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Slow cooker chicken and prawn paella recipe

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We love using our slow cooker. It is a great way to cook a healthy, tasty dinner for the whole family with minimal effort. Some nights I don’t want to have the slow cooker running all day, or don’t have time earlier in the day. That is when recipes, such as this slow cooker chicken and prawn paella, are perfect!

What I love about this recipe is that you only need a couple of hours, and you won’t have to constantly stir a pot like you normally do with rice based dishes.

As a busy working Mum of 2 the mornings can be busy, and so I love that I can pop this on just before the school run and then we’re able to have a tasty family meal together when my husband gets home from work.

This slow cooker chicken and prawn paella is ready in around 2.5 hours and tastes almost as good as a paella that has been slaved over for hours!

If you’re looking for some inspiration for other slow cooker recipes then be sure to check out my Easy slow cooker recipes (UK recipes).

A look at the Slow cooker chicken and prawn paella when finished

Ingredients for slow cooker chicken and prawn paella

1 tbsp olive oil

1 chopped onion

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp thyme

300g risotto or paella rice

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

700ml chicken stock

350g frozen cooked prawns (you can also add leftover cooked chicken at this stage)

Scroll down for some ideas to make this a little more luxurious if your budget allows!

Slow cooker chicken tikka masala, slow cooker whole chicken, chicken pie and slow cooker chicken & prawn paella recipes

Method for slow cooker chicken and prawn paella

Lightly fry the chopped onion in olive oil.

Frying the onions for the Slow cooker chicken and prawn paella

Add the paprika & thyme.

Slow cooker chicken and prawn paella - Onions, herbs and spices

Measure out the rice and add this to the frying pan.

Slow cooker chicken and prawn paella - rice

Fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Place into the slow cooker pot.

Prepping the Slow cooker chicken and prawn paella

Add your stock cubes. Or fresh stock if you’re fancy.

Adding stock cubes to the Slow cooker chicken and prawn paella

Add the water for the stock.

Slow cooker chicken and prawn paella recipe at the start of cooking

Add the tinned tomatoes. Stir and then leave to cook on high for 2 hours.

Slow cooker chicken and prawn paella once the tomatoes are added

Add the frozen prawns or other seafood. You can also add leftover chicken at this stage. Cook for a further 30 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through and the rice has softened.

In my slow cooker I find that 2.5 hours total time is perfect, but this can vary based on the size of your slow cooker.

Adding the prawns for the Slow cooker chicken and prawn paella

Serve!

I added chopped chorizo at the last minute and it was delicious.

The Slow cooker chicken and prawn paella with chorizo added

Want to make this a little more luxurious?

At the beginning of cooking I like to lightly brown some chicken thighs, or even chicken breast if you prefer, and then add these to the slow cooker pot.

Also, serving with chorizo at the end is great, but you can also sauté this at the beginning and it’ll release a lovely oil that will bring lots of extra flavour to the dish.

When serving you could also add a couple of nice lemon wedges.

Want to add some more vegetables?

If you’re looking to make this a little healthier then I always find that red pepper works well, as does adding some frozen peas around 30 minutes before serving.

What else can you make besides paella in a slow cooker?

Slow cooker hunters chicken, slow cooker keema curry, slow cooker bbq ribs and slow cooker chicken and mushroom pie filling

Don’t overcook the rice!

This may seem obvious but stick to the timings of this recipe. It can be a tiny bit hard to tell with slow cookers exactly if they work the same, as they’re all different sizes etc, but stick to that timings!

Don’t be tempted to add your shrimp earlier than stated as you will overcook it and it’ll be tough and chewy!

ALL of the slow cooker recipes on this website have been cooked using a Ninja Foodi OL750UK, or the previous model, but you can use ANY slow cooker, as timings should be very similar.

Note: All calorie information is for demonstration purposes only and is based on the specific uncooked ingredients that I used when creating the recipe.

Slow cooker hunters chicken, slow cooker keema curry, slow cooker bbq ribs and slow cooker chicken and mushroom pie filling

Why not try one of these fantastic slow cooker accessories or cookbooks:

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How to make slow cooker chicken and prawn paella:

slow cooker chicken and prawn paella

Course Main Course
Keyword prawns
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings 3 servings
Calories 543 kcal
Author Katykicker

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 300 g risotto or paella rice
  • 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 700 ml chicken stock
  • 350 g frozen cooked prawns

Instructions

  1. Lightly fry the chopped onion in olive oil.
  2. Add the paprika & thyme.
  3. Measure out the rice and add this to the frying pan.
  4. Fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Place into the slow cooker pot.
  5. Add your stock cubes. Or fresh stock if you’re fancy.
  6. Add the water for the stock.
  7. Add the tinned tomatoes. Stir and then leave to cook on high for 2 hours.
  8. Add the frozen prawns or other seafood. Cook for a further 30 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through and the rice has softened.

  9. Serve! I often chopped chorizo at the last minute and it is delicious.

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Recipe Rating




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Charlie

Saturday 6th of March 2021

Can you cook it on low for longer?

katykicker

Saturday 6th of March 2021

I've only tested it once, and the prawns were just too chewy for my liking! I wouldn't recommend it on this recipe.

Donna

Tuesday 30th of April 2019

This looks so good, what a lovely meal! x

katykicker

Tuesday 7th of May 2019

It was really tasty and I enjoyed it this weekend when I got home from Blog On!

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