Golden saffron rice, smoky chorizo, juicy prawns and sweet green peas, all baked together in one pan. This Oven Baked Paella brings all the flavour of a classic Spanish paella with none of the fuss, because the oven does most of the work for you.
Paella has always felt like a bit of a special occasion dish, the kind you order on holiday and think you could never make at home. This prawn and chorizo paella changed that for me. Instead of standing over the stove stirring and watching the rice, you get everything started in the pan, pop the lid on and let the oven take over!
It takes 15 minutes to prep and about 18 minutes of hands-on cooking, then 35 minutes in the oven while you set the table or pour a glass of wine. It serves 4 and is a complete meal in one dish, with protein from the prawns and chorizo and plenty of veggies from the capsicum, tomatoes and peas.
The inspiration for this recipe came from my Oven Baked Chicken and Leek Risotto, which uses the same hands-off method. If you love seafood dinners, you might also like my One Pan Lemon Shrimp Orzo. Or for another one pan meal, try my One Pan White Wine Braised Chicken.
To round out a Spanish-inspired dinner, serve this paella with a fresh side salad like my Zesty Orange and Fennel Salad or Antipasto Chopped Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette.
Everything You Need to Make Oven Baked Paella
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this oven baked paella recipe. I’ve listed everything you will need below, including ingredient notes and possible swaps. You can find the ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- saffron threads – saffron is the star of any Spanish paella recipe, giving it that beautiful golden colour and distinctive flavour. It’s pricey, but you only need a little. If you can’t find it, ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric will give you the colour, though not quite the same flavour.
- extra virgin olive oil – olive oil is my go-to for cooking. It’s a great source of healthy fats and polyphenols.
- brown onion – finely diced. A white onion or a couple of French shallots work too.
- red capsicum – also known as red bell pepper. A yellow or orange capsicum is a great swap.
- garlic cloves – you will need 4 garlic cloves, minced. If using jarred minced garlic, use 1 teaspoon per clove.
- chorizo – I like to use a cured Spanish chorizo for the best smoky flavour. Look for one with no added nasties.
- sweet paprika – smoked paprika is also delicious if you want to dial up the smokiness.
- arborio rice – traditional paella rice like bomba or calasparra is perfect if you can find it. Otherwise, arborio rice is easy to find at most grocery stores and works really well. I don’t recommend long grain rice, as it won’t absorb the liquid in the same way.
- chicken broth or stock – I like to use homemade or a good quality chicken stock. Vegetable stock works too.
- fresh tomatoes – diced. I wouldn’t recommend using tin tomatoes for this recipe.
- finely ground sea salt – season to taste with cracked black pepper too.
- fresh parsley – finely chopped. Half goes into the paella and half is sprinkled over the top to serve.
- green peas – frozen peas go straight in, no need to thaw.
- prawns – you will need raw, peeled and deveined prawns (shrimp). Frozen prawns work well, just thaw and pat dry first.
- lemon wedges – A squeeze of lemon juice over the top brightens up all the flavours.
Optional Extras
Spanish paella is a great dish to make your own. Here are a few ways to switch things up:
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- chicken thigh – add 300 grams of diced chicken thigh and brown it after the chorizo for a heartier paella.
- more seafood – mussels, calamari or chunks of firm white fish can go in with the prawns.
- a pinch of chilli flakes – if you like a little heat.
Tips for Make the Best Oven Baked Paella
This might just be the best paella recipe for busy weeknights, because it really is one of the easiest ways to make paella at home. Here are a few of my top tips to make sure it turns out perfectly every time. You can find the full step-by-step instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Use an oven-safe pan with a lid – a large shallow casserole pan is perfect because you can go straight from the stovetop to the oven. If you don’t have one, transfer everything to a baking dish and cover tightly with foil before baking.
- Bloom the saffron – soaking the saffron threads in warm (not simmering) stock helps release all of its colour and flavour. Give it at least 10 minutes while you prep everything else.
- Drain the chorizo oil – chorizo releases a lot of oil as it browns. Removing most of it with paper towel stops the paella from becoming greasy, while leaving behind enough flavour.
- Don’t skip browning the veggies – cooking the onion until translucent and the capsicum until tender builds the flavour base of the whole dish.
- Bring it to the boil before baking – this gets the rice cooking straight away so it bakes evenly in the oven.
- Don’t stir during the first bake – resist the urge to lift the lid. Leaving it undisturbed lets the rice absorb the liquid evenly.
- Add the prawns at the end – prawns only need about 8 minutes in the oven. Adding them too early will make them tough and rubbery.
- Let it rest – resting the baked paella for 5 minutes with the lid on lets the rice finish absorbing any remaining liquid and the prawns gently finish cooking.
Storage
This chorizo and prawn paella is best served straight away, but leftovers keep well for a quick lunch the next day.
- Leftover paella – store any leftover shrimp and chorizo paella in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days (seafood is best eaten sooner rather than later). Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of stock or water to loosen the rice, or in the microwave until piping hot.
- Freezing – I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one, as the prawns can go rubbery once reheated.
As this dish contains rice, cool any leftovers quickly and refrigerate within an hour of cooking.
Oven Baked Spanish Paella Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 mg approx. ½ teaspoon saffron threads
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 1 red capsicum, core and seeds removed, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 chorizo, sliced
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth or stock
- 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
- ½ teaspoon finely ground sea salt
- Bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup green peas
- 500 grams raw shelled prawns
To serve
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F (conventional).
- Add about 1 cup of the stock to a small saucepan and turn to a low heat. Once the stock is warm but not simmering, turn off the heat. Add the saffron threads and set aside for the saffron to bloom.
- Bring a large shallow casserole pan to a medium heat. Add half of the olive oil and then the sliced chorizo. Brown on both sides then transfer the chorizo to a paper towel lined plate. Use paper towel to carefully remove as much oil from the pan as you can. Add the remaining olive oil and then the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the diced red capsicum and sauté, stirring, until the capsicum is tender. Add the garlic and paprika and sauté until fragrant.
- Add the rice, all the broth, tomatoes and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Turn off the heat and cover the pan with the lid. Place into the oven to bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, carefully remove from the oven, stir through the green peas and half of the parsley. Spread the prawns over the top if the rice, cover and place back into the oven for 8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir the prawns through the rest of the paella. Serve warm topped with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Saffron – 250mg is about ½ teaspoon of threads. Don’t skip blooming it in warm stock, as this releases the colour and flavour. If you can’t find saffron, use ½ teaspoon ground turmeric for colour.
- Rice – traditional paella rice like bomba or calasparra can be used in place of arborio. Avoid long grain rice, as it won’t absorb the liquid in the same way.
- Pan – you will need a large oven-safe pan with a lid. If you don’t have one, transfer everything to a baking dish and cover tightly with foil before baking.
- Tomatoes – you can swap the fresh tomatoes for a 400 gram tin of diced tomatoes. Reduce the stock by ½ cup.
- Prawns – use raw, peeled and deveined prawns. If they’re frozen, thaw them and pat dry with paper towel before adding.
- Add chicken – for a heartier paella, brown 300 grams of diced chicken thigh after the chorizo and add it back in with the rice.
- Gluten free – check that your chorizo and stock are gluten free.
- Nutrition facts are an estimate only.
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