Arroz de Marisco (Portuguese Seafood Rice)

If paella is Spain’s famous seafood rice, arroz de marisco is Portugal’s cozier, soupier cousin. Instead of a dry, crispy pan of rice, this one is served malandrinho, which means loose and brothy, almost like a seafood stew with rice. Tender grains simmer in a rich tomato, pepper, garlic and white wine broth made with shrimp shells, then the pot is crowded with shrimp, clams and mussels and showered with fresh cilantro. It is comforting, deeply flavorful and made in a single pot.

Below I will cover the best rice to use, how to buy and clean shellfish, how to make a quick shrimp shell broth, step-by-step instructions, my best tips, variations, common mistakes, what to serve alongside and how to handle leftovers safely. The printable recipe card with exact measurements and estimated nutrition is at the bottom of the post.

Why You Will Love This Portuguese Seafood Rice

Arroz de marisco is the kind of dish Portuguese families serve at long Sunday lunches and seaside restaurants serve straight from the pot. It is generous, relaxed and full of the flavors of the sea.

• One pot. The base, the broth, the rice and the seafood all cook in the same Dutch oven.
• Huge flavor from shells. A quick broth made from shrimp shells gives the rice a deep seafood taste with almost no extra effort.
• Forgiving. Unlike paella, you stir it, add more broth if needed and never worry about a perfect crust.
• Flexible. Use whatever shellfish looks best at the market, from crab to squid to monkfish.
• Made for sharing. Set the pot in the middle of the table with crusty bread and let everyone dig in.

I make this whenever I want a special dinner that still feels homey. It is also a wonderful main course for a Christmas Eve seafood dinner on Thursday, December 24, 2026.

Ingredients for Arroz de Marisco

• Shell-on shrimp: 1 pound of large shrimp. Peel them yourself and use the shells for the broth.
• Clams: 1 1/2 pounds of littleneck or Manila clams.
• Mussels: 1 pound of live mussels.
• Rice: Portuguese Carolino rice is traditional. Medium-grain rice like Calrose, or arborio, are the best substitutes because they absorb broth and turn creamy while holding their shape.
• Refogado base: Olive oil, onion, garlic, green bell pepper and a bay leaf, slowly cooked until soft and sweet.
• Tomatoes: One 14.5-ounce can of crushed tomatoes plus a spoonful of tomato paste.
• Dry white wine: Vinho Verde or another crisp white adds brightness.
• Heat: A small piri-piri pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes, plus sweet paprika.
• Fresh cilantro: Portuguese cooks use plenty of it at the end. Parsley works if you dislike cilantro.

How to Clean Clams and Mussels

Clams can hold sand, so it is worth purging them. Place them in a large bowl of cold water mixed with about 2 tablespoons of salt per quart, which mimics seawater, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. The clams will breathe and spit out grit. Lift them out of the water with your hands rather than pouring them into a colander, so the sand stays behind in the bowl.

For mussels, rinse them under cold running water, scrub off any debris and pull the stringy beard toward the hinge until it comes away. Most farmed mussels are already very clean.

Before cooking, check every shell. Throw away any that are cracked or broken, and tap any open shells on the counter. Live clams and mussels will close within a minute or so. If one stays open, discard it.

How to Make Arroz de Marisco

Have all of your seafood cleaned and your vegetables chopped before you start, because the final steps move quickly.

1. Make the shrimp broth. Peel and devein the shrimp and refrigerate them. Simmer the shells with 7 cups of water, half the onion trimmings, a bay leaf and a pinch of salt for 15 minutes, then strain. You should have about 6 1/2 cups.
2. Cook the refogado. In a large Dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion and green pepper for 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, tomato paste, paprika and piri-piri and cook 1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes and wine. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes and cook 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
4. Cook the rice. Stir in the rice to coat, then add 5 cups of hot broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the clams. Nestle the clams into the rice, cover and cook 4 minutes.
6. Add mussels and shrimp. Add the mussels and shrimp, plus another cup of broth if the rice looks thick. Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes more, until the shells open, the shrimp are pink and opaque and the rice is just tender.
7. Finish and serve. Discard any clams or mussels that did not open. Stir in a little more broth so the rice is loose and soupy, scatter with cilantro and serve immediately with lemon.

The final dish should be spoonable, with the rice swimming in its rich red broth. Rice keeps absorbing liquid as it sits, so keep extra hot broth on hand and loosen the pot just before serving.

Tips for the Best Seafood Rice

• Do not skip the shell broth. It takes 15 minutes and makes the difference between good and unforgettable.
• Cook the base slowly. A soft, sweet refogado gives the rice its depth.
• Stagger the seafood. Clams need the longest, mussels a little less and shrimp only a few minutes.
• Serve it right away. Brothy rice thickens fast, so call everyone to the table before you add the cilantro.
• Season at the end. Clams and mussels release salty liquor, so taste before adding more salt.

