Campfire Mixed Paella Recipe

One of the best things about camping is being able to cook over the fire. A favorite camping meal is the Campfire Mixed Paella recipe.

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Campfire Mixed Paella Recipe

One of the best things about camping is being able to cook over the fire. A favorite camping meal is the Campfire Seafood Paella recipe.

When I first heard of Paella, I had no idea what it was. Our neighbor had invited us over for a Paella party and my first response was a what?

She explained it to me and I said count us in. Don't worry, we social distanced. One person did the cooking while the others sat there supervising with an adult beverage in hand. 😂

That's the one great thing about camping...it's pretty easy to social distance outside. We all chipped in for the food and while it takes a few hours, it's well worth the wait. 

What is a Seafood Paella

When my neighbor told me the first time, I had to go and look it up. Being Polish, that's not something I was familiar with. Mention a Polish food and I'll know right away what you are talking about.

A Paella is a Spanish dish originating from Valencia. Paella means "fry pan", a wide, shallow traditional pan used to cook the dish on an open fire. It was also the first time I ever saw such a pan. 

There are a few different versions, but we made the mixed version with Chicken, Mussels and Shrimp. It was originally made for farmers and farm workers. 

When is Paella Day

World Paella Day is March 27th. However, we didn't want to wait to share this fabulous campfire recipe with you. 

Serves 10 - 15

Campfire Mixed Paella Ingredients

• Chicken thighs
• Olive Oil
• Sausage (we used turkey sausage but you can use Spicy Sausage if you like)
• Red Bell Peppers (chopped)
• Large onions (chopped)
• Chicken Stock
• Fire roasted Tomatoes
• Chopped Garlic
• Saffron Threads
• Jumbo Shrimp
• Mussels
• Fresh or Frozen Peas
• Paprika
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Spanish Rice
• Parsley
• Bay Leaves
• Lemon wedges
• *For exact amounts, please see recipe card below.

Campfire Tools for Making Spanish Paella

• Paella Pan (or Cast Iron Skillet if making a smaller version)
• Stock Pot
• Wood Fire Grill (You can use a regular CharBroil Grill and even adapt it to make in the oven.)
• Tongs
• Aluminum Foil

How to Save Time when Making Mixed Paella

If you are going to be camping (not glamping like us,) you can prep all your ingredients at home. Chop onions, peppers, sausage, and place in plastic ziploc bags.

Even though we are glamping, we like saving time on Paella day so we can socialize and will have the items prepped ahead of time. 

How to Make a Mixed Paella over the Campfire

Build your fire so you have enough hot ash to work with. Your grate should be about 6-8 inches above the fire. Our fire pit has a built in grate so it's the perfect height.

While you are waiting for the fire to be just right, put together your broth. Add Chicken stock, paprika, cans of fire roasted tomatoes, parsley, saffron and bay leaves. This gives the flavors time to marry. We leave ours sit next to the fire so it heats up.

Start by cooking the chicken thighs over the fire. Some people will cook the chicken in the pan, however, we prefer to cook it over directly over the fire on a grate.

Turn occasionally so the chicken cooks evenly. Once the chicken is done (internal temperature of 165°,) put it off to the side.

Place the Paella pan on the fire and heat up the olive oil. Saute the peppers and onions until onions are translucent and they are tender. 

You don't want flames under your pan. As you can see, we added more wood after cooking the chicken and vegetables and are waiting for it burn down a little.

Add sausage and continue cooking. We used turkey sausage so it just needed heating up.

Pour in broth and salt to taste. Heat till hot. 

Place shrimp in and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add rice and stir. Cook until rice has absorbed most of the broth. About 10-12 minutes.

Place chicken and mussels in rice mixture, add peas and cover with foil. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Uncover and serve with lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Every fire pit or grill is going to cook differently because of the variants of grill height, wood used, pan used, etc. This recipe is from our personal experience with making Mixed Paella. You might have to tweak it so it works for you.

Can I Make Substitutions

You absolutely can, just as we did. A traditional Paella recipe calls for Chorizo sausage. We used Turkey sausage. 

What if you can't find Saffron? I like the convenience of ordering from Amazon. However, Trader Joes normally has it also if there is one near you.

Do I have to use Shrimp and Mussels? Nope! There are vegetarian recipes out there as well as pork and rabbit recipes.

I don't have Spanish rice! You can also use any other short grain rice and even white rice if that's all you have. However, white rice might get a little mushier.

Do I have to buy a Paella Pan? No you do not! You can use a cast iron skillet, saute pan, wok, dutch oven, or even a regular frying pan.

You can also cook the rice in a rice cooker so it's ready to be mixed with the other ingredients in case that is all you have is shallow fry pan. 

Can I make on the Stove? You sure can. Just follow the steps and adapt it to how many servings you need.

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