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Sometimes we don’t have time in the morning so I’ve been testing a range of quicker slow cooker dinners, that only take 2-3 hours. This slow cooker chicken and prawn paella is one such dish.
Getting up in the morning and planning dinner is a part of our normal family routine now. It is SO convenient to place a dish in the slow cooker and let it do its thing.
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).

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)

Method for slow cooker chicken and prawn paella
Lightly fry the chopped onion in olive oil.

Add the paprika & thyme.

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

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

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

Add the water for the stock.

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

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 the pots on my triple slow cooker are quite small.

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

What else can you make besides paella in a slow cooker?
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!
Products I use when making slow cooker chicken and shrimp paella:
Make slow cooker chicken and prawn paella:

slow cooker chicken and prawn paella
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
-
Lightly fry the chopped onion in olive oil.
-
Add the paprika & thyme.
-
Measure out the rice and add this to the frying pan.
-
Fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Place into the slow cooker pot.
-
Add your stock cubes. Or fresh stock if you’re fancy.
-
Add the water for the stock.
-
Add the tinned tomatoes. Stir and then leave to cook on high for 2 hours.
-
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.
-
Serve! I often chopped chorizo at the last minute and it is delicious.
Like this slow cooker chicken and prawn paella recipe? Fancy trying one of my other recipes? Here are some great ones:
Easy slow cooker chicken casserole recipe
Slow cooker chorizo loaded potatoes
How to cook rice in the slow cooker
Sausage cassoulet – throw it in the slow cooker!
Jacket potatoes in the slow cooker – so simple!
Why not try one of these fantastic slow cooker accessories or cookbooks:
If you enjoyed this post I’d love it if you could pin it on Pinterest!

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!