Go Back
–+ servings
Finished paella dish in a paella pan over a charcoal grill showing shellfish cooked.
Print Recipe

Grilled Seafood Paella

This seafood paella leans into lobster, shrimp, mussels, and clams. It is loaded with a tomatoey flavor and scented with saffron.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • 17-inch paella pan
  • Grill (either charcoal or propane)

Ingredients

Meats

  • 1 lb large shrimp (at least 16), peeled and deveined
  • 2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton dulce) divided
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil as needed
  • 11 ounces Spanish chorizo cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds

Sofrito

  • 1 medium yellow onion diced into small pieces
  • 4 medium garlic cloves minced
  • 2 large pinches saffron threads
  • 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups paella rice (about 1 pound) sometimes labelled as bomba or Valencia
  • 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup roasted red peppers diced, with additional slices for garnish)
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Paella "topper"

  • 20 mussels, manila clams or a combination of both scrubbed
  • 4 lobster tails
  • 2 cups peas if frozen, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley leaves coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium lemons cut into wedges

Instructions

Marinate Meats

  • Place the shrimp in a medium bowl. Add one teaspoon of paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Toss to combine and refrigerate.
  • Place the chicken in a medium bowl and season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.

Prep Grill

  • Heat an outdoor grill to high (about 450°F to 550°F).

Saute the Meat

  • Place a 17-inch paella pan on the grill, cover, and heat until hot, about 2 minutes.
  • Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the chorizo to the pan, close the grill, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is starting to brown and the fat is rendered, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a large bowl; set aside.
  • There should be a thin layer of rendered fat in the pan. If there’s not enough, add another tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Add the seasoned chicken to the pan in a single layer, close the grill, and sear, stirring occasionally, until both sides of the chicken pieces are golden brown, about 6 minutes total. (You will need to rotate the pan occasionally on the grill to evenly distribute the heat.) Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the bowl with the chorizo; set aside.

Make the Sofrito

  • Add the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper, close the grill, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed on a gas grill or moving the paella pan to a cooler part of a charcoal grill so that the onions don’t burn.
  • Add the garlic, the other teaspoon of paprika, and saffron, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the canned tomato and cook until the mixture has slightly darkened in color, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.

Add Rice and Meats

  • Add the rice and measured salt and stir to coat in the tomato mixture.
  • Add the broth and peppers, and stir to combine. Arrange the rice mixture in an even layer.
  • Distribute the reserved chorizo and chicken over the rice, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl. (Do not stir the rice from this point on.)
  • Close the grill and bring the mixture to a lively simmer. Continue to simmer, checking occasionally, until the rice grains have swelled, most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the rice begins to make a crackling sound, about 12 minutes. (Make sure to rotate the pan occasionally to evenly distribute the heat, and adjust the heat as needed to maintain a lively simmer.)

Add Shellfish

  • When rice has absorbed some liquid, but is still very wet, arrange the shrimp and shellfish (hinge-side down) in the rice, nestling them slightly. Close the grill and cook until the shellfish have opened, the shrimp are just cooked through, and the rice is tender but still al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the grill, cover with foil, and let stand for 5 minutes.
  • Before serving the paella, discard any unopened shellfish, garnish with additional roasted bell pepper slices, peas and parsley.
  • Serve with the lemon wedges.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below or Instagram it! Mention @Fourtocookfor or tag #fourtocookfor!

Notes

I tend to use colossal-sized shrimp.
If you can't find paella rice, you can substitute arborio rice.