Use a wide pot that holds at least 6 quarts. The seafood needs room to sit in a single layer on top of the rice so the shells can open evenly in the steam. If your pot is smaller, cook the rice in it and steam the clams and mussels separately in a covered skillet with a splash of wine, then add them with their juices at the end.

If you love seafood with pasta, try my classic linguine with clams and my favorite steamed mussels in white wine garlic sauce. For a tomato seafood stew without rice, my San Francisco cioppino is a must, and you can find more ideas in my seafood recipes collection.

Easy Variations

• Add crab: Crack in a couple of cooked crab clusters or stir in lump crabmeat at the end.
• Squid or monkfish: Add 8 ounces of squid rings or monkfish chunks with the clams.
• Shrimp only: Use 2 pounds of shrimp and skip the clams and mussels for an easy weeknight version.
• Chouriço: Brown a few slices of Portuguese chouriço or Spanish chorizo with the onion for a smoky note.
• Frozen seafood mix: Use a 1 1/2 pound bag of frozen seafood medley, thawed in the refrigerator and added in the last 4 minutes.
• Seafood stock shortcut: Use store-bought seafood or fish stock diluted with water if you buy peeled shrimp.

Keep the core of the dish the same: a slow-cooked tomato base, a generous amount of broth and a pot loaded with shellfish.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

What to Serve with Arroz de Marisco

In Portugal this dish is a meal on its own, often served with nothing more than bread and a crisp green salad. Here are a few of my favorite pairings.

• Crusty bread for soaking up the broth.
• A simple green salad with tomatoes, onion and a vinegar dressing.
• Grilled or roasted vegetables such as peppers and zucchini.
• Vinho Verde or another light white wine, served well chilled.

For a bigger feast, start with a platter of grilled shrimp with creamy taramasalata or a bowl of olives and cheese, then bring the pot of rice to the table as the main event. Finish with something light and citrusy, like orange slices with cinnamon or a simple lemon sorbet, since the rice is rich and filling. Set out empty bowls for shells and plenty of napkins, because the best way to eat arroz de marisco is with your hands as well as a spoon.

Storage, Reheating and Seafood Safety

Shellfish is cooked when the shells open, and shrimp is done when it turns pink and opaque. Keep raw shellfish cold until you cook it and never cook clams or mussels that were already dead. The FDA explains how to choose, store and cook shellfish in its guide to selecting and serving fresh and frozen seafood safely.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow airtight container and eat them within 2 days. For the best texture, remove the clams and mussels from their shells before storing. The rice will absorb the remaining broth, so reheat it gently on the stove with a splash of broth or water until steaming hot. I do not recommend freezing it, as the rice and shellfish turn soft.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to cook? Here is the full printable arroz de marisco recipe with exact measurements and estimated nutrition.

Arroz de Marisco (Portuguese Seafood Rice)

Brothy Portuguese seafood rice simmered in a garlicky tomato, pepper and white wine broth with shrimp, clams and mussels, finished with cilantro.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Portuguese

Calories: 410

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Shrimp broth

• 1 pound large shell-on shrimp peeled and deveined, shells reserved (450 g)
• 7 cups water (1.7 liters)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Rice

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 small piri-piri pepper minced, or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup dry white wine such as Vinho Verde (120 ml)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes (410 g)
• 1 1/2 cups Carolino or medium-grain rice (300 g)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste

Shellfish and finish

• 1 1/2 pounds littleneck or Manila clams purged and scrubbed (680 g)
• 1 pound mussels scrubbed and debearded (450 g)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 lemon cut into wedges

Method

 

Broth

1. Simmer the shrimp shells with the water, bay leaf, salt and a few onion trimmings for 15 minutes. Strain and keep hot. Refrigerate the peeled shrimp.

Rice and seafood

1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion and green pepper 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, tomato paste, paprika, piri-piri and bay leaf and cook 1 minute.
2. Add the wine and simmer 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the rice, then add 5 cups of hot broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Nestle in the clams, cover and cook 4 minutes.
5. Add the mussels, shrimp and about 1 cup more broth. Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the shells open, the shrimp are pink and opaque and the rice is just tender.
6. Discard any shellfish that did not open. Loosen with remaining hot broth so the rice is soupy, season to taste, sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately with lemon.

Notes

Rice: Medium-grain Calrose or arborio are the best substitutes for Carolino. Avoid long-grain rice.

Leftovers: Refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 2 days.

Nutrition is an estimate per serving.

I hope this brothy Portuguese seafood rice brings a little seaside warmth to your table. If you make it, please leave a comment and a star rating below and tell me which seafood you used. Bom apetite, friends!