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Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe (Healthy)

by 35 Comments

A healthy, EASY Spanish seafood paella recipe made with the freshest wild caught shrimp, lobster tails, mussels and clams. Plus just a little chicken andouille sausage for extra flavor.

Seafood Spanish Paella in a Cast Iron Pan with Lobster and Shrimp

Pronounced “ pa-e-ya “ , with the “ e” as in “ met” , a meal of very humble origins from Valencia, Spain, it is one of the most popular dishes in the world today.

Large wild shrimp and lobster tails are mandatory, especially If you are looking to make a show stopper dish to impress. Don’t let me see any little baby shrimps in there, okay?  You want them big and succulent and fresh! 

Man Holding A Seafood Spanish Paella in a Cast Iron Pan with Lobster and Shrimp

What rice to use for paella ?

Traditionally the Calasparra (<–amazon) short grain rice is used, but I chose to go for some forbidden light and fluffy white rice I had in the pantry instead, tough risotto rice works fabulous in this recipe as well. Then I cooked it in a saffron infused broth while working on the shellfish and sausage.

What is the best paella pan ?

Correct answer: the one you are going to use the most! True story! 😉

I actually used two cast iron pans, it is so much easier to work with at home on the stove top than a huge traditional pan. Trust me on this one!

Lobster, Shrimp and Clams Paella in a Cast Iron Pan

The secrets to the best paella ?

  1. Season your shellfish very well with plenty of garlic powder, sea salt and Spanish smoked paprika. (<-amazon)
  2. Cook it quickly in the drippings from the chicken andouille. Magic happens in that pan.
  3. Don’t forget the Saffron! It is was gives the rice that beautiful golden color and exquisite flavor. A pinch of this La Mancha Saffron (<-amazon) is all you need. 

Healthy Seafood Paella in a Cast Iron Skillet

Note: Pairs perfectly with a crisp dry white wine!

5 from 11 votes
Man Holding a Pan of Seafood Paella
Print
Spanish Seafood Paella (Healthy)
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

A healthy, easy Spanish paella recipe made with the freshest wild caught shellfish, a little chicken andouille sausage, and infused with exquisite saffron flavors. Easy to make at home in no time!

Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Spanish
Servings: 6
Author: Florentina
Ingredients
  • 2 c Calasparra, risotto or forbidden white rice (organic)
  • 1 spanish onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic grated
  • 2 links chicken andouille sausage sliced
  • 1 lb wild large shrimp (tails on)
  • 2 lobster tails (cut in half lengthwise)
  • 1/2 lb black mussels
  • 1/2 lb manilla clams
  • 1 tsp sea salt + more to taste
  • 1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes + more to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more as needed
  • 1 pinch saffron threads
  • 3 c shrimp stock or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 c steamed green peas (optional)
  • 1/4 c flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
  • 1 lemon cut into wedges
  • 3/4 c dry white wine
  • 1/2 c green olives (optional)
Instructions

  1. Using the kitchen shears cut the lobster tails lengthwise. Rinse and pat them dry, the transfer to a bowl together with the shrimp.

  2. Drizzle with a lug of olive oil and season generously all over with the sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, coriander, red pepper flakes and smoked paprika. Set aside to rest at room temperature.

  3. Warm up the shrimp or vegetable stock and season to your taste with sea salt. Add the saffron threads, cover with a lid and allow it to steep while you start the paella.

  4. In a large deep skillet heat up 3 tbsp of olive oil.
  5. Add the diced onion with a pinch of sea salt and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and give it a good stir making sure not to burn it.
  6. Stir in the rice making sure it coats nicely in the olive oil.
  7. Add half of the white wine and let it simmer until almost evaporated. Stir in the saffron stock and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight lid, turn the flame down to low and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the flame and allow the rice to sit covered for 5 minutes without peaking.
  8. In a different skillet heat up a lug of olive oil and sear the andouille sausage until golden.
  9. Add the lobster tails and give everything a nice toss in all the oils.
  10. After about one minute add the shrimps and stir to coat. Cook for about 3 minutes until the shrimps curl up and the lobster tail shells turn red. Transfer on top of the paella rice.
  11. In the same pan that the lobster and shrimp has cooked in, add the clams and mussels. Hit them with the remaining white wine and cover with a lid.
  12. Allow them to cook for a few minutes until they open and release the sea water. Transfer them on top of the paella together with the sausage, shrimp and lobster.
  13. Reserve the juices the clams have cooked in to spoon over the paella.

  14. Serve your paella sprinkled with the green peas, the parsley and garnished with lemon wedges.

 

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About Florentina

Hi, I'm Florentina, the voice behind the wholesome recipes you find in this journal. But I'm not alone, I'm really just channeling the Man in the Photo, one recipe at a time! Thank you for joining me in my quest for the art of simple, rustic living, trying to capture the raw beauty of organic food & life through the lens of my Iphone and camera.

