Arroz con Pollo Recipe

4.86 from 21 votes

Arroz con Pollo is a comforting, one-pot meal from Latin America. This version is a family favorite and is a cross between paella and arroz con pollo.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Latin America, Peruvian

Servings:

Author: Adrianna Adarme

Cost: $12

Equipment

1 large pot or braiser

Ingredients

4 bone-in chicken thighs (skin on)
2 bone-in drumsticks (skin on)
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon neutral oil (I like to use avocado oil)
1 yellow onion peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper peeled and minced
5 garlic cloves peeled and minced
3 roma tomatoes minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon saffron
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups medium grain rice (see below for more options)
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup pitted green olives
1/3 cup frozen peas

Instructions

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt
In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add chicken, skin side down, until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the chicken, using tongs, and cook on opposite side until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium, add onion and red bell pepper, and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic to the top of the onions and cook until fragrant; 2 minutes or so. Add the tomato and scrape the bottom of the pot removing any of the chicken fat pieces (hello! flavor!!). Next, add spices: cumin, paprika, turmeric, saffron, crushed red pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and mix.
Pour in rice and give it a good mix, coating it with the tomato mixture. Cook for about a minute or so. Place chicken atop of rice mixture, and disperse the olives all around atop the rice.
Pour just enough chicken stock to cover the rice, about 3 1/2 cups. Bring the pot to a simmer and then reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, for about 30 to 34 minutes, and until rice is tender.
Note: Throughout the cooking process, I checked on it every 15 minutes or so and topped it off with about 1/4 cup of stock each time. In the end, I added 4 cups of chicken stock total. Also, in the last 15 minutes, I salted to taste, adding about 1/4 teaspoon more salt.
When it's ready, turn the heat off. Sprinkle the peas on top and cover with a lid for 2 minutes. Just until the peas are thawed and bright green. Serve immediately.
Leftovers: This stays good in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's great reheated in the microwave. You may need to add a splash of water to it to loosen it up right before the microwave!

Notes

Let's Talk About Other Rice Options:

Long-grain: you can absolutely use long-grain rice for this recipe. You may need to add more water so I would just watch it throughout the process.

Arborio: believe it or not, rice for risotto works for this dish--it's delicious. So if you have it, no biggie, use it!

Equipment:

Nutrition