Spanish recipe

Paella Valenciana

Name: Paella Valenciana
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish cuisine
Ingredients: 400 g Spanish short-grain rice, preferably bomba or Valencia rice; 800 g bone-in chicken, cut into small serving pieces; 400 g rabbit, bone-in, cut into small serving pieces; 200 g flat green beans, trimmed and cut into 4 cm pieces; 100 g cooked garrofó or large white beans, drained; 120 g ripe tomato, finely grated; 120 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 3 g sweet Spanish paprika; 0.2 g saffron threads; 1.4 L water, plus a little hot water if reduction is excessive; 10 g fine salt, plus more only after tasting the broth; 1 sprig fresh rosemary, optional

The Valencian original is a wide-pan rice dish built from well-browned chicken and rabbit, tomato, green beans, garrofó, saffron and paprika. The rice cooks uncovered in the seasoned broth and rests before serving so the grains stay distinct.

Valencia, Spain

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 1 hr 5 min
Total: 1 hr 35 min
Servings: 4

Valencian paella with golden rice, chicken, rabbit, green beans and white beans — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by DorieoSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 4.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

400 g
Spanish short-grain rice, preferably bomba or Valencia rice
800 g
bone-in chicken, cut into small serving pieces
400 g
rabbit, bone-in, cut into small serving pieces
200 g
flat green beans, trimmed and cut into 4 cm pieces
100 g
cooked garrofó or large white beans, drained
120 g
ripe tomato, finely grated
120 ml
extra-virgin olive oil
3 g
sweet Spanish paprika
0.2 g
saffron threads
1.4 L
water, plus a little hot water if reduction is excessive
10 g
fine salt, plus more only after tasting the broth
1 sprig
fresh rosemary, optional

Method

01
Brown the chicken and rabbit
Heat the olive oil in a 38–42 cm paella pan over medium-high heat. Salt the chicken and rabbit lightly, then brown in a single layer for 12–15 minutes, turning until the surfaces are deeply golden rather than pale.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Cook the beans and tomato base
Push the meat toward the rim. Add the green beans to the centre and fry 4 minutes. Add the grated tomato and cook 5–7 minutes until much of its water evaporates and it darkens slightly. Stir in the paprika for only 20 seconds so it does not burn.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Build the broth
Pour in 1.4 L water and scrape the browned deposits from the pan. Bring to a strong simmer, then lower to a steady simmer for 25 minutes so the meat flavours the liquid. Keep the meat mostly submerged and add a little hot water only if the level drops dramatically.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Season with beans and saffron
Add the garrofó and saffron and simmer 5 minutes. Taste the broth and adjust salt now; it should taste fully seasoned because the rice will absorb it. Add the rosemary sprig for these final 5 minutes if using, then remove it.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Add and distribute the rice
Bring the broth back to a full boil. Sprinkle the 400 g rice evenly across the pan, using a spoon only to level the grains into a uniform layer. Cook over high heat for 8 minutes without stirring.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Finish over lower heat
Reduce to medium-low and cook another 10–12 minutes. Rotate the pan if your burner heats unevenly. The rice is ready when the surface is nearly dry, the grains are tender with a slight centre bite, and the chicken pieces reach at least 74°C at the thickest part.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Rest before serving
Remove from the heat and leave the paella uncovered for 5–6 minutes. This lets the final moisture settle into the rice without steaming the surface soft. Serve directly from the pan.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Use a wide, shallow pan so the rice cooks in a thin layer and liquid can reduce evenly.
Once the rice is distributed, avoid repeated stirring; judge doneness from grain texture and remaining liquid.

Common mistakes

Adding rice before the broth is properly seasoned leaves the finished dish flat because the grains absorb that liquid.
Too much liquid or a pan that is too deep steams the rice and prevents the dry, separate texture expected from Spanish rice dishes.

Substitutions

If Spanish short-grain rice is unavailable, use another short- or medium-grain rice with strong liquid absorption; avoid long-grain aromatic rice.
Use unsalted stock only when the recipe allows it, then adjust salt before the rice goes in so the liquid tastes correctly seasoned.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Paella Valenciana comes from Valencia and traditionally centres on rice, chicken, rabbit and local beans rather than the seafood-heavy versions often labelled paella abroad.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Paella valenciana 01 — Photograph by Dorieo; CC BY-SA 4.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Spanish recipes

Paella Valenciana

Ingredients

Method

Brown the chicken and rabbit

Cook the beans and tomato base

Build the broth

Season with beans and saffron

Add and distribute the rice

Finish over lower heat

Rest before serving

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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