{My Recipes} Crockpot Paella

I have a great new recipe to add to our menu rotation and best of all, it's a super easy paella! I first had paella in the best place possible—Spain. The husband and I visited Malaga in the South of Spain during our year abroad living in Scotland. After a morning spent on the beach, we stopped at a cafe hut in the sand and ordered cold beers and a traditional paella. Cooked in a large cast iron skillet with loads of short-grain rice, seafood and chicken wings, it was delicious. Truly nothing better than an authentic culinary experience like that!

The recipe I used is an adaption of Rachael Ray's slow-cooker paella, as I adjusted several of the ingredients and cook time. I'm not a big fan of chorizo, so I decided to try out some Genoa salami in its place instead. But I also think you could make this with shrimp, scallops or even turkey sausage. Here's my take on a shortcut recipe to a traditional dish!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
3 teaspoons paprika
2 cups Arborio rice
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1.5 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6-ounce package uncured Genoa salami
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups frozen peas

In a large skillet, heat the EVOO over medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and sprinkle with 1.5tsp paprika then season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown then transfer to crockpot. Add the rice to the skillet, stirring and cooking until light golden (just a few minutes). Transfer rice to the crockpot and pour in tomatoes, broth, salami, onion, garlic, salt, 1.5tsp paprika and peas. Cover and cook on high heat until the rice is tender, about 2.5 to 3 hours.

You can find this recipe on my Food board on Pinterest if you want to pin it for later!

Happy eating :)