Dish guides
What is paella?
Paella is a rice dish from Valencia, cooked in a wide, shallow pan until the stock is absorbed and a thin crust forms on the bottom. The original paella valenciana uses chicken, rabbit and green beans; on most menus you'll also see paella de marisco (seafood) and paella mixta (meat and seafood). It's usually listed under arroces (rice dishes) and made to order for two or more people.
- At a glance
- Paella
- Valencian rice cooked in a wide pan with saffron and either meat, seafood or both.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like pah-EH-yah · IPA /paˈeʝa/
- Also written as
- paella valenciana, paella de marisco, paella mixta, seafood paella, mixed paella, paella de pescado y marisco, vegetable paella, paella de verduras
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- short-grain rice (such as bomba)
- olive oil
- stock
- saffron or food colouring
- sweet paprika (pimentón)
- tomato
Often added
- chicken and rabbit with flat green beans and garrofó beans (paella valenciana)
- prawns, langoustines, mussels, clams and squid (paella de marisco)
- snails or rosemary (inland Valencian versions)
- chorizo (tourist versions)
- alioli served on the side
- lemon wedges
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Shellfish | Often contains |
| Molluscs | Often contains |
| Fish | Often contains |
| Eggs | Sometimes contains |
| Celery | Sometimes contains |
| Sulphites | Sometimes contains |
| Gluten | Rarely contains |
| Dairy | Rarely contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Soy | Rarely contains |
| Sesame | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | Depends — Only paella de verduras (vegetable paella), and only if it's cooked with vegetable stock rather than chicken or fish stock. |
| Vegan | Depends — A vegetable paella made with vegetable stock is usually vegan; ask about the stock and skip the alioli, which normally contains egg. |
| Pescatarian | Depends — Seafood paella fits; paella valenciana (chicken and rabbit) and paella mixta don't. |
| Halal | Depends — Seafood and vegetable paellas contain no pork, but the chicken and rabbit in meat paellas are rarely halal, and some tourist versions add chorizo. |
| Kosher | Depends — Seafood paellas contain shellfish and the classic Valencian one contains rabbit; a vegetable paella avoids both but won't come from a kosher kitchen. |
| Gluten-free | Usually |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
The original: paella valenciana
Paella is named after the pan, not the ingredients: in Valencian, paella means frying pan. The classic paella valenciana from the countryside around Valencia is a meat dish. Chicken and rabbit are browned in olive oil, then flat green beans, large white garrofó beans, tomato and paprika go in. Water, saffron and short-grain rice follow, and the rice is left undisturbed until it has absorbed the liquid. Some cooks add snails or a sprig of rosemary.
A good paella is a thin layer of separate, flavourful grains, not a deep, wet mound. The prized crust that toasts on the bottom of the pan is called socarrat.
Typical price
Median price 18 EUR
Typical range 14–30 EUR.
Median of 26 menus, 2025-04 – 2026-04. Basis: Spanish-language menus scanned with MenuGuide; price as printed (some menus price paella per person, often with a two-person minimum).
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Una paella de marisco para dos, por favor. | A seafood paella for two, please. |
| ¿Cuánto tarda la paella? | How long does the paella take? |
| ¿Lleva marisco o caldo de pescado? Soy alérgico. | Does it contain shellfish or fish stock? I'm allergic. |
Not to be confused with
- Arroz a banda — Rice cooked in fish stock and served without the seafood, often with alioli.
- Arroz negro — Rice dyed black with squid ink, usually with squid or cuttlefish.
- Fideuà — Made like a seafood paella, but with short thin noodles instead of rice.
- Arroz caldoso / meloso — Soupy or creamy rice served from a pot, not a dry layer in a paella pan.
Frequently asked questions
Is paella gluten free?
Paella is usually gluten free: rice, olive oil, saffron, vegetables, meat and seafood don't contain gluten. The risks are stock cubes or ready-made stock that contain wheat, and the bread served alongside. If you're coeliac, ask whether the stock is homemade (caldo casero) and whether the kitchen uses any flour in the dish.
What's in a paella mixta?
Paella mixta is a mixed paella with both meat and seafood, typically chicken or pork together with prawns, mussels and squid, sometimes with chorizo. It's a common choice on menus aimed at visitors. People from Valencia generally see it as a modern compromise: the traditional paella valenciana has chicken and rabbit, and seafood paella has no meat.
How do you pronounce paella?
Most Spaniards say pah-EH-yah, with the stress on the middle syllable: in IPA, [paˈeʝa]. In Valencian and Catalan, and in some older Castilian speech, the double l sounds like the "lli" in million: pah-EH-lyah. Saying pie-ELL-ah, as English speakers often do, will still be understood.
Why is paella only for two people?
Paella is cooked from raw rice in a wide pan, and it doesn't scale down well to a single portion. Restaurants therefore usually set a minimum of two people (mínimo dos personas), with the price shown per person. Some places do sell single portions, but those are often taken from a larger batch cooked earlier.
