A paella pan is a wide, flat pan used to cook the famous Spanish rice dish called paella. It helps cook food evenly and gives a tasty crispy bottom. In this guide, you will learn how to cook with a paella pan step by step — perfect for beginners!
🛒 Step 1: Get Your Ingredients
Here is a simple chicken & vegetable paella:
- 1 cup paella rice (or short-grain rice)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 chopped tomato
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup cooked chicken (or shrimp)
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 1/2 tsp paprika + turmeric (or saffron for color)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2.5 cups water or chicken broth
- Lemon wedges for serving
🍳 Step 2: Heat the Pan
- Place your paella pan on medium flame
- Add olive oil and let it heat up
- Move the oil around so the whole base is covered
Read:-How to Cook Rajma and Chole
🧅 Step 3: Cook the Base (Sofrito)
- Add onion and garlic
- Cook for 2–3 minutes until soft
- Add tomato and bell pepper
- Cook for 5 minutes until soft and saucy
This base adds flavor to your paella!
🍗 Step 4: Add Rice and Spices
- Add the rice, stir it in
- Add paprika, turmeric (or saffron), salt and pepper
- Mix everything gently
💧 Step 5: Add Broth and Let It Cook
- Add 2.5 cups of broth or water
- Add chicken and peas
- Spread everything evenly across the pan
- Do not stir after this point!
Let it cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes on medium-low heat
✅ The rice will slowly absorb the liquid
✅ The bottom layer will become crispy — this is the tasty “socarrat”
🛑 Step 6: Rest the Paella
- Turn off the heat
- Cover the pan with a cloth or lid
- Let it sit for 5 minutes
This helps the flavors come together and rice to finish cooking
🍋 Step 7: Serve and Enjoy!
- Add lemon wedges on top
- Garnish with fresh herbs if you like
- Serve directly from the pan — that’s the traditional way!
👨🍳 Tips for Using a Paella Pan:
- Use a large burner or two burners if your pan is wide
- Never fill the pan too deep — paella should be a thin layer
- Clean the pan with soft sponge (don’t scrub hard if it’s carbon steel)
- Dry it well after washing, and oil it lightly to prevent rust
