The grains will continue to absorb that remaining flavorful fumet during the resting period, resulting in a perfectly tender finish.
Nutrition
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Did You Make This Recipe?
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The tips and video were very helpful as I’ve never made paella before!
I’m a visual person, and I think that even if not all the details are in the videos, seeing the technique before attacking a recipe helps tremendously!
This is the perfect recipe for dinner guests! My friends had never had paella, and it was a huge hit!!!
Next time, try a Valenciana-style paella; there are so many varieties to choose from!
This iwas very good. I enjoyed the flavors, and it really is so authentic.
It’s the real deal when you make that magical socarrat at the bottom. Hope you achieved it!
I love the authentic flavor of this dish. Paella is one of my favorite Spanish dishes, and you really hit the mark.
It’s a classic, isn’t it? We like to receive it in the summer!