Easy Paella Recipe

This Easy Paella Recipe makes a vibrant one-pan dish that's perfect for weeknight dinners and special occasions! It requires only a few easy-to-find ingredients -- the ease and flavor of this tasty paella will make this gluten and dairy-free recipe a favorite in your home!

Why you’ll fall in love with this Easy Paella Recipe:

• Bold flavor-packed mouth party
• Simple, easy-to-find ingredients -- it tastes great with or without saffron!
• 30 minutes of cooking time
• Veggie-packed
• Naturally Gluten-Free and Dairy-free recipe, with a super easy protein substitution for vegans
• Perfect for dinner parties!

What to know before you start:

It's actually easy!

True story -- I procrastinated making this recipe for 3 days after buying the ingredients! Most 'easy' paella recipes online have so many ingredients and steps. This one is super simplified -- after all, I made it in my camper van!

Make it Vegan... and even easier.

I used shrimp in this version, but you can add thawed frozen peas instead! Peas are an excellent addition to this dish if you make it with shrimp too.

So many protein-swap options!

Traditional paellas have lots of tasty variety! You can make it with chicken, sausage, peas, mussels, crayfish... just make sure to reconsider the cooking time since shrimp are pretty quick.

Try it with saffron if you like.

Some people might say it's not a 'true' paella recipe without saffron. While delicious, it's also expensive and can be hard to find when you're camping out in small towns.

This recipe has turmeric as the more affordable replacement. If you would like to use saffron, soak 2-3 strands in 2 tablespoon of warm water while you prep. Then add the saffron soaked in water in place of turmeric in this recipe. These instructions are also included in the notes section of the recipe card below.

Easy Paella recipe:

Easy Paella Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Jamie -- Vibrantly g-Free
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This Easy Paella Recipe makes a vibrant one-pan dish that's perfect for weeknight dinners and special occasions! It requires only a few easy-to-find ingredients -- the ease and flavor of this tasty paella will make this gluten and dairy-free recipe a favorite in your home!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 16 shrimp, tail off and deveined
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced thinly and halved
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 ½ cups arborio rice
• 2 ¼ cups vegetable broth
• 1 lemon, juiced (1 lemon provides about 2 tablespoons of juice)
• ¼ cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

Spices

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric (or saffron -- see notes)
• 2 medium Bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

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Instructions

1. In a large fry pan on medium heat, sear shrimp -- cook about 2 minutes total on medium-high heat, flipping mid-way. Remove shrimp from pan and add oil, onion and bell pepper. Sautee for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften.
2. Add garlic and sautee, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant and golden brown. Then add tomato puree, rice, broth, parsley, and spices. Bring to low boil for 15 minutes or until rice is mostly cooked, stirring on occasion.
3. Add shrimp and bury in the paella. Allow to cook for 5 minutes more, stirring as needed. Turn off heat. If rice is still too firm, cover with a lid and towel (still no heat) until liquid is absorbed and rice is al dente. Add lemon juice, or serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!

Notes

• If using saffron, soak 2-3 strands in 2 tablespoon of warm water while you prep. Then add the saffron and water in place of turmeric in this recipe.
• If adding green peas, add thawed or pre-cooked at the same time (or in place of) shrimp in this recipe. I recommend thawing frozen peas first to keep cooking times consistent..

• Category: Dinner, Meal, Skillet
• Method: Skillet
• Cuisine: Spanish

Keywords: easy shrimp paella, easy paella recipe without saffron, easy vegan paella

Photos of the Process:

Prep the ingredients.

Sear shrimp.

Sautee onion and bell pepper in oil until soft (about 5 minutes). Then add garlic and sautee for ~2 minutes until golden brown and fragrant.

Add tomato puree, rice, broth, parsley, and spices. Bring to a low boil for 15 minutes, stirring on occasion.

When rice is mostly cooked, add shrimp back to the mixture and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring as needed. Alternatively, replace shrimp with green peas -- add thawed at this point or earlier if frozen (I recommend thawing first to keep the cooking times consistent).

Save this Easy Paella Recipe to Pinterest -- click the 'Save' button in the top left corner of the image below:

Hungry for more?

Try these:

• Savory Pumpkin Stew
• Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Pasta
• Northwest Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
• Pumpkin Curry with Chicken

Or check out our tasty gluten-free Recipe Index <3

With love and gratitude,

❤︎ Jamie