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I made us a big skillet of awesomeness.
And I did it all in one pan… without even heating up the kitchen.
SCORE!!
Although, now that I say that out loud I am silently thinking to myself that at least for me, up here in the mountains, it’s really not that hot out, like at all. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind heating up my kitchen right about now. I mean, I am highly embarrassed to admit this, but I totally have my heater blowing on my legs right now.
What?!
Don’t judge, it’s cold and stormy here and I am about to head out to bring the goats in from the field, and well, it kind of gives me chills just thinking about it. I really should have brought the goats in like an hour ago, but I am procrastinating going outside by telling myself that I need to finish writing this post first. Is it just me or has it been on the colder side this summer?
Even when I was in Cleveland visiting family it was only in the low 70’s. Now come on, I need at least 80 degrees to be extra happy and in my shorts and t-shirts. 70 is more like leggings and a sweater, and the current 45 degrees I am experiencing in Colorado, well that’s more like socks, leggings and a BIG cozy sweatshirt… maybe even some serious snuggles with a blanket.
Sidenote: I was recently asked how I survive living where I live when 85 degrees is my ideal temperature. The honest answer, it’s a struggle! If it weren’t for my family and the fall (I adore an awesome, cozy fall and the months of September, October, November and December are awesome up here), I might not be able to get through the rest of the year.
Completely random sidenote # 2: Since I seem to be in the procrastination mode… and I am oh so easily distracted… I decided to be weird and watch the running of the bulls on snapchat.
OMG, that’s CRAZY!
Oh but hey!! The running of the bulls kind of fits in with my Spanish themed recipe, right? I mean, not really, but the running of the bulls is done in Spain and paella was created in Spain, so hey, it kind of justifies my distraction and ties it in with this post, you know, like background research.
Not gonna lie, I’d chose this skillet grilled seafood and chorizo paella over running with the bulls in Spain any stinkin’ day. Just sayin.
Ok so the paella.
Can you believe I made this whole thing on the grill, and dirtied just one dish, one cutting board and one knife?!?! I was SO happy about the minimal mess since lately cleanup around here has been a 2+ hour project and the thought of cleaning even one more dish, or vacuuming up another crumb or wiping more stickiness up off the floor is pretty much daunting.
Clearly not only the flavors of this dish were welcomed with open arms, but also the simplicity of this dish! Bring on more easy clean up meals… please!!!
Making paella on the grill is really just the same as making it on the stove. You simply need to try to keep the heat of your grill a consistent temp and you’re good to go. Bonus, you also get a little smoky flavor from the grill as well!!
And if you don’t have a grill? Well don’t worry, you can totally just make this on the stove-top. Works great both ways.
For my paella, I used a mix of chicken, chorizo and seafood. You can do all three like me, pick your favorites or leave them out completely and make a vegetarian version. It’s totally adaptable to your personal taste buds. For the seafood, I used a mix of a lobster tail, jumbo tiger shrimp, clams and mussels. It was the perfect combo if you ask me and made for a really pretty dish too!!
I also finished my dish off with a drizzle of truffle oil, which I kind of think was awesome, but I do realize that truffle oil is a bit pricey, so only use it you have some.
OH and I didn’t just use plain green olives. NOPE. I used blue cheese stuffed olives (my favorites are the DeLallo brand) cause I mean, a little cheese never hurt. <–Truth.
Double OH, if you’re out to impress someone, make this dish, it’s definitely a show stopper!
Skillet Grilled Seafood and Chorizo Paella.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 small sweet onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 4 ounces spanish chorizo, sliced
- 3-4 heirloom tomatoes chopped , (or one 14 ounce can whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
- 1 (8 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, sliced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 cups jasmine or basmati rice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 small skinless chicken thighs or breast
- 1/3 cup blue cheese stuffed green olives
- 1 teaspoons spanish smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt + pepper to taste
- pinch of saffron
- 16 ounces fresh seafood (I used 1 lobster tail, 6 jumbo shrimp, 4 clams, and 4 mussels)
- juice of 2 lemons
- fresh chopped parsley, for serving
- white truffle oil, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to high heat.*
- Place a very large cast iron skillet (it should be at least a 12 inch circle or oval skillet) on the grill grates. Allow the skillet to heat with the grill. Once the skillet is hot, add the olive oil, onion and garlic. Season lightly with salt + pepper and cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring often or until the onion is soft and sweet. Add the chorizo and cook until just browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes (crushed by your hands if using canned), their juices and roasted red peppers. Continue cooking another 5 minutes.
