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4.4 from 306 votes

Easy Chicken Paella

If you're never made paella before, here's how with this EASY recipe ready in 45 minutes!! Juicy chicken and tender rice with onions, peppers, tomatoes, and more! So much FLAVOR in every bite!!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
5 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 319 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Spanish

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 large sweet Vidalia onion or yellow onion diced small
  • 1 red bell pepper trimmed, seeded, and diced small
  • 3 cloves of garlic pressed or finely minced
  • about 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast diced into bite-sized pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 1.1 pounds bomba rice
  • 4 cups 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 packet Paellero
  • one 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup water or additional chicken broth, as necessary
  • 1 cup peas I used frozen that I added straight from freezer
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Lemon wedges for garnishing

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. To a large skillet (15+ inches in diameter if possible) or paella pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, onion, pepper, and sauté over medium-high heat until vegetables begin to soften and lightly caramelize, about 5 to 8 minutes; stir intermittently.
  2. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute; stir intermittently. Remove the sofrito (the onion, pepper, and garlic) from the pan; set aside.
  3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook the chicken until it’s about 50% cooked through, stirring and flipping intermittently. Remove from the pan; set aside with the sofrito.
  4. Add the bomba rice and cook to toast the rice for about 3 minutes, stirring intermittently.
  5. To the chicken broth, add 1 packet Paellero, and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth to the rice.
  6. Add the sofrito and chicken back to the skillet, add the tomatoes, 1 cup water, and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender, chicken is cooked through, and liquid is absorbed. If necessary, you may need to add more than 1 cup water (or chicken broth) based on the texture of the rice. Taste it near the end of the cooking period and if it’s too firm and all the liquid is absorbed or nearly so, add a bit more water using your judgment.
  7. Add the peas, parsley, stir to combine, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to warm through.
  8. Taste the paella and add salt and pepper, if necessary, to taste. The saltiness of the chicken broth, tomatoes, whether you used Paellero, and personal preference for salt and pepper will dictate how much to use. I used about 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
  9. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Storage: Paella will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 319kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 17g (6%) Protein 34g (68%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 10g Cholesterol 84mg (28%) Sodium 1418mg (59%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 9g (18%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 319

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 319kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 17g 6%
Protein 34g 68%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 10g 59%
Cholesterol 84mg 28%
Sodium 1418mg 59%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 9g 18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.