Arroz Negro
A satisfying Spanish seafood built around bomba or other short-grain paella rice, squid and raw prawns — roughly 65 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for pan and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's pescatarian — fish but no meat.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Clean the squid and cut the bodies into rings, peel the prawns reserving the shells, and warm the fish stock with the prawn shells before straining it and keeping it hot.
- Heat olive oil in a wide paella pan, sear the squid for a couple of minutes until it firms, then remove and set aside.
- In the same pan soften the finely chopped onion and garlic, add the grated tomato and paprika, and cook this sofrito down until jammy and dark.
- Stir in the rice to coat it in the sofrito, pour in the wine, then add the hot stock loosened with the squid ink and season well, returning the squid to the pan.
- Simmer without stirring over medium heat for about 16 to 18 minutes, lowering the heat as the liquid is absorbed, and tucking in the prawns for the final 5 minutes until they turn pink and opaque throughout.
- Rest the rice off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve straight from the pan with a dollop of alioli and lemon wedges on the side.
You'll use: Pan · Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- White Wine
- chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tsp vinegar
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Arroz Negro
- Spanish Tortilla Vegetarian
- Roast fennel and aubergine paella Vegan
- Migas Miscellaneous
- Spiced tortilla Vegetarian
Tips & common questions
How long does Arroz Negro take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 14 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of white wine?
Try chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tsp vinegar. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Arroz Negro is an original Spanish recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Arroz negro con marisco (Černá rýže s mořskými plody), Restaurante Casa Marcelo, Órzola, Lanzarote, Kanárské ostrovy.jpg by Fry72 (Karel Frydrýšek), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.