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Comments

  1. sprinklesandsprouts

    July 13, 2015 at 6:25 pm

    I love paella. It always reminds me of holidays, watching men cook it in pans the size of dustbin lids. Your version with lobster in sounds amazing!!!
    I always preferred the coastal versions with seafood and chicken rather than the mountainous versions with rabbit and little birds.
    The addition of the ground coriander is inspired! I bet it adds the perfect savoury depth!
    Yum!!!!

    Reply

    • Florentina

      July 13, 2015 at 10:53 pm

      Thank you, that must have been a wonderful sight to watch the men cook it in those gigantic pans. I am not a fan of rabbit, not in my pot anyways, I do hear from people that it is delicious !

      Reply

  5. goodiegodmother

    July 16, 2015 at 3:46 pm

    I hate hate hate coyotes! We had a pack that lived very near our last house and I was always so worried when we would take our Dolce outside. She tried to go head to head with one once, thankfully we saw it coming before it got close enough to jump our fence. *shudder* I’m glad your baby came out okay.

    The paella looks fantastic!!! Your recipes have so many “home” flavors for me, it makes me happy.

    Reply

    • Florentina

      July 17, 2015 at 2:14 pm

      thanks so much for stopping by, so glad you enjoy the recipes. Yes coyotes are not my favorite, they sure can make your heart stop. How big is Dolce ? My mastiff Tesla I’m never worried about as she would easily handle 2-3 coyotes at once, but my little Peluci, I couldn’t handle it if anything happened to my little guy.

      Reply

  7. Scott

    March 10, 2016 at 5:12 pm


    We made this paella for Easter last year and came back for the recipe because we are going to make it again ! Everyone loved it including the kids. The smoked paprika is a must.

    Reply

  14. Maria

    December 8, 2016 at 7:02 am


    Hi I am making this on Monday for my book club and I’m very excited. I have a couple questions so please bare with me. In step six when you say Stir in the rice, the rice is uncooked correct? You cook it in step seven with the white wine and the saffron infused vegetable broth correct? You cook the lobster tail abc the shrimp in step 9 & 10 correct? Sorry. Do you have a you tube video Showing how to make this but if you don’t your replies will make sure I don’t mess it up. Not sure why my brain is a little wonky reading this but want to get it perfect.

    Reply

    • Florentina

      December 8, 2016 at 7:35 pm

      Hi Maria:-) ! Book club dinner sounds so exciting! YES the rice is uncooked, it toasts with the onion, garlic and the olive oil then continues cooking from the white wine and the broth. YES you cook the lobster tails and shrimp in all the drippings from the andouille sausage, then you add the clams and mussels. (You can also just do shrimp if you wanted to keep things simple).
      Sorry no youtube video yet, but it is on the list. I’m sure you will do a fabulous job with this 🙂 ~Florentina

      Reply

  15. Val

    May 14, 2017 at 7:50 pm


    This was the best dish I have ever made!!! I made it as a new dish to make with my sister. We had so much fun making it together and it was so easy. Once you have everything prepped, just follow the recipe! It was so luscious and flavorful! I made it using risotto, but I ordered the Calasparra rice from Amazon for next time. I just have to try it! Florentina, how did you learn how to make this Spanish dish? It’s a winner!

    Reply

    • Florentina

      May 23, 2017 at 11:51 am

      Woohoo doing the happy dance because your comment made my day! Sooooo Happy you loved it! Truth be told it has been trial ad error for years with this recipe, just wanting to keep things easy, using a pan I already had and my undeniable obsession with Smoked Paprika. That’s how this paella happened ~ Florentina Xo’s

      Reply

  16. Elise Jankelow

    December 25, 2017 at 6:58 pm


    This was amazing… easy to make and there was nothing left. I doubled the shrimp to add more protein. We had this for Christmas dinner. Great dish and I will make it again.

    Reply

  17. Dennis

    January 7, 2018 at 8:14 am

    Florentina this recipe was amazing. I’ve been wanting to make paella for years and have always hesitated because I know it is best made for a large crowd. To try to make it for two never seemed appropriate. But this weekend we had mussels in the frig that needed to be used, and a lobster tail left over from NY Eve. So I gave it a shot and am so thankful I did. I basically cooked all the rice, and trimmed back the quantities a little on the meat/fish. Substituted Italian sweet sausage for the andouille ’cause that’s what we had (I think kielbasa would be excellent!) and I skipped the clams – sausage, lobster, shrimp and mussels was plenty! I also did not use peas (not a peas guy) but I DID use spicy green olives sliced in half purchased at the local olive bar and THAT added lots of flavor. I also am not aware of any dish with which a crisp white wine goes better. For anyone who was intimidated by the prospect of trying paella, this recipe was the bomb. Go for it!

    Reply

  19. Ally

    January 16, 2019 at 8:12 am


    I have been making this dish for almost two years now. Sometimes I add the lobster, sometimes i add chicken instead. EVERYONE ALWAYS RAVES ABOUT IT. It is so incredible, easy, and satisfying. I even had a close family friend who is a gourmet chef herself say it is the best she has ever had. Thank you so much for sharing!!!

    Reply

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