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What Sauce Goes with Paella? (7 Amazing Sauces)

When it comes to Spanish cuisine, paella is definitely one of the most popular and well-known dishes.

Paella is a rice dish that is typically made with chicken, seafood, and vegetables.

It is so flavorful and satisfying.

And while paella is delicious on its own, it is even better when served with a delicious sauce.

So if you are wondering what sauce goes with paella, then you are in the right place.

I’m sharing 7 of the best sauces for paella including traditional Spanish sauces, tomato-based sauces, cream sauces, and more.

I think you’ll appreciate this article, because as you know, figuring out what to serve with paella can be difficult.

Read Also: What Wine Goes With Paella? (10 Best Wines)

What Sauce Goes with Paella

What Sauce Goes with Paella?

There are many different types of sauces that go well with paella. If you want something traditional, you can go for a classic Spanish tomato sauce. However, if you are looking for something with a little bit more flavor, you can try a sauce made with garlic, onion, and green peppers. Other popular choices include alioli (a garlic mayonnaise), Romesco (a roasted red pepper and almond sauce), and Salsa Verde (a green salsa made with parsley, mint, and capers).

Still looking for ideas?

Then just keep scrolling!

Here are 7 sauces that go well with paella:

1. Salsa Verde

This sauce needs no cooking, which is great when you’re trying to get a paella on the table quickly.

Simply combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until everything is finely chopped and well combined.

The sauce can be made a few hours in advance and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Just give it a good stir before serving.

2. Romesco Sauce

If you want a little bit of a different take on the classic paella, why not try it with Romesco sauce?

Romesco is a Catalan sauce that is made with roasted red peppers, almonds, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar.

It has a bit of a smoky flavor to it from the roasted peppers and the garlic really comes through as well.

This particular sauce goes so well with paella because of how complex the flavors are.

The Romesco sauce really brings out all of the different flavors in the dish and makes them pop.

3 tips for preparing and serving this sauce:

  • If you want to reduce the amount of time it takes to make this sauce, you can use jarred roasted red peppers. Just be sure to drain them well before adding them to the rest of the ingredients.
  • You can use any type of nut in this recipe. Almonds are traditional, but feel free to experiment with hazelnuts, cashews, or even pistachios.
  • This sauce can be served either cold or at room temperature. If you plan on serving it cold, just be sure to let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour so the flavors can meld together.

3. Alioli

Alioli is like a fancy version of mayo, and it is delicious on paella.

This sauce is made with garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice, and it is smooth and creamy. It’s the perfect finishing touch for this dish.

Here are three tips for preparing and serving alioli:

  • Make sure the garlic is fresh – this will make a big difference in taste.
  • Use a good quality olive oil – again, this will impact the flavor of the sauce.
  • Add a squeeze of lemon juice before serving – this brightens up the flavors and ties everything together nicely.

4. Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce goes with almost any type of paella, but I think it pairs especially well with chicken and chorizo paella.

The tomato sauce helps to cut through the richness of the dish and brings out the flavors of the chicken and sausage.

I like to make a simple tomato sauce with just tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and salt.

You can adjust the amount of garlic and salt to taste.

I also like to add a pinch of sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.

5. Garlic Sauce

Garlic sauce is simple to make, and you can customize it however you like to complement the flavors in your paella.

I like to use a lot of garlic, smoked paprika, and a touch of cumin for my garlic sauce.

This sauce is best made fresh, but you can also make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Just be sure to give it a good stir before using it.

When serving, I like to drizzle the garlic sauce over each individual plate of paella.

This way, everyone can control how much or how little they want on their dish.

6. Onion Sauce

Ah, good ol’ onion sauce.

This savory classic is the perfect finishing touch to your paella dish, and I’ve got 3 tips on how to make it even better.

  • First, when sauteeing your onions, be sure to cook them until they’re a nice golden brown. This adds a lovely sweetness and depth of flavor to the sauce.
  • Next, don’t be afraid to add a bit of acidity with some white wine vinegar or lemon juice. This will help balance out the richness of the sauce and round out the flavors nicely.
  • Finally, be sure to let the sauce simmer for a good few minutes so all the flavors have a chance to meld together beautifully.

And that’s it!

You now have a delicious onion sauce that will take your paella from good to great.

See also this post on what wine to serve with paella.

7. Jalapeno Hot Sauce

If you’re the type of person who prefers some heat with their paella, then you’ll want to give this jalapeno hot sauce a try.

It’s got a nice kick to it without being too overwhelming, and it really brings out the flavors of the dish.

Just be careful not to add too much, because a little goes a long way with this sauce!

Here are three tips for preparing and serving this sauce:

  • If you’re using fresh jalapenos, remove the seeds before adding them to the sauce. This will help tone down the heat level a bit.
  • Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes after adding all of the ingredients so that the flavors can meld together nicely.
  • Serve the sauce on the side so that everyone can add as much (or as little) as they like.
what sauce goes well with paella

What Sauce Goes with Paella? (7 Amazing Sauces)

I take my source game seriously.
So when it comes to choosing a sauce for my perfect paella, I go all out.
I want a sauce that will enhance the flavors of the dish, not overpower them.
After all, the star of the show is the paella, not the sauce.
So, what are the best sauces for paella?
Here are 7 of my favorites.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Sauce
Cuisine American, Spanish
Servings 4 people
Calories 391 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • Salsa Verde
  • Romesco Sauce
  • Alioli
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Garlic Sauce
  • Onion Sauce
  • Jalapeno Hot Sauce

Instructions
 

  • Pick any of these sauces to serve with your dish.
  • Prepare the ingredients according to the recipe.
  • Enjoy in no time!
Keyword What Sauce Goes with Paella
CEO at Happy Muncher | benjamin@happymuncher.com | Website | + posts

Hi, I'm Benjamin. I love cooking, long walks, and my girlfriend! Here you’ll find simple and delicious recipes that you can make in 30 minutes or less.