Shrimp and Scallops Paella

Shrimp and Scallops Paella combines paella rice with veggies, shrimp, scallops, and saffron – the spice that makes it unique. We make this on our outdoor grill using a paella pan, key to getting that dark crust on the bottom that makes it SO good!

** UPDATED POST can be found HERE!

Mike and I traveled to Spain and Portugal in early 2015, and experienced our first ever PAELLA while there. Mike couldn’t get enough of it, and ordered it almost everywhere he could get it. They normally made it with some type of seafood, and a variety of vegetables. We are true foodies, and while I’m a little slower to try new things, Mike was eating all the seafood (even some of which we didn’t recognize). The wine was absolutely divine, and the bread. The BREAD!

I described our trips in the following posts (Madrid, Lisbon, and Barcelona), and would LOVE to go back. Someday.

You get the picture. 🙂

Shrimp and Scallops Paella is one dish that I usually prepare on our outdoor grill, mostly because of the size of the pan. I purchased two of these paella pans on amazon, so I could make two batches at once for a larger group. Our Texas weather also allows for us to grill outside almost all year long. But you can totally make paella on your stove top, even using a regular saucepan.

There a couple of must-have ingredients for this recipe.

1. One is the paella rice that I usually order on amazon, but you can find it at World Market or other specialty stores.
2. The other is saffron, which I order as well. Saffron is a spice used often in Spanish dishes and is especially good in cooking seafood.

Tips for making EPIC paella:

1. Prep all your ingredients in advance. Slice the veggies, peel and devein the shrimp, measure out the rice, and so on.
2. Carry all of your ingredients outside to the grill. OR make it inside on the stovetop.
3. Cook at medium high heat – at around 400 degrees.
4. Let the rice mixture simmer, covered with foil, until ALMOST all the liquid is cooked out.
5. The seafood will only take about 5-6 minutes, so watch closely to prevent over-cooking.
6. If made correctly, the paella should have a brown, crisp layer at the bottom.

When we cook paella on our outside grill, I put everything in a pan to take it outside. The photo on the right is the saffron. You need only a teaspoon for this recipe.

The first photo below was taken right after the chicken broth was poured into the paella. We covered it with foil and let it simmer for about 25 minutes before adding the seafood (photo on the right). Then we covered it back up with foil and let it cook for about 5-7 minutes. Four pounds of seafood is a lot so the pan was heaping over.

Paella is pronounced “puh-yay-a”. One of the fun parts of making paella is saying it. Over and over again. Mike and I love to really emphasize the YAY part. In turn, our boys love to roll their eyes at us. Which makes it even more fun to say. (You get the picture.)

All this paella talk is really making me miss our trip to Spain and Portugal. We had the best time. And the food was…well, exceptional.

Make this seafood next: Baked Asian Salmon in Foil

Please let know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.

XOXO ~Sue

Shrimp and Scallops Paella

A Spanish inspired rice dish made with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and plenty of shrimp and scallops. 

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Spanish

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 407kcal

Author: Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion – sliced thin
• 1 whole red pepper – sliced thin
• 1 whole green pepper – sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic – finely diced
• salt and pepper – to taste
• 1 teaspoon Spanish saffron
• 1.5 cups paella rice
• 10 oz. can Rotel – I use HOT, but you can use mild or medium
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 pounds large, raw shrimp – peeled and deveined
• 1 pound scallops – cut into bite sized pieces

Instructions

• Prep ahead: Thinly slice the peppers and onion and mince the garlic. Peel and devein the shrimp, and cut the scallops if needed.
• Heat up paella pan on your outdoor grill to medium heat (or you can make it on your stovetop). Add olive oil and then add peppers, onions, salt and pepper to taste. Stir frequently, in between opening and closing the lid.
• When vegetables start to soften (after 5-6 minutes), add paella rice and saffron and continue cooking, stirring frequently. You are just browning the rice here.
• Add chicken broth, Rotel, and tomato paste, and stir. Cover pan tightly with foil, using gloves or some towels. 
• Let simmer for 20-25 minutes until liquid is almost fully absorbed and the bottom of the paella is starting to develop a dark crust.
• Add shrimp and scallops (and a little more salt and pepper) and stir. Cover again with foil, and continue cooking until seafood is just cooked through, approximately 5-6 minutes. Be careful to NOT over-cook the shrimp and scallops.
• Serve immediately, with slices of lemon.

Notes

Tips for making EPIC paella:

1. Prep all your ingredients in advance. Slice the veggies, peel and devein the shrimp, measure out the rice, and so on.
2. Carry all of your ingredients outside to the grill. OR make it inside on the stovetop.
3. Cook at medium high heat – at around 400 degrees.
4. Let the rice mixture simmer, covered with foil, until ALMOST all the liquid is cooked out.
5. The seafood will only take about 5-6 minutes, so watch closely to prevent over-cooking.
6. If made correctly, the paella should have a brown, crisp layer at the bottom.

Nutrition

Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 312mg | Sodium: 2024mg | Potassium: 656mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 23.1mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 4.1mg

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