Spanish Seafood Rice (Arroz Marinero)
Arroz marinero Say it: ah-ROTH mah-ree-NEH-roh
Arroz marinero is Spain’s coastal seafood rice, cooked in a wide pan with a tomato-and-pepper sofrito, saffron-scented stock, and a mix of shrimp, squid, mussels and clams. It is served across Spanish seaside towns for family lunches, often straight from the pan. The rice stays moist and savory, with sweet shellfish, smoky paprika, and a bright parsley-lemon finish. Unlike paella, it is less about a crisp crust and more about deep seafood flavor.
Spanish Seafood Rice (Arroz Marinero)
Arroz marinero
Pronounced ah-ROTH mah-ree-NEH-roh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish, shellfish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the rice
Seafood and finish
Method
Warm the fish stock with the saffron in a saucepan over low heat; keep it at a bare simmer while you cook the sofrito.
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan or paella pan over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and smoked paprika and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the grated tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the mixture is thick, dark, and jammy, 8 to 10 minutes.
Pour in the white wine and simmer until nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and bay leaf and toast for 1 minute, then season lightly with salt and pepper.
Pour in the hot saffron stock, stir once to distribute the rice, and bring to a strong simmer. Cook without stirring for 10 minutes; after 5 minutes, scatter the squid rings over the rice.
Nestle the mussels and clams hinge-side down into the rice and arrange the shrimp on top. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the rice is tender, the shrimp are pink and firm, and the shellfish have opened.
Discard any shellfish that remain closed. Turn off the heat, cover loosely, and let the rice rest for 5 minutes. Scatter with parsley and serve from the pan with lemon wedges.
Regional variant: Soupy Seafood Rice (Arroz marinero caldoso)
Increase the fish stock to 6 cups (1.4 L) and add it all at once after toasting the rice; simmer for 15 minutes, then add the shellfish and shrimp for the last 6 to 8 minutes. The result should be brothy and spoonable, not dry; serve in shallow bowls with the same parsley and lemon.
Cook's notes
- Use hot stock; cold stock interrupts the simmer and makes the rice cook unevenly.
- Do not stir after the stock goes in; stirring releases starch and makes the rice gluey.
- Cook the rice in a shallow layer in a wide pan so the seafood and rice finish cooking at the same time.
Serve with
Crusty bread, a simple green salad, and dry white wine or sparkling water.
Make ahead and storage
Best eaten right away; cool leftovers within 2 hours, refrigerate up to 2 days, and reheat gently with a splash of stock or water.
