This foolproof Instant Pot Paella recipe can be made in the pressure cooker in under 15 minutes, making it perfect for weeknights.
Many thanks to Aneto Natural for providing products for this recipe and sponsoring this post.
Instant Pot Paella
This simple and flavorful recipe takes the guesswork out of paella making — simply sauté your meat and veggies, add rice and broth and pressure cook for a few minutes. The addition of pre-cooked chicken sausage adds an additional layer of flavor without increasing cooking time.
Authentic Flavor in Less Time
For this recipe, I’ve used Aneto Valencian Paella Broth as the base. A traditional paella base is called “sofrito” and typically includes a mix of onions, red peppers, garlic and saffron sautéed together in broth. Sofrito gives paella its signature flavor but can take time to create. Since Aneto’s broths are made in Barcelona Spain using the same ingredients we’d use at home, their Valencian Paella Base is an idea shortcut that saves time without sacrificing flavor.
How to keep paella from burning
One of the most nerve-wracking requirements of the traditional paella making process is the fact once you add the rice and broth, you’re not to stir or touch the pan. Traditionally, this helps develop the crispy, crunchy “socarrat” that is the hallmark of a good paella. However, if you’re not careful about your temperature, the rice can quickly move from crunchy too burned.
Cooking this Instant Pot Paella in the pressure cooker eliminates that worry — simply stir your ingredients together, add the lid and pressure cook for ten minutes. No need to stand at the stove second-guessing yourself — this recipe cooks up quickly and evenly.
Ways to Adapt Paella
This Instant Pot Paella is incredibly adaptable — I used flavorful chicken sausage, green beans and sun dried tomatoes in my version, but you can easily swap in new ingredients such as:
- Add sautéed boneless chicken thighs or pieces of chicken breasts.
- Swap in Spanish chorizo or andouille or another cooked sausage for the chicken sausages.
- Swap in frozen green peas or other vegetables instead of green beans.
More Great Paella Recipes
Instant Pot Paella with Chicken Sausage
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Spanish
Description
This foolproof paella recipe can be made in the pressure cooker in under 15 minutes, making it perfect for weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 10 ounces (about 4 links) fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced
- 1 box Aneto Valencian Paella Broth
- 1 1/4 cups (325 grams) short or medium grain rice
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
- Garnishes: 1 lemon, cut into wedges, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Select the “Sauté” setting on your electric pressure cooker and add the oil. Stir in the onion and bell pepper. Sauté until they have softened a little bit, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add the sausage and stir to combine. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, until the sausage starts to brown.
- Add a splash of the paella broth to the pan and use it to scrape up any browned bits that have developed on the bottom of the pan. (This also helps prevent the dish from burning on the bottom during cooking!)
- Stir in the rice, then pour in the rest of the paella broth with the green beans and sun dried tomatoes.
- Secure the lid on the pressure cooker, and make sure the pressure regulator is in its “Sealing” position. Cancel the “Sauté” cooking program, then select the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” and set the cooking time to 5 minutes at high pressure.
- When the cooking time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then release the remaining pressure by moving the pressure regulator to its “Venting” position.
- When the pressure has fully released, open the pot and garnish with chopped parsley, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
Notes
You may get a crust of dark caramelization and crunchy rice at the bottom of the pan — this is called “socarrat” and is traditional for paella.
Keywords: Instant Pot, Paella, Chicken Sausage, Pressure Cooker, Main Dish, Spanish Cooking
