This Spicy Paella is made with andouille sausage, shrimp and a lively colorful sofrito serves as the backbone for a rich depth of flavor. This recipe is fun to put together because its a manageable, perfect for the home cook experience. Whether you have a paella pan or not … let’s take a look.
Serving Tip: Serve this Spicy Paella with a Spanish Salad like this Fennel, Orange and Olive Salad for a fresh Spanish meal.
On the hottest day of the year, on the cement patio outside of culinary school, using a huge round charcoal grill and the largest paella pan I’ve ever seen, we made spicy paella for 50 people.
It was quite the undertaking, making sure the end result was authentic in texture. A little crunch to the rice and rich in flavor.
I’ve taken that saga of a recipe and simplified it for the normal home cook in their normal home kitchen. And using a paella pan is optional.
I find the thin paella pans difficult to use on a stovetop. Brands like Le Creuset make paella shaped pans that are heavy bottomed and produce a more even heat suitable for even cooking. Also a carbon steel fry pan is also a good choice here. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What is paella? Paella is a traditional Spanish dish from the Valencia region of Spain. It’s cooked in a paella pan made of thin carbon steel which has qualities to help to create a nice crust on on the rice. This crispy crust is what paella is known for and is referred to as socarrat. Paella can be made with a variety of meat, poultry or seafood.
The secret to making paella is to maximize the amount of rice on the bottom of the pan because that is where the flavor lies. That’s why a paella pan grows in diameter instead of height. Choose a fry pan with sides that slope.
Paella is meant to be enjoyed as a communal dish, serving many at a party or gathering.
While the method of making paella is simple, making truly great paella requires special attention to the type of heat source and careful preparation of ingredients.
Since we’ll be making paella stove top, consider the size of your burner. Most home burners work best with a 13 inch pan. If you’re cooking paella on the grill, it usually will accommodate a larger pan.
This recipe is bursting with flavor. What makes this paella spicy paella? It’s from the heat in the Andouille Sausage and the dried hot chile peppers added to the broth.
How can you go wrong with andouille sausage, shrimp, hot chiles, cumin, cilantro and lime….and that’s only a partial line up.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ingredients to make broth for paella:
- Dried Chile Peppers: Pasilla, arbol or guajillo will work well here.
- Spices: Cumin, cinnamon and garlic.
- Chicken Broth or stock.
Sofrito is a seasoned tomato based sauce used as a flavor foundation in Latin American and Spanish dishes. Having a good solid flavored sofrito means you’ve got the start to an excellent paella. It adds complexity and layers of flavor that add to the depth of this recipe. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this version of Spicy Paella:
- Tomato Paste
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes
- Chopped onion
- Chopped red bell pepper
- Chopped garlic
- Hot Smoked Paprika
- Neutral Oil, such as canola oil or vegetable oil.
For the ingredients to make this paella, I’ve chosen:
- Shrimp.
- Smoked Andouille sausage.
- Medium grained paella rice such as Valencia or Bomba. It absorbs three times its weight in liquid. This rice is cooked in a similar fashion to risotto, though its not sticky when cooked.
- Frozen corn.
- Cilantro.
- Lime Juice.
- Finely Chopped garlic.
Ingredient Substitutions
Paella is much like pizza in the way that you’ve got a blank canvas to choose ingredients to make it “your own”. Choose a variety of protein such as:
- Chicken thighs. (chopped)
- Spanish style chorizo.
- Mussels or small clams, scrubbed and beards removed.
- Substitute frozen peas for the corn.
- Add a healthy pinch of saffron for a more authentic dish.
- Omit the sausage and make this a seafood paella recipe.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Broth: Remove stem and seeds from the chile pepper and shake out the seeds. Combine the chile, cumin, cinnamon, 2 garlic cloves, and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
- Step 2: Make the sofrito: Heat oil in a large fry pan with sloped sides over medium high heat. Or paella pan. Once the oil is hot, add bell pepper and onion, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 3: Add zucchini; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in 2 garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, paprika and salt. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 4: Add rice, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to toast.
- Step 5: Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact if you’d like. Pat shrimp dry. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and saute 2 minutes. Add sliced sausage and cook one more minute to heat through. Remove the sausage and shrimp to a plate, so the shrimp will not continue to cook.
