Stovetop Paella Mixta for Four With Pork, Chicken, and Shrimp Recipe

Paella is traditionally cooked in massive pans over live fires. When you try to make it indoors on the stovetop, some adjustments are necessary. In particular, you need to limit the pan size relative to the burner to avoid extreme hot spots and uneven cooking. This recipe accounts for that.

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Editorial Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated January 23, 2020
Stovetop paella mixta in a paella pan.

Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

Why It Works

  • Using a small pan helps compensate for a stovetop burner's limited size, allowing for more even heat and better results.
  • A pre-made sofrito adds deep flavor and simplifies the paella-making process.
  • Optional dried peppers add a profound earthy flavor to the paella.

Just big enough to feed a family or small group of friends, this stovetop mixed paella is packed with tender chicken thighs, juicy pork medallions, and plump shrimp. The key to success is limiting the pan size so that it's not too much bigger than the burner below it. Make sure to pay attention to the boiling pattern of the broth while the rice cooks, moving the pan around to make sure all areas are exposed to the heat.

Recipe Details

Stovetop Paella Mixta for Four With Pork, Chicken, and Shrimp Recipe

Active 2 hrs
Total 2 hrs
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Sofrito:

  • 3 dried ñora peppers or 4 ancho chiles (1 1/2 ounces total; 50g), optional; see note

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 medium yellow onions (3/4 pound; 300g), finely diced

  • One large (8-ounce; 225g) red pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) tomato paste

For the Paella:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (22ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2 pounds; 900g)

  • 4 pork tenderloin medallions (1 pound; 450g total)

  • 1/2 cup sofrito (4.5 ounces; 130g)

  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce)

  • Pinch saffron threads

  • 3 1/2 cups (830ml) boiling hot white chicken stock or low-sodium broth, vegetable stock, or water, plus more as needed

  • 1 1/4 cups (9 ounces; 255g) short-grain Spanish rice, such as Bomba and Calasparra

  • 6 large shelled shrimp (heads on, if desired)

  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. For the Sofrito: Place dried peppers (if using) in a medium heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water (if not using, skip to Step 3). Place a weight or wet paper towel on top to help submerge the peppers. Let stand until peppers are fully softened, 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the peppers are very stubborn (as thick-skinned ñoras can be), you may need to tear a small hole in them to let water penetrate inside.

    Placing a paper towel over dried peppers in water to submerge them.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  2. Drain peppers and discard stems and seeds. Using a paring knife, carefully scrape the flesh from the skins. Discard skins.

    Slicing rehydrated peppers for sofrito.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  3. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic, onion, red pepper, and scraped rehydrated chili flesh (if using), season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring, until vegetables have released their liquid and are beginning to brown lightly on the bottom of the pan, about 6 minutes.

    Sauteeing sofrito for stovetop paella.

    Serious eats / Liz Clayman

  4. Lower heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring and scraping frequently, until sofrito is sweet to the taste and a deep golden brown color, about 30 minutes longer. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes longer. You should have about 1 cup. You can refrigerate the sofrito in an airtight container for up to 5 days. (Any extra sofrito not used in this recipe can be used as a flavor base for soups, sauces, braises, stews, and more.)

    Golden brown sauteed sofrito for stovetop paella.

    Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

  5. For the Paella: In a 12- or 13-inch paella pan or straight-sided stainless steel sauté pan, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.

  6. Season chicken and pork all over with salt, then add to pan and cook, turning, until deeply browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer pork to a platter, leaving chicken in the pan.

    Pan-frying chicken thighs and chunks of pork for paella.

    Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

  7. Add sofrito, paprika, and saffron, and cook, stirring and scraping until well mixed and sizzling.

  8. Add stock (or water) and bring to a rolling boil. Season lightly with salt. Sprinkle in rice all over, making sure all grains are submerged and none are stuck on top of the pieces of chicken. Using your spatula, gently swirl the liquid around to distribute the rice evenly. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.

  9. Cook for 8 minutes without stirring, then return pork to the pan. Season shrimp with salt and nestle around the chicken thighs and pork pieces. Continue cooking until the rice is just al dente and the liquid has fully been absorbed, about 8 minutes longer; turn the shrimp during this time to cook them until pink on both sides. Reduce heat to low at any point to prevent scorching on bottom (though browned and crispy rice on the bottom is desirable). Make sure to observe the boiling pattern throughout cooking, and move the pan around to give heat to all areas.

    Overhead of stovetop paella simmering in a large pan

    Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

  10. If the liquid cooks off and the rice isn't done enough, add more boiling-hot stock or water in small additions and continue cooking until the rice reaches the desired doneness. You can also use a spoon to carefully dig into the paella and check the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing is burning.

  11. When the rice is perfectly cooked and the liquid is fully absorbed, remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

Special equipment

3-quart saucepan; 10-inch paella pan or straight-sided stainless-steel sauté pan

Notes

Spanish dried ñora peppers add an earthy note to the sofrito; ancho chilies are a close approximation, though they have more heat. You can also omit the peppers entirely.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
634 Calories
32g Fat
24g Carbs
63g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 634
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 42%
Saturated Fat 7g 36%
Cholesterol 239mg 80%
Sodium 1975mg 86%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 63g
Vitamin C 23mg 116%
Calcium 62mg 5%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 1071mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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