This One Pan Healthy Paella recipe is a quick, delicious dinner! This easy paella is packed with chicken for protein, veggies + whole grain brown rice.
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Before we get started talking about this one pan healthy paella recipe, if you’re anything like me you might be wondering.. what is paella?!
What is Paella?
Paella is a Spanish dish that is typically made with rice, saffron, chicken, seafood. It’s cooked low and slow in a large pan so that the flavors of the dish can really come together.
If you’ve never had paella, it’s basically one of the most dreamy dinners you’ll ever eat.
When Tyler and I first started dating, he had just come back from a school trip to Europe. He kept going on and on about how delicious the food was in Spain, and how he had loved the paella.
I really wanted to make paella for Tyler, but I don’t eat fish, and find chorizo too greasy… so it was up to me to muddle together my own recipe.
I surprised him for dinner with it one night, and while I don’t think it will ever compare to what he ate in Spain – I’ve been making it ever since and he always gets SO excited when we’re having it for dinner.
Once you try it, you’ll probably fall in love with it too. It’s our favorite for a number of reasons
Why we love this healthy paella recipe:
- off-the-charts delicious from the spices
- perfectly balanced meal- it has a lot of protein from the chicken, is loaded with bright, colorful veggies, and it has whole grain brown rice in it for some good carbs!
- great for meal prepping
- seems fancy but is secretly super easy to make
- one pan = less clean up!
Ingredients for Healthy Paella:
To make this healthy paella you’ll need:
- chicken
- olive oil
- onion, garlic
- bell peppers, sugar snap peas
- pepper, salt
- paprika, bay leaves, thyme, saffron
- lemon juice
- rice
- chicken broth
- frozen peas
I’ve included substitutions below for ingredients.
How to make Healthier Paella:
Making healthy paella is super easy!
- Brown your chicken. Once it is browned – remove from pan and set aside.
- Then – sauté your onions/garlic.
- Once they are translucent, add in your remaining veggies and sauté for 2-4 minutes. Add in and toast your rice.
- Add the cooked chicken, spices and broth back to the pot and stir to combine.
- Bring to a low boil then lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
Substitutions for Healthy Paella:
Broth: you can use any broth or stock- vegetable, chicken or beef will work.
Meat: Typically paella is made with chicken, chorizo and seafood. You can add chorizo to this recipe – brown it with the chicken, set it aside with the chicken and add it back in when you add the chicken in. If adding shrimp, add it at the very end when there is about 5-10 minutes so that it cooks. Do not add the shrimp in at the beginning because it will over cook.
Veggies: You can substitute in carrots, sugar snap peas, peppers or even mushrooms interchangeably. This is a flexible recipe. You can also add more peas if you like.
Rice: You can use white or brown rice in this recipe.
Saffron: Saffron is pricey and can often be difficult to find. You can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of Sazon Goya but omit the extra salt from this recipe as that has a lot of salt.
WW Freestyle note: Save 2SP per serving by cooking with olive oil spray
Storing Paella
Refrigerator: You can store this paella in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: I haven’t tried freezing paella, but I think it might work. The chicken might get a little bouncy when defrosted
Can this recipe be made ahead? Sure! When you’re ready to reheat, you may want to add a little broth. Heat on the stove until warm
Can this recipe be reheated? Yes, this paella recipe tastes great when reheated. You can reheat in the microwave, in the oven set at 350°F until the center is cooked through, or sauté on the stove.
Other delicious healthy one pan dinner recipes:
- Whole30 Greek Chicken Zucchini Noodles
- Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
- One Pan Balsamic Chicken Pasta & Vegetables
- Healthy Lemon Artichoke Chicken
- Sheet Pan Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thigh Dinner
One Pan Healthy Paella
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1.5 cups bell peppers thinly sliced in strips (approx 2 peppers)
- 2 cups sugar snap peas
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup brown rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Cube chicken into 1 inch pieces. In a large pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook chicken for 15 minutes until browned.
- Once cooked, remove chicken from the pan + set aside.
- Add in remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Sauté chopped onions and garlic until translucent. (Approx 5-7 minutes)
- Add in peppers and sugar snap peas to the pan. Sauté for 4-6 minutes (until vegetables are slightly tender.. don't over do the veggies, they will continue to cook in the broth later).
- Stir in dry rice with sauteed vegetables. Cook on high for 5 minutes.
- Add in chicken stock, spices + cooked chicken. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes uncovered, or until rice is cooked.
- Once rice is cooked, stir in frozen peas + enjoy!
Jennifer
Wow. Looks delicious. I’ve pinned this for future reference (meaning, so my husband can make it for me!)
The Clean Eating Couple
I like the way you think, Laura!! Hope your hubby makes it for you 🙂
Emily Weir
I LOVE paella! Such an easy way to fit in a ton of veggies and some spice.
The Clean Eating Couple
Isn’t it the best?? I love it!
Leo Tat
The dish looks delightful. I can imagine having it with a glass of wine. Its easy to eat since everything is contain in one bowl.
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Leo! It definitely pairs perfectly with a big glass of wine 🙂
Arun Kumar
Never Heard this type of Pan Healthy Paella recipe, But after reading your post, feeling to cook at home right today. Its somehting unique recipe.