- Step 6: Remove the chile pepper from the broth. Stir broth, cilantro, oil and lime juice mix, and corn into the pan. Cook 15 minutes, uncovered, resisting the urge to stir. Add sausage and cook 5-10 more minutes, until rice is tender and starting to get a crust on the bottom of the rice.
- Step 7: Remove from heat. Stir in a splash of Sherry Vinegar (optional) Arrange shrimp in the paella. Cover with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes.
Serve family style straight from the pan.
About that Sherry Vinegar.
Pro Tip: Take the time to find and purchase Sherry Vinegar. Sherry Vinegar is aged vinegar made from sherry wine. It has a distinct rich flavor and will tame the acidity of the tomatoes and add bright flavor. Sherry vinegar is available in most grocery stores, though specialty stores will provide a better selection of higher quality sherry vinegars.
Recipe For Spicy Paella
I hope you give this spicy paella recipe a try. It’s an easy, delicious seafood recipe. It’s a rewarding recipe that will impress your family not only with its style, but also it’s flavor. It’s a fun way to host a Spanish-style dinner party.
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Spicy Paella
Ingredients
- For The Broth:
- 1 dried chile pepper New Mexican, arbol or Pasilla
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
- 2 Cups chicken broth
- For The Sofrito
- 2 tablespoons Neutral oil Canola or vegetable oil work well here.
- 1 cup red bell pepper chopped, about 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cups sweet onion chopped, apx. 1 medium onion
- 1 cups zucchini sliced, about 1 medium small zucchini
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes undrained
- ½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 garlic cloves peeled, minced
- 1 cup rice uncooked, or short grain rice like Valencia or also called Bomba rice.
- For The Paella:
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ⅛ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined. You can leave the tails on if you'd like
- 4 ounces smoked andouille sausage (fully cooked) cut into ½-inch pieces. About 1 link
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 4 lime wedges
- 1 Teaspoon Sherry vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare the Broth: Remove stem and seeds from dried chile pepper. Just shake the seeds out of the pepper. Combine the chile, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
- Make the sofrito: Heat oil in a large fry pan or paella pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add bell pepper and onion, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini; sauté 5 minutes. Stir garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, paprika and salt. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to toast the rice.
- Prepare spice blend, combine cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and set aside.
- To prepare paella, peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact if you'd like. Pat shrimp dry. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and saute 2 minutes. Add sausage and cook one more minute to heat through. Remove the sausage and shrimp to a plate, so the shrimp will not continue to cook.
- Remove the chile pepper from the broth. Stir broth, cilantro, lime, oil mix and corn into the sofrito in the pan. Cook 15 minutes, uncovered, resisting the urge to stir. You'd like to achieve a crust on the rice. Add sausage and cook 5-10 more minutes, or until rice is tender.
- Remove from heat. Stir in a splash of Sherry Vinegar (optional) Arrange shrimp in the paella. Cover with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Spicy Paella …It’s What’s for Dinner.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Sounds amazing! Every time I see someone on tv prepare a paella in one of those giant pans and loaded down with all kinds of goodies, I am envious. I know I’ll never do that at home, so I’ll just have to stick with our beloved jambalaya I guess!
I’ve had two discussions with people about how paella compares with jambalaya. Guess it’s just a difference in spices.
I just love paella. My daughter gave me a pan a few years ago for my birthday. I’ve made it a few times, but it’s been a while… I think it’s about time we had it again!
I doubt I run out and buy a pan. But would love to try it cooked in more of a traditional way.
Lea Ann, I think your recipe sounds delicious…with a southwest twist I think. I have had paella many times. Last year at a party, we had paella that was cooked in a pan 6 feet wide.
I like to cook this dish for company and will try to make one soon and post the recipe. I’m sure my company won’t mind waiting a few minutes for a couple of photos.
I knew I could count of my world traveler friend to have had paella many times. And I wondered if this was traditional, so glad for you to tell me it has a SW flair. Now just how the heck do you cook a pan that is 6 ft wide????
That is a gorgeous plating! You are twice the expert as me, I haven’t ever made a true paella.
I’ve never made a true paella either Chris.
