Arroz con Pollo, which literally means “rice with chicken” is a luscious one-pot meal that is as simple as it sounds, and yet when prepared well, it is greater than the sum of its parts. A feast for the senses, it’s not only visually stimulating, with brilliant hues of ochre and vermillion, Arroz con Pollo also has layers of tastes and flavors that synergize to make each bite more delicious than the one before it.
Arroz con Pollo is one of those dishes that has about as many ways to make it as there are cooks that prepare it, and it’s a dish that’s eaten in some form or another in just about every Spanish-speaking country in the world. For my version I like to marinate the chicken with plenty of garlic, chili powder and a bit of vinegar. When browned, the marinated chicken creates a marvelous smoky layer of fond on the bottom of the pot that imbues the rice with a preposterous amount of flavor.
I use the oil that’s left in the pan after browning the chicken to extract color and flavor from Achiote seeds (a.k.a. annatto). The seeds looks like little reddish-orange pebbles, and have a sweet, peppery taste that’s a bit like sarsaparilla (i.e. the flavoring in root beer). Aside from the earthy flavor it imparts, it gives the rice a stunning golden hue. While it should be available in any Latin American grocery store, if you can’t find it, you could substitute turmeric or saffron for the color, if not the flavor.
A sofrito of onions, bell peppers, garlic, and cilantro stems gets caramelized in this achiote-infused oil before the rice goes in. Then the chicken is layered on top of the rice, along with some red bell peppers and tomatoes. Finally, some good chicken stock is added before the pot is covered with a lid, and whole thing is simmered until all the components have had a chance to mingle and coalesce into a mouth-watering pot of Arroz con Pollo.
More Chicken and Rice Recipes
- Best Chicken Biryani
- Chicken Coconut Rice
- Omurice
- Arroz Caldo (Filipino Chicken Porridge)
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients1x2x3x
marinade chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 8 grams garlic (grated)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 920 grams whole chicken legs (cut into pieces)
sofrito
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon achiote seeds
- 200 grams onions (finely diced)
- 100 grams green bell peppers (finely diced)
- 12 grams garlic (minced)
- 20 grams cilantro stems (minced)
rice
- 310 grams medium grain rice (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 180 grams tomatoes (chopped)
- 100 grams red bell peppers (chopped)
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- cilantro leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
- Whisk the 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar , 2 teaspoons chili powder , 8 grams garlic , 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper together and then toss the cut 920 grams whole chicken legs in the marinade. Let this marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Heat a heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch, oven over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry the chicken on one side until browned (about 5 minutes). Flip the chicken over and fry the second side until browned (another 3 minutes).
- Remove the chicken from the pot and then add the ½ teaspoon achiote seeds and fry until the oil starts to turn orange. You can remove the seeds at this point, but they will give the rice more flavor if you leave them in. Just be careful when you eat this as some of the seeds can be as hard as rocks.
- Add the 200 grams onions , 100 grams green bell peppers , 12 grams garlic and 20 grams cilantro stems to the achiote-infused oil. Fry the aromatics until they start to brown and are very fragrant (about 15 minutes).
- Add the 310 grams medium grain rice , ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano and 1 bay leaf and fry until the rice is well coated with oil. Flatten the rice so that it’s evenly distributed in the pan.
- Sprinkle the 180 grams tomatoes and 100 grams red bell peppers onto the rice and return the chicken to the pot along with any collected juices.
- Add the 2 cups low sodium chicken stock and then turn up the heat to bring the liquid to a boil. If you use unsalted chicken stock you’ll need to add some salt to taste (should taste like a mild chicken soup)
- Cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook the rice for 20-25 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Garnish the Arroz con Pollo with cilantro and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Arroz con Pollo
Ingredients
marinade chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 8 grams garlic (grated)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 920 grams whole chicken legs (cut into pieces)
sofrito
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon achiote seeds
- 200 grams onions (finely diced)
- 100 grams green bell peppers (finely diced)
- 12 grams garlic (minced)
- 20 grams cilantro stems (minced)
rice
- 310 grams medium grain rice (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 180 grams tomatoes (chopped)
- 100 grams red bell peppers (chopped)
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- cilantro leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
- Whisk the 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar , 2 teaspoons chili powder , 8 grams garlic , 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper together and then toss the cut 920 grams whole chicken legs in the marinade. Let this marinate for at least 1 hour. 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 8 grams garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 920 grams whole chicken legs
- Heat a heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch, oven over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry the chicken on one side until browned (about 5 minutes). Flip the chicken over and fry the second side until browned (another 3 minutes). 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Remove the chicken from the pot and then add the ½ teaspoon achiote seeds and fry until the oil starts to turn orange. You can remove the seeds at this point, but they will give the rice more flavor if you leave them in. Just be careful when you eat this as some of the seeds can be as hard as rocks. ½ teaspoon achiote seeds
- Add the 200 grams onions , 100 grams green bell peppers , 12 grams garlic and 20 grams cilantro stems to the achiote-infused oil. Fry the aromatics until they start to brown and are very fragrant (about 15 minutes). 200 grams onions, 100 grams green bell peppers, 12 grams garlic, 20 grams cilantro stems
- Add the 310 grams medium grain rice , ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano and 1 bay leaf and fry until the rice is well coated with oil. Flatten the rice so that it’s evenly distributed in the pan. 310 grams medium grain rice, ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 bay leaf
- Sprinkle the 180 grams tomatoes and 100 grams red bell peppers onto the rice and return the chicken to the pot along with any collected juices. 180 grams tomatoes, 100 grams red bell peppers
- Add the 2 cups low sodium chicken stock and then turn up the heat to bring the liquid to a boil. If you use unsalted chicken stock you’ll need to add some salt to taste (should taste like a mild chicken soup) 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- Cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook the rice for 20-25 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Garnish the Arroz con Pollo with cilantro and serve. cilantro
