Paella Valenciana

About This Recipe

Paella Valenciana is the original paella from the Valencia region, featuring saffron-infused short-grain rice combined with rabbit, green beans, and lima beans. This iconic dish is cooked in a wide, shallow pan and represents the heart of Valencian cuisine. Rooted in the everyday cooking of Spanish kitchens, Paella Valenciana balances technique and tradition: the short-grain rice is treated with care, drawing on time-honoured ratios that locals have refined across generations. The dish carries an unmistakable sensory signature — aromas that fill the kitchen as it cooks, layered textures that reveal themselves bite by bite, and a depth of flavour that comes from patient seasoning rather than shortcuts. Whether served as a weeknight dinner or as the centrepiece of a celebratory table, it reflects a regional pantry where local produce, seasoning habits and cooking vessels shape the final result. Home cooks who make this dish often note how forgiving it is once the core method is understood, and how a few small choices — the freshness of the short-grain rice, the order of additions, the resting time at the end — separate a good version from a memorable one. This recipe walks through those choices so the dish arrives with the character it has on its home turf.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gshort-grain rice
• 200 grabbit meat, diced
• 100 ggreen beans
• 75 glima beans
• 1 pinchsaffron threads
• 800 mlchicken broth

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the broth

   Heat chicken broth in a pot and add saffron threads. Let steep for 10 minutes to infuse color and flavor.

2. 2

   Cook the protein

   Heat olive oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Brown the diced rabbit meat for 5 minutes until golden.

3. 3

   Add vegetables and rice

   Add green beans and lima beans to the pan. Stir in the short-grain rice and cook for 2 minutes until lightly toasted.

4. 4

   Finish cooking

   Pour the saffron broth into the pan. Do not stir. Allow to simmer for 18-20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Variations

• •

  Use chicken instead of rabbit for a milder flavor

• •

  Add artichoke hearts for extra vegetables

• •

  Include seafood like clams and shrimp for a mixed paella

• •

  Vegetarian: replace the main protein with mushrooms, paneer, tofu or hearty beans for a meat-free version.

• •

  Spicier: add fresh chilli, a chilli paste or a pinch of cayenne with the aromatics for a warmer profile.

Storage

Best served fresh. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated gently with a splash of broth.

Frequently Asked Questions