Yum! I just got back to town and found this in my inbox. Never had Paella, but would love to try it. All those favorite flavors, plus rice = perfection in my book. And I love that it makes so much which is perfect for a party dish. Going to print this and put it in the “must try” pile. 🙂
and I’ll bet you are a creative stacker when you must have a new vessel. It brings out the engineer in me.
I hope you like it. Vickie, I have creatively stacked myself out of room, I suppose I could put it in my secondary storage area in the basement …. which is quickly filling up. :/
your presentation is absolutely perfect and beautiful!
Thanks! 🙂
I don’t have a recipe, but I do have many fond memories. I first learned about paella while in Spain. It was the first time I sat down to have dinner at 10pm or later! It was also the first time I indulged in LOTS of sangria at hidden bars in alley ways. Not sure I’ll ever eat paella again without thinking back on that trip.
Looks delicious!
I love it when a certain dish brings back fond memories.
As much as I like paella I’ve never made it at home. I even have the proper pan for it so I have no excuse. Your recipe sounds delicious.
Cathy, you’ll have to try it one of these day.
I am certainly no paella expert either, but I CAN tell you that the flavors in this sound spot-on perfect! Which is what really matters to me.
Thanks Joanne! I agree.
Looks so pretty Lea Ann. I enjoy Cooking Light recipes. I’ve always wanted a paella pan, but have to be realistic and realize there’s no place for it in my kitchen.
Sam
I have no space in my kitchen for one more dish, pan, gadget, etc. I keep kidding my husband that we need to move to a larger house.
I love paella! When I read the title in my email subscription I thought the flavors sound so perfect especially with an impending snow storm! My husband is more of the paella maker in our house. We spent a week in Barcelona a number of years back and he found a wonderful culinary store featuring local provisions which we packed a suitcase full of home (including some paella pans). I love the flexibility to skew it more toward meat or seafood or a mix. Yum!
Well, I’ve found my expert! You’ll have to make it sometime and blog about it. So I can what the real thing is. 🙂
Nice presentation! I haven’t made this classic dish myself, and I have to say the list of ingredients is intimidating. I’ll come to your house the next time you make it. 🙂
That ingredients list is ridiculous. You most certainly are invited over next time I make it … which might be another 10 years from now. 🙂
I love paella and this sounds like a great rendition. I was lucky enough to have paella in Spain years ago and have tried to duplicate the recipe several times and have gotten close but could never quite make it taste the same. I guess it’s just hard to duplicate the ‘experience’ anyway. The paella there and the recipes I’ve tried always have clams and/or mussels along with shrimp, chicken and sausage. There was never corn or zucchini but always peas and pimento. Saffron is also an important flavoring.
ahhhh Yes, I do know about Saffron in paella. With all these ingredients, I’m sure that expensive little spice would have gotten lost. I agree, so many times I’ve tried to re-create a memorable meal at home. Local ingredients and atmosphere just can’t be copied.
I’ve actually never had paella (gasp!), but the flavors do some intense and wonderful!
I’ve never had the “real” stuff. If I find somewhere in Colorado that serves it, we’ll have to treat ourselves.
Great presentation LA and I sure agree with “How can you go wrong with andouille sausage, shrimp, hot chiles, cumin, cilantro and lime….” We’ve talked about making it but never have – I’ve only had it out.
Thanks Larry. Well, at least you’ve had it “out”. I don’t think I’ve ever seen in on a menu.
No, you absolutely cannot go wrong with these ingredients. I love paella. What a pretty dish and those flavors . . . yum!
Thanks Karen. 🙂
I’m weird. I’m waiting to one day be able to afford one of those huge, awesome paella pans to make paella. I want that crisp rice on the bottom and all the flavor from the meat throughout. Sighh….dream on… Anyway, I wouldn’t turn away anybody else’s homemade paella no matter what type of pan they used. This looks pretty fabulous to me!
Well this particular batch of paella most certainly did not have crisp rice on the bottom. One more reason to buy a paella pan. 🙂
I’ve never made it, but have ordered it out. This looks excellent, Lea Ann, but also will check back and see if anyone has other recipe suggestions. Paella is for a large group and I cook mainly just for me…but I do have a houseful coming next month.
Barbara, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it on a menu. Or it just wasn’t on my radar.