Quick Chicken Paella

Ingredients

• 60 mlolive oil
• 5–6free-range chicken drumsticks, on the bone; season to taste
• 8deboned chicken thighs; season to taste
• 18–24 strandssaffron
• 1 tspsalt
• 250 ggreen beans, preferably flat Chinese green beans
• 3 clovesgarlic, finely chopped
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• 1 tsppaprika
• ½ tspmild chilli flakes, preferably ñora flakes
• ½ tinchopped tomatoes
• 200 gtinned butter beans
• 1 litrechicken stock
• 1 tinsnails (optional)
• 400 gpaella rice
• 6 sprigs, 5 cm eachfresh rosemary
• 240 ml (1 cup)boiling water
• A few cracksblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the pan

   Heat a 40–50 cm paella pan and pour in the olive oil.

2. 2

   Brown the drumsticks

   When the oil is hot, add the drumsticks and cook for 10 minutes, turning them continuously so they colour evenly.

3. 3

   Cook the thighs

   Add the thighs and cook for 3–5 minutes, turning to brown them evenly.

4. 4

   Bloom the saffron

   While the chicken cooks, boil a kettle. Grind the saffron and salt in a mortar and pestle until finely ground and pink. Spoon 2 tablespoons of fat from the paella pan into the mortar, then add 1 cup of boiling water and mix.

5. 5

   Prepare the chicken

   Lift the chicken out of the pan and remove the meat from the drumsticks. Cut it into bite-sized pieces and set it aside. Keep the bones to return to the pan for extra flavour if you like; remove them before adding the rice.

6. 6

   Blister the beans

   Add the green beans to the chicken juices in the same pan. Cook until their skins blister, turning as needed so they do not burn.

7. 7

   Cook the garlic

   Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

8. 8

   Coat in spices

   Add the smoked paprika, paprika and chilli flakes, and stir until the beans are coated.

9. 9

   Thicken the tomatoes

   Add the chopped tomatoes and cook them down into a thick soffritto.

10. 10

    Add butter beans

    Stir in the butter beans until they are coated in the soffritto.

11. 11

    Mix in saffron

    Pour in the bloomed saffron mixture and stir so it is evenly distributed through the vegetables.

12. 12

    Add the stock

    Pour in the chicken stock, return the bones to the pan if using them, and bring the mixture to a bubble. Check the seasoning; add 1 teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of black pepper.

13. 13

    Add chicken

    If using snails, add them now along with the reserved chicken pieces and rosemary.

14. 14

    Finish the paella

    You can switch off the heat at this stage and leave the pan for an hour or two, then remove the bones before adding the rice and 1 cup of water. Cover with foil and bake at 180°C for 30 minutes, or until the rice is done and the stock is absorbed. Alternatively, cook on the hob for 15–20 minutes; this method is more likely to produce socarrat than baking.

What is chicken paella?

Paella is a Spanish rice dish associated with Valencia, where it is traditionally cooked in a wide, shallow pan. This version combines chicken with green beans, butter beans, saffron and paprika.

The recipe builds flavour in stages: browned chicken leaves savoury juices in the pan, while the vegetables and tomatoes cook into a thick base before the rice is added.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 660 calories, 40g protein, 62g carbs, 27g fat.

The rice supplies most of the carbohydrates, while olive oil contributes much of the fat. Chicken provides protein, with additional protein and carbohydrates from the butter beans. Pair a serving with a green salad or extra vegetables for a more balanced plate.

Build flavour from the chicken

Drumsticks and thighs: browning both gives the pan a good foundation. Removing the meat while keeping the bones lets them simmer with the stock, if you want to extract more flavour.

Make the saffron infusion

Saffron and salt: grinding the strands first helps disperse them through the dish. Mixing them with hot water and a spoonful of pan fat creates the infusion used to flavour the vegetables.

Cook the vegetable base

Green beans: cook them until their skins blister, turning them so they do not catch. Garlic, paprika and chilli go in next, followed by tomatoes, which are cooked down into a thick soffritto.

Know when the rice is done

Rice and liquid: once the rice is added, follow the chosen cooking method and wait for it to become tender as the liquid is absorbed. The recipe gives 30 minutes in a 180°C oven, or 15–20 minutes on the hob.

Socarrat: the stovetop method is more likely to create the prized toasted layer at the bottom of the pan. Avoid stirring the rice during its final cooking so that layer can form.

Choose when to pause

Make-ahead pause: the recipe can be prepared through the chicken, vegetable and stock stage, then left for an hour or two before adding the rice. Remove the bones and add the rice and water when you are ready to finish cooking.

What to serve alongside

A simple green salad or lightly dressed tomatoes provide a fresh contrast to the savoury rice. Serve straight from the paella pan, with lemon wedges if you enjoy a little acidity.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a wide paella pan so the ingredients spread out rather than piling up.
• Turn the chicken regularly while browning for even colour.
• Keep the green beans moving as they blister to prevent them from burning.
• Cook the tomatoes down until the base is thick before adding the stock.
• Remove the bones before adding the rice if you returned them to the pan.
• Choose the hob method if forming a toasted rice layer matters to you.

Variations

• Use grated tomatoes: replace the tinned tomatoes with 3 grated Roma tomatoes.
• Skip the snails: leave them out for a chicken and bean paella.
• Try flat green beans: use them in place of other green beans for the more traditional choice suggested in the recipe.
• Adjust the chilli: reduce or omit the flakes for a milder result.
• Use water: the method allows water in place of chicken stock, though the flavour will be less rich.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Crowding the pan: use a pan 40–50 cm wide so the chicken can brown rather than steam.
• Burning the beans: turn them as they blister and keep an eye on the pan.
• Adding rice too early: cook the tomatoes down into a thick soffritto first.
• Leaving bones in: take them out before adding the rice so they do not get in the way.
• Stirring late in the hob cooking: leave the rice undisturbed if you want a chance of a toasted base.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container once cooled, and eat within 2 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of water if the rice has dried out.

Frequently asked questions