Naked paella is a seafood paella made with fully peeled shrimp and prawns. There are no shells to fight with at the table, so every forkful is saffron rice and seafood, and all the flavour of the shells goes into the stock instead.
Our version uses three to four kinds of shrimp, a deep sofrito of onion, garlic and tomato, and a homemade stock made from the shrimp peels. It takes about 45 minutes and serves three to four. If you are new to paella, our step-by-step guide for beginners covers the pan, rice and stock fundamentals this recipe relies on.
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What you need
The ingredient list is short, so quality matters. Tap any item to see the product we use.
Chopped Tomatoes
Onion & Garlic
Peeled Shrimp
Paella Spices: Saffron, Paprika and Paella Mix
Homemade Shrimp Peel Stock
Naked Paella Recipe
Ingredients
- Paella rice (Bomba, Senia or La Fallera), 300 g
- 900 ml hot homemade shrimp-peel stock (or a good paella stock)
- 200 g raw peeled shrimp and prawns, ideally a mix of 3-4 kinds (white, red, king prawn)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4-5 tbsp tomato sauce (pureed or grated tomato)
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 packet (about 1 tsp) paella mix
- A generous pinch of saffron threads
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
Directions
- Sear the shrimp. Heat the olive oil in your paella pan over medium-high heat. Sear the peeled shrimp for about 1 minute per side, just until they turn pink. Remove them and set aside so they stay tender.
- Build the sofrito. Lower the heat to medium. In the same oil, cook the onion and garlic for 5-6 minutes until soft, translucent and starting to brown.
- Add tomato and spices. Pour in the tomato sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes until the water evaporates and it darkens. Stir in the paprika and paella mix for about 30 seconds so they toast without burning.
- Infuse the stock. Pour in the hot stock, add the saffron and bring to a boil. Let it bubble for 5 minutes so it absorbs the flavour of the sofrito. Taste it: the broth should be slightly salty, because the rice will absorb a lot of it.
- Add the rice. Sprinkle the rice evenly over the pan and stir once so every grain is submerged. Do not stir again, so the starch can set and form the socarrat.
- Simmer. Cook on high heat for the first 8 minutes, then lower to low and simmer for another 8-10 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Return the shrimp. In the last 2-3 minutes, arrange the shrimp on top of the rice to warm through. For socarrat, turn the heat to medium-high for the final 60-90 seconds, until you hear crackling and smell toasted rice, not burnt.
- Rest. Take the pan off the heat, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
How to make shrimp-peel stock
Keep the shells and heads when you peel the shrimp. Sauté them in a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes, cover with about 1.2 litres of water, simmer gently for 20 minutes and strain. You will have roughly 900 ml of deeply flavoured stock, which is what makes a naked paella taste so seafood-rich even without shells on the plate.
Tips for a great naked paella
- Use more than one kind of shrimp. A mix of white, red and king prawns gives you different textures and sweetness in each bite.
- Season the stock before the rice goes in. It should taste a little too salty on its own.
- Do not stir after adding the rice. Shake the pan gently if you need to even things out.
- Cook the shrimp briefly and add them back at the end, or they turn rubbery.
- Rice choice matters: Bomba, Senia, Calasparra or La Fallera Especial absorb plenty of stock without turning mushy.
Frequently asked questions
What does “naked” mean in naked paella?
It means the seafood is served without shells: fully peeled shrimp and prawns, so nothing gets in the way of the rice.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes. Thaw them completely and pat them dry before searing, so they brown instead of steaming.
Why make the stock from the shells?
Shells carry most of the shrimp flavour. Simmering them gives the rice a far more intense seafood taste than shop-bought stock alone.
More shrimp and seafood paellas
- 3 and a Half Shrimp Paella for a version with showcase king prawns
- Salmon and Shrimp Paella with Asparagus
- The best saffron brands for paella, since saffron shines in a recipe this simple
- Bomba rice explained
