Arroz Negro (Black Squid Ink Rice)
Short-grain rice cooked in a wide pan with squid, shrimp and a deep sofrito, turned jet black and briny-sweet with squid ink. Finished with a crisp bottom crust, it's a showstopper best served straight from the pan with lemon and alioli.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Dry and season seafood
Pat the squid and shrimp completely dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt. Dry seafood sears instead of steaming, which matters for flavor later.
- 400 g squid
- 200 g shrimp
- to taste salt
Sear the seafood
Heat the olive oil in a wide, shallow paella pan over high heat. Sear the squid and shrimp for 2–3 minutes, just until lightly golden at the edges, then lift out onto a plate and set aside; they'll finish cooking later in the rice.
- 60 ml olive oil
- 400 g squid
- 200 g shrimp
✅ Done when: the squid and shrimp are lightly golden but not fully cooked through
Build the sofrito
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Toast the rice
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Add ink and stock, then simmer
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Crisp the bottom
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Rest and serve
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Dry and season seafood
Pat the squid and shrimp completely dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt. Dry seafood sears instead of steaming, which matters for flavor later.
- 400 g squid
- 200 g shrimp
- to taste salt
Sear the seafood
Heat the olive oil in a wide, shallow paella pan over high heat. Sear the squid and shrimp for 2–3 minutes, just until lightly golden at the edges, then lift out onto a plate and set aside; they'll finish cooking later in the rice.
- 60 ml olive oil
- 400 g squid
- 200 g shrimp
✅ Done when: the squid and shrimp are lightly golden but not fully cooked through
Build the sofrito
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Toast the rice
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Add ink and stock, then simmer
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Crisp the bottom
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Rest and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Arroz negro grew out of the same rice-growing culture that produced paella, but it belongs to the fishing towns along Spain's eastern coast rather than the inland fields. Cooks used squid ink, a byproduct of cleaning the day's catch, to turn an everyday seafood rice into something striking, stirring in the ink along with the stock so every grain turned glossy black.
It spread from home kitchens and beachside chiringuitos to tapas bars across Spain, where it's now ordered as much for its drama on the table as for its deep, briny flavor.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The jet-black color is unforgettable, but what keeps people ordering it is the flavor underneath: sweet seared squid, a rich tomato sofrito, and a crisp socarrat crust, all carrying the clean taste of the sea.
💡 Fun Fact
The ink doesn't just color the rice, it also seasons it with a subtle sweetness and brininess that plain stock alone can't give.
Mediterranean coast of Spain, especially Valencia, Alicante and Murcia
38.35°N, -0.48°W
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