- Add the wine to deglaze the pan and then stir in the rice, cooking until toasted, about 3-5 minutes. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and give everything a good stir. Slide in the chicken, green olives, paprika, another pinch of salt + pepper and a good pinch of saffron, stir gently to combine, cover tightly with the skillet top or tin foil and then place the lid on the grill. Grill covered for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss the seafood with a little olive oil, salt + pepper. After 15 minutes of cooking on the grill, carefully remove the skillet top or foil and add the seafood to the skillet. Cover again with the top or the foil and return the grill lid, continue cooking another 15 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through and the rice fluffy.
- Remove the skillet from the grill and drizzle the dish with lemon juice. If desired drizzle with white truffle oil as well and season lightly with salt + pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley. EAT!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
And ok, kind of DELICIOUS too! 🙂
Was NOT an easy dish to prep. The 15 minutes cooking of thighs was not enough time for them to thoroughly cook. Also, more sauce from the can of tomatoes would have made the rice less stuck together and starchy.
This recipe is labor intensive, and one that should be created on a weekend.
My favorite go to recipe when I want to impress people on a work day. It is surprisingly simple, yet delish!!
Hey Jill,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxT
Absolutely scrumptious!!
Hey Courtney,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
Can you make this dish ahead of time so it is ready when guests arrive even if they won’t be eating it for an hour or two?
Hey Carolyn,
You could do that, but to be honest I wouldn’t pick this as the best make ahead recipe. I usually would do a lasagna or enchiladas. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Amazing!! Made this on the stove top!! So flavorful! Can’t wait to serve it for dinner tonight. Perfect for the freezing temps!!
Hey Alicia,
Thanks you so very much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
Just tried this recipe about 1 month ago and I am so happy with how it came out. Made on the stove with a wok because I do not have a grill. My fiancé hates olives but he loved the blue cheese stuffed olives. I tried paella the first time in Spain and every plate I’ve tried in restaurants in America has disappointed me so far. So happy I can make this at home better now thanks to this recipe!
Hey Stefani,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
I made this last year when we went camping and it was fantastic, everyone loved it, planning on making it again this weekend for a birthday dinner, “T”, you make the most delicious food, and your photos are impeccable. I wish we could upload photos, because I would show you your Paella multiplied by 4 for our camping excursion, lol!
Hey Kathleen,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed:) xTieghan
Hello, this recipe looks delicious. Quick question – Do you think a 4 1/2-quart dutch oven would be large enough or should I downsize the ingredients? Going to try this one on a campfire setup!
Hey there,
That should be totally fine! I hope you enjoy the recipe. Let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan
This looks amazing….I plan to make it for Christmas Eve. Two quick questions: 1. Do you think it’s okay if you cook on the stove opposed to a grill? Also, did you remove the lobster from the shells prior to cooking? Thank you!
Hey Aimee,
Yes, the stove top is totally fine and I did not remove the lobster from the shells. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made this on the weekend on the grill. It was fabulous. My favorite part was the rice on the bottom of the pan that got all brown and crusty. Delicious!!!
Thank you so much Cathleen! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Made this tonight at my husbands suggestion for our experimental Sunday dinner. It’s a hit, He’s on serving #2 right now. Definitely keeping on our recipe box.
We use hot Italian sausage – and broil it as it’s too hot to grill here in south Texas. Stay safe!
– Heidi
Sounds amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Heidi!! xTieghan
Hi Teaghan!
Thanks for the awesome recipe! I’ve been following your blog for several years now and have always been impressed with your creativity and compositions. My fiancee and I made this last night on the stove-top and it turned out really well! The stores were out of a lot of fresh seafood, but we managed to get clams, shrimp, and scallops. Towards the end of the recipe I thought the seafood would get overcooked since there was a lot of liquid left in the pan to boil off (I think the tomatoes released a lot of water in the beginning) so I fished out the seafood and returned it once most of the liquid was gone. Super yummy! Thanks again!
Jessica
Thank you Jessica! So happy this one turned out so well for you! I hope you continue to enjoy other recipes of mine as well! xTieghan