The Authentic Paella Valenciana Recipe 

(Paella Valenciana)


By Edu Valor / Author - Spanish Chef

World-famous and controversial in Spain—that’s what the authentic paella Valenciana recipe is. Every town seems to have its own mix of ingredients.

It’s probably the most debated topic both in and outside the country—and you’d understand why if you saw the dishes.

The tradition around the paella culture lacked authenticity but they did something about it, as described below.

I sometimes smile when Mediterranean pride shines through, especially for something like a national dish.

You see this same trait with our French and Italian friends too. I find it interesting. It shows a shared passion, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Authentic paella Valenciana on a plate.
Authentic paella Valenciana on a plate.


Listen! The ingredients for paella have always been flexible, even in the old days. So how do you protect paella Valenciana if it’s not clearly defined?

You involve people from 266 towns in Valencia to see how they make it. Today, they narrowed things down to 10 essential ingredients and several optional ones to help preserve the tradition.

These make up the real paella Valenciana. Here you can read more about what makes it authentic!

Here’s the thing: there isn’t one single, definitive paella Valenciana recipe. In fact, there are a few limited variations, and all of them are considered authentic paellas. As long as they have the 10 essential ingredients.

Every town in Valencia has its own version. While they’re not drastically different, a lot of them don't qualify as an authentic paella Valenciana.

Families often use whatever is locally available, whether from their kitchen or their region. For me, snails aren’t always on hand. Studies show they’re not the most common ingredient anyway.

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Let's make an Authentic Paella Valenciana

Ingredients for 4 servings


Preparation: 15 minutes (+ boiling 45 minutes if dry beans are used)
Cooking: 18 minutes for the Bomba rice, approx. 45 minutes to 1 hour total.

*Measurements in metric and USA Imperial system. For British/Canadian measurements please use the metric conversion calculator.

Use preferably fresh or frozen white beans. Dry beans need to be soaked at least 12 hours or overnight and boiled for 45 minutes. When done, drain and rinse thoroughly.

Canned/jarred bean preserve doesn't need to be soaked! Use these to save you time.

  • 500g / 18 oz chicken, cut
  • 400g / 14 oz rabbit, cut
  • 150g / 5 oz garrofón beans (white large beans, butter beans are good too)
  • 250g / 9 oz flat green beans, cut pinky finger long
  • 2-3 tsp sea salt or to taste
  • 1.3L / 5.5 cups water
  • 200g / 7 oz tomato puree or cubes
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 3-4 garlic cloves minced
  • 400g / 2 cups Bomba rice
  • 15-20 saffron strings
  • 12 snails (optional)
  • 100ml / 7.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Pour oil into the pan and sprinkle salt over it.
  2. Brown the meat well over medium fire until it's crispy and golden-brown. If using snails, add them at the end of the browning process.
  3. Lower fire to medium-low. Push the meat (and snails) to the sides of the pan, then add the tomato, garlic, and paprika. Sauté until the tomato juice has completely evaporated. This is important for flavor! Some chefs even brown the tomato.
  4. Add the flat and white beans. Stir everything together with the tomato sauté and meat.
  5. Turn the fire up to medium-high and pour in the water. Wait for it to boil.
  6. Taste the broth and add salt if needed.
  7. Add the bomba rice and saffron. Spread the ingredients evenly over the pan. Do not stir the rice after this point. Cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another 8 minutes or until the rice is dry.
  8. If you want the socarrat, carefully insert a narrow spatula to check the bottom of the pan. Is the rice browned underneath? If not, increase the fire to high and cook for another 90 seconds to 2 minutes.
  9. Lower the fire. Insert the spatula again to check the rice.
  10. Turn off the fire and cover the pan with aluminum foil (a clean kitchen towel or cover works too). Let it rest for 5 minutes.

TIPS: 

  • Sauté the tomato mix well. It'll enhance the taste.
  • Adding the salt in the beginning will limit browning of the pan as well as oil splattering.
  • Another rice other than Bomba may have a different cooking time.
  • Taste before adding the rice.
  • Use meat with bones. It adds taste.
  • Bean preserves do NOT need to be soaked.
  • Saffron strings add taste and are part of what makes an authentic paella.

Authentic Spanish paella Valenciana in a pan.Ready to be enjoyed!
Authentic Spanish paella Valenciana in a pan.Ready to be enjoyed!


The Scientists' and Chefs' Revenge


The dish was losing its value and tradition, turning into something unrecognizable, which had many professionals concerned.

After all, paella is the quintessential Spanish dish, symbolizing togetherness and celebration. Paella originally referred to the pan itself, but over time, it became the name for the rice dish.

It seems they’d had enough of scattered recipes that lacked authenticity. A push for revival was needed, and research was inevitable. You can find the study here!

Region-wide research conducted by the UCV (Catholic University of Valencia) identified the following essential ingredients:

  • Rice (Arroz de Valencia)
  • Chicken
  • Rabbit
  • Saffron (saffron threads also add flavor)
  • Garrofón beans (a type of lima bean, similar to butter beans)
  • Flat green beans
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Water
  • Salt
  • Tomato

Additionally, there were 38 commonly used and 50 occasionally used ingredients. Only 8 of them are considered optional and permitted in an authentic paella Valenciana.

These are snails, duck, garlic, sweet paprika, parsley, red bell pepper, artichoke, and rosemary.

Leaving out snails (a traditional ingredient) doesn’t make the dish any less authentic, as long as you stay true to the essence of this beloved Spanish classic.

Personally, I don’t care for snails unless they’re the smaller ones. 

Again, the ingredient list above represents one way to make authentic paella Valenciana.

In my opinion, they should have also included other traditional recipes, like those with ribs, sausages, and meatballs. These are too good to be left out! But who am I!?

What You Will Need

  1. A paella pan for 4 servings*
  2. A paella burner*
  3. Spatula
  4. Meat knife
  5. Paring knife
  6. Cutting board
  7. Measuring beaker
  8. Scale

*The paella pan with burner can be replaced with an electric paella pan for indoor (or outdoor) cooking. Never use a gas burner indoors unless it has a safety sensor!!


How Difficult is it to Make?


There are a few things to keep in mind if you want to make this authentic paella Valenciana recipe truly delicious.

Making this dish is an art, but fortunately, it's one fairly easy to master. For quick success, be sure to check out the technique tips here. After a couple of times, you'll get the hang of making a good one.

As you may know, recipe steps like these are guidelines. I don’t know what equipment you’re using, the weather conditions, or the exact ingredients you have on hand. There's also a big difference between stale and fresh ingredients.

With some cooking skills and common sense, you'll be able to make an authentic paella Valenciana successfully. You’re the chef!



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Edu's Authentic Spanish Paella Recipes