Sautéed Paella Mixed (Simmered rice dish with both seafood and meat)

Sauté Paella Mélange (Rice Dish with Combined Seafood and Meat)

Chillin' with a Spanish Paella Mixta

Craving something delicious and exotic? Give this Paella Mixta recipe a try! This mouth-watering Spanish dish comes complete with juicy shrimp, savory Spanish chorizo, tender chicken pieces, and a few tasty veggies. Paired with a glass of sangría, it's the perfect meal for impressing friends or unwinding after a long day.

What You'll Need:

Swap your Mexican chorizo for the genuine Spanish kind. You can find it at gourmet markets or online. If you cannot track down Spanish chorizo, andouille sausage can serve as a worthy substitute.
Paella rice, prized for its ability to maintain its shape when cooked, is a must-have. You'll find it in gourmet grocery stores. If you can't locate paella rice, Arborio rice is a passable alternative, though it will have a softer texture.

Let's Get This Paella Party Started

Serves: 4-6 hungry souls
Level: Moderately Difficult
Estimated Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Recipe Ingredients (16):

1 medium, ripe tomato (roughly 6 ounces)
12 large shrimp (approx. 9 ounces), already peeled and deveined
3/4 tsp smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce)
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 1-inch pieces
6 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
Olive oil (1-2 tablespoons, as needed)
2/3 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1/3 medium onion)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Pinch of saffron threads
1 1/3 cups paella rice (about 10 ounces), often labeled bomba or Valencia
3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning the shrimp and chicken
2 2/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 mussels, Manila clams, or a mix, cleaned
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 lemon, sliced into 8 wedges, for serving

Let's Makest this Paella Mixta Magic

Preheat your oven to 400°F, and set a rack in the middle.
Cut the tomato in half and grate the flesh side onto a medium bowl using a box grater, stopping when you hit the skin. Discard the skins, and you should have about 1/2 cup of tomato pulp and juice. Set this aside.
Stir the shrimp with 1/4 tsp of the paprika, along with some salt and pepper, in a small bowl. Refrigerate it.
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper, and set it aside.
Heat a large (12-inch) oven-safe frying pan over medium-high heat until it's hot (approx. 3 minutes). Add the chorizo to the pan, cooking it, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown and renders its fat (2-3 minutes). Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a large bowl; set aside.
If there's not enough fat left in the pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pop the seasoned chicken into the pan and sear it, stirring occasionally, until both sides are nicely browned, taking about 6 minutes in total. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the bowl with the chorizo; set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, season it with salt and pepper, and cook it, stirring occasionally, until it's softened (about 4 minutes). Add the garlic, remaining 1/2 tsp paprika, and saffron. Stir well and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Add the reserved tomato pulp and juice, cook it until the mixture darkens slightly, scraping any browned bits from the pan's bottom (about 2 minutes). Add the rice, along with the measured salt, and stir it well to coat in the tomato mixture.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the broth, stir it to combine, and arrange the rice mixture in an even layer in the pan. Distribute the reserved chorizo and chicken over the rice, adding any juices from the bowl. (Do not stir the rice from this point on.)
Bring it to a lively simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, and cook it until the rice grains have swollen, the majority of the liquid has been absorbed, and the rice starts to make a crackling sound (about 10 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat.
Arrange the reserved shrimp and shellfish in the rice, nestling them slightly. Place the pan in the oven and bake it until the shellfish opens and the shrimp is cooked through, and the rice is tender but retains a slight bite, taking about 10-12 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Cover it with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes. Before serving the paella, discard any unopened shellfish and sprinkle the dish with the parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Want to Make this Paella Mixta on the Grill? Follow our Grilled Paella Mixta recipe!

Savvy Suggestions:

Can't find the desired Spanish chorizo or paella rice? Consider using mild Italian sausage, smoked turkey sausage, Calasparra rice, or Arborio rice as alternatives.
If saffron is too costly, substitute it with a combo of turmeric and smoked paprika for a similar color and depth of flavor.
Jazz up your Paella Mixta with a variety of meats, seafood, and veggies to keep the dish vibrant and flavorful!

The nutrition facts for this Paella Mixta dish can vary depending on specific ingredients used, cook’s measurements, and serving sizes, but it generally falls under the uncategorized category.
To elevate this Paella Mixta beyond a simple dinner, consider serving it with a side of caramelized onions and a mixed greens salad dressed with a zesty vinaigrette.
The authentic Spanish Paella Mixta recipe is typically made with bomba rice, Spanish chorizo, and a combination of seafood and meats.
For an interesting twist, you can experiment with different recipes using the basic components; for example, replacing the shrimp, chicken, and chorizo with duck, mussels, and andouille sausage to create a unique Duck Paella with Andouille Sausage and Mussels.