Slow Cooker Paella with Chicken, Chorizo and Shrimp
, Updated Jul 05, 2023
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Slow Cooker Paella with tender chicken, chorizo and shrimp. You won’t believe how tasty and this easy mixed paella recipe is – everything cooks in your crock pot with minimal prep!
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What Is Paella?
Paella is a wonderful saffron infused one-pot dish from Spain which takes its name after the special wide shallow pan used to cook it in.
There are many versions of paella, with variations containing anything from chicken and pork to rabbit and snails. The popular version outside of Spain usually contains a variety of seafood as well as chicken and chorizo.
While the ingredients in authentic Paella are a hot button topic, even among Spaniards!, one thing is certain.
Paella uses a special type of short-grain rice, such as Bomba, which absorbs a lot of stock without losing its bite. The rice at the bottom of the paella is supposed to get a little golden and crusty.
Slow Cooker Paella
Paella in a slow cooker? You bet! I should clear one thing first of all – this is NOT anything like the traditional recipe, but it IS very easy to make and incredibly tasty. Think of it as an easy paella for home cooks!
So if you want a super yummy rice dish without any of the fuss, this crock pot paella is for you! Let’s take a look at what you will need.
Chicken, chorizo and shrimp
Chicken and chorizo is such a fabulous combo with amazing flavour! Take a look at my Chicken Chorizo Stew – looks amazing, right? If you prefer you can make this recipe with just those two… but why not add shrimp into the mix?
If you are serving this as a family meal I would say stick with shelled raw shrimp (prawns) – young kids tend to fuss over having to peel the shrimp.
But if you can find good quality jumbo shrimp then add them whole – the shells and heads will bring so much flavour to the cooking broth.
And if you want to inch a step close to Spanish paella you can add mussels and clams too! Maybe save those for a special occasion though, they are quite pricey.
Which type of rice should I use?
For a stovetop paella I would definitely opt for Spanish short grain rice. But when I tested this paella recipe in my slow cooker with Bomba rice it wasn’t a big success.
I recommend using long grain rice (such as Uncle Ben’s) instead – it cooked really well in my crockpot without turning mushy. Another plus is that this is easier to find and less expensive than specialist paella rice.
Cooking rice in a slow cooker is actually a great way to make one-pot meals. Make sure to use the type specified as different types of rice cook absorb water and cook very differently .
Easy Slow Cooker Paella
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Add the saffron strands the hot chicken (or fish) stock, stir and leave them to infuse.
If you slow cooker allows for searing (like this Morphy Richards Sear And Stew) then add the oil and heat. Add the chorizo, onion and peppers sauté, stirring, until the chorizo starts to release some of its spicy oil and vegetables soften. Alternatively do this in a pan and transfer to the slow cooker.
Add minced garlic and the rice and stir to combine. If you are using green beans then add these now.
Stir in the chicken, tomatoes, seasoning and stock. Cover and cook on the high setting for 90 minutes.
Remove the lid and add the shrimp and frozen peas (if using as an alternative to the green beans). Push the shrimp into the paella, cover and cook for a further 20-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked to your liking.
Remove and discard the bay leaves and check the seasoning. Stir in lemon juice and chopped parsley. Turn onto a platter, serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!
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HAVE YOU MADE MY SLOW COOKER PAELLA RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Slow Cooker Paella with Chicken, Chorizo and Shrimp
Video
Equipment
- Slow Cooker 6.5L
Ingredients
- Generous pinch saffron strands
- 4 cups (960ml) hot chicken or fish stock (or broth)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 spicy chorizo ring , chopped (approx. 7oz /200g)
- 1 large yellow onion , diced
- 1 red bell pepper , diced
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 oz (100g )green beans, sliced (optional – leave out if using peas)
- 1 ⅓ cups (250g) long grain rice, I used Uncle Ben’s
- 5 chicken thighs , skinless and boneless, diced
- 1 cup (240g) diced tomatoes fresh or canned
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 12 large raw shrimp with shells or peeled
- 1 cup (130g) frozen peas if not using green beans
- Salt and pepper to season
- Lemon juice , to taste
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley , chopped
- Lemon wedges , to serve
Instructions
- Add the saffron strands the hot chicken (or fish) stock, stir and leave them to infuse.
- If you slow cooker allows for sear and stew then add the oil and heat. Add the chorizo, onion and peppers sauté, stirring, until the chorizo starts to release some of its spicy oil and vegetables soften. Alternatively do this in a pan and transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add minced garlic and the rice and stir to combine. If you are using green beans then add these now.
- Stir in the chicken, tomatoes, seasoning and stock. Cover and cook on the high setting for 90 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add the shrimp and frozen peas (if using as an alternative to the green beans). Push the shrimp into the paella, cover and cook for a further 20-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked to your liking.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Stir in lemon juice and chopped parsley.
- Turn onto a platter, serve with lemon wedges – enjoy!
Is this calling for 8 cups of stock? A bit confused because the ingredient section mentions stock twice and following the recipe I think we made porridge and not paella haha
Still very yum tho, just super confused about the amount of stock it calls for.
OMG Christina that’s my fault! Only 4 cups are needed (maybe a bit more). This was in error my apologies!
Hi!
If I want to triple the recipe(we will be 15) do I have to triple the stock or it will be to much? I feel like 12 cups it’s a lot of liquid for 4cups of rice!
Thanks!
You can try 8 cups but I think more likely it will be 10-12
ok thank you!