The Clean Eating Couple
Thanks so much, Arun! Hope you love it!
Andy Bishop
Your Paella looks absolutely delicious! I’m going to follow your recipe over the weekend. The wife is going to be delighted! Thanks for sharing!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thanks so much, Andy! I’m sure your wife will love it 🙂
Molly
My boyfriend is not a picky eater, and whenever I sit down to meal plan on Sundays, he never has any suggestions. Today I asked him if there was anything he wanted this week (not expecting an answer), and he said, “The paella you cooked last week!!!” It’s sooo good, and I love that it’s one pot! Looks like this will be added to our weekly staples
The Clean Eating Couple
YAY!! I’m so glad you both liked it! It is definitely a staple in our house and I’m so glad it’s a staple in your house too now!!
Tina
Hi there!
Is it 553 calories per serving or per pan?
Thank you!
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Tina – This is 553 calories per serving. A serving is about 1.5 cups. The nutrition facts at the end of the recipe give a few more details! Hope that helps!
Sarah
I want to make this tonight! When you are simmering everything together do I cover this for the 20-30 minutes or leave uncovered?
Thank you!
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Sarah, You leave it uncovered! Let me know how you like it 🙂
Sarah
This looks so yummy. I’m trying to venture out of my norm and cook different recipes. I see a lot of other paella recipes use a can of tomatoes. Thoughts!? I have no clue what I’m doing on this one as I’ve never had paella!
Thanks
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Sarah – I’ve never made my paella with tomatoes so I’m not really sure about that.. however, I can tell you that this recipe tastes amazing as is and I don’t think it needs anything added to it!
Sarah
This was delicious. So far I’ve made your orange chicken, chicken pad Thai and now this wonderful meal!!!! I love your site. Now what should I try❤️
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked it, Sarah!! I think you should try my paleo turkey chili or healthy crockpot pulled pork next 🙂
Laura
Just made this and it was sooo good! I followed the recipe Exactly! My rice took forever to cook , but it was worth it! Even my 6 year old loved it!
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked it, Laura! This makes me so happy to hear 🙂
Brenda
Easy one pan healthy meal! I was out of lemons but it was still delicious! Lots of flavor and always a bonus when it only requires one pan! Thank you for another delicious simple recipe!
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked it, Brenda! Thanks for the review!
Katie
Love this recipe! Have you ever tried to make this in a slow cooker or pressure cooker? What about with different grains like quinoa?
The Clean Eating Couple
Glad you like it! I’ve never tried it in the slow cooker or pressure cooker. I don’t like the pressure cooker because it’s difficult to control, and I think the slow cooker would make this too mushy!
John
Great meal… loved it, just a slight problem. Half a cup of chopped onions, tspoon of garlic?
Could you not just say half an onion, one clove of garlic?
Other than America’s measuring system this was great 😁
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi John – Glad you liked it! Every onion and garlic clove is a different size, so that wouldn’t be a very detailed recipe. Half an onion could be 1 cup of chopped onion.. or it could be 1/4 cup of chopped onion, depending on the size of the onion. Same goes for garlic cloves. This isn’t an ‘American’ measuring system.. it would be the same if it was in metric measuring systems. 🙂 Measurements ensure the recipe tastes how it was meant to taste. But feel free to use however much onion or garlic you want – no one is forcing you to get out measuring cups.
Ann Weiss
Another one of my all time favorites. So delicious.
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you!! So glad you like it!
Lori Ranson
I love the flavors in this dish. But in the three times I have tried to make this, it takes much longer than advised for the rice to cook, and that makes the chicken dries out. Suggestions?
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Lori – The chicken should not be drying out at all. Different rice cooks at different temperatures so you may need to just add a bit more broth depending on the type of broth you’re using. The chicken gets moist and juicy from sitting in the broth, so my guess is you need to add more liquid!
Coara
I would just like to say this is a traditional Spanish dish from farmers in Valencia, Spain. Otherwise lovely dish!
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Coara – Thank you! We clearly noted in the blog post that this is a traditional Spanish dish. My husband first tried paella in Spain and loved it so much I recreated it when he came home.
Dave from Peak District UK
Hi going to use your recipe tonight. Not sure about the brown rice, this is probably why some are finding it taking ages to cook rice, do you have Paella rice in US could also use pudding rice. I did look at a Spanish recipe and it advised soaking Saffron in water for 15 mins, it looks nice when the rice in finished dish looks yellow. I going to try and create Socorrat, apparently it’s traditional. Will let you know how it turns out. Looking forward to trying your menu..
The Clean Eating Couple
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen paella rice, Dave. I’m sure that will be great! Hope you like the recipe!
Kelsey
Could you do this with frozen cauliflower rice instead?
The Clean Eating Couple
I haven’t tried this but I think it might work. Would probably be a little soggy..
Carol English
Made this paella tonight. I didn’t have sugar snap peas so I added broccoli. Didn’t want it to over cook so added it half way through the cooking time. It was perfect. I’ve never made paella with just chicken but it was so good. Thanks Liz.
The Clean Eating Couple
Thanks, Carol! So glad you liked it!