Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con pollo is the perfect one pot dinner recipe. Fragrant Spanish chicken and rice cooked with onions, peppers and peas is guaranteed to be a winner.

My mom was quite an adventurous eater and she often ear-marked recipes in magazines and cookbooks. I came across a cookbook released by a local women’s magazine in the 90’s the other day. In it, my mom had marked a few recipes she wanted to try. “Easy Spanish chicken and rice”was one of them. I don’t actually remember her every making it but it looked so delicious, I decided to make it for dinner one night. And hot damn, was it tasty! After some research, I found out that my mom’s 90’s Spanish chicken and rice is in fact Arroz con pollo.

This traditional dish (mostly cooked in Spain and Latin America) is kind of a cousin of Paella which happens to be one of my all-time favorite recipes. What makes Arroz con pollo so fabulous is that it takes no time to prep and only requires one pan. My family loved this easy dinner recipe and it’s now on regular rotation in our house.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken. I used skin-on bone-in chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks. You could use chicken breasts too.
• Vegetables: Onion, bell peppers and garlic cloves and frozen peas. I used red bell pepper but use any color peppers you like. You could also add a handful of pitted olives.
• Spices: Ground cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. Cayenne pepper or saffron can also be added but I don’t find them necessary. I also used fresh parsley as garnish. Herbs like oregano and bay leaves can also be added.
• Tomato paste.
• White rice. I used jasmine rice but basmati rice will also work.
• Chicken broth/chicken stock.
• Salt and black pepper.
• Lemon wedges, to serve.

How to make arroz con pollo

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels then season generously with salt on both sides. Heat a large, deep pan or skillet over medium high heat. Brown the chicken in a few tablespoons of olive oil on both sides then remove and set aside.
2. Fry the onion and peppers until soft and translucent then add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds then add the spices and tomato paste. Allow to fry until the pan becomes dry then add the long grain rice and chicken stock or broth. Season with salt, add the chicken pieces and all of their resting juices to the top of the rice.
3. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat then allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the frozen peas after 10 minutes and simmer until the rice and chicken are cooked through. You could also place the entire dish in the oven to bake for the last 10-15 minutes to ensure the chicken skin crisps up.
4. Serve the chicken and rice garnished with chopped parsley or cilantro and lemon wedges for squeezing.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes, this is a great recipe to make ahead as the flavors keep developing. Once baked, allow to cool completely then cover well and refrigerate. Reheat under the broiler to crisp the chicken skin before serving. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated before serving.

Easy chicken and rice recipes