Arroz con Pollo is a savory and satisfying one-pot dinner with the great flavors of Mexico, and it easily feeds a crowd. (Or provides lovely, lovely leftovers for a day or two.) I usually use chicken thighs, either bone-in or boneless, rather than chicken breasts, but either will work.
I’ve been making this recipe for many years, and it never fails to get rave reviews. It does take a little while to prepare, but I’ve consolidated a couple of steps to reduce that time. Count on at least 45 minutes of total cooking time, not including your prep time.
Best of all, the ingredients for arroz con pollo are easily found in your local grocery store. The recipe does call for white wine though. If you don’t cook with wine much, here’s a tip: Buy a good-quality wine, especially if you can find one that has a screwcap rather than a cork. Use what you need, and the rest will keep for weeks and weeks in a cool pantry. Currently, I’m fond of Livingston Cellars‘ Chardonnay for cooking, though a chablis blanc or other white wine would do as well.
How to Make Arroz con Pollo
The main prep work on this recipe is to remove any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Remove the skin if you desire; I think it makes for a prettier dish with the skin on, but most diners will want to remove it before eating. Then season the chicken and start browning it while you prep for the next step.
Note that I’ve used a more chicken thighs than the recipe called for in the photo above. It crowded the pan, but it was what I had on hand.
The next step is to sauté the onions, pepper and garlic, then add the rice and cook until the rice begins to turn opaque. This is an important step; cooking the rice in this way is traditional to Mexican cooking. It seems to seal the rice kernels so that they won’t absorb too much liquid in the long simmering needed for arroz con pollo.
Plain ol’ long-grain rice is what you want here. Jasmine and other aromatic kinds of rice are just too delicate and will break up and turn to mush (yes, I tried it one time. Ugh.).
Broth is added, as well as additional seasonings and turmeric, and simmered for 15 minutes. The turmeric will give the rice a brilliant yellow color. If you don’t have it in your spice drawer, it’s an interesting one to keep on hand. It’s used in quite a few Asian cuisines – often for curries. Turmeric is also a less-expensive substitute for saffron, and it has a ‘warm’ flavor to it.
Bringing it All Together
At this point, add the tomatoes, breaking them up, and stir in the chili powder and dried parsley if you’re using it instead of fresh. Nestle the chicken into the mixture, cover and bring to a simmer. After about 20 minutes, the rice should be tender and the chicken should be cooked through (cut into a piece or use an instant-read thermometer to be sure.)
I like to serve arroz con pollo with warmed flour tortillas and a side of my refried beans. I hope you enjoy this recipe – it’s been a favorite around our house for a long time!
PrintArroz con Pollo (Mexican Chicken & Rice)
Arroz con Pollo is a savory and satisfying one-pot dinner with the great flavors of Mexico that easily feeds a crowd. (Or provides lovely, lovely leftovers for a day or two.) Inspired by a recipe in the Ladies’ Home Journal a long time ago.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
6 to 8 chicken thighs, either bone-in/skin-on or boneless/skinless (may substitute about 4 chicken breast halves)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided use
1 teaspoon salt, divided use
1 teaspoon paprika, divided use
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 to 1 cup)
1 large bell pepper, any color, chopped (about 3/4 to 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons)
1 cup long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay, chablis blanc, or other)
14.5 to 16 ounces canned tomatoes with their liquid
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley, or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Scrape and pull off excess fat from chicken, and remove the skin if desired. If you’re using chicken breasts, cut them into two or three equal-sized pieces. Combine 1/2 teaspoon each of ground black pepper, salt, and paprika and rub it all over the chicken pieces.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it’s golden brown on both sides. While the chicken is cooking, chop the onion and bell pepper, and mince the garlic.
Remove the chicken to a plate and drain the excess fat if needed, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the rice to the pan and cook and stir until the rice turns opaque.
Stir in the chicken broth, white wine, and 1/2 teaspoon each of the ground black pepper, salt, and paprika, as well as the turmeric. Cover the pan and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium and add the tomatoes (including their liquid). Break up the tomatoes with a spoon or spatula. Stir in the chili powder, and dried parsley (if using) then top the mixture with the browned chicken.
Cover the pan and bring the rice mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, lifting the chicken and stirring the rice mixture at least once. After 20 minutes, check to be sure the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the fresh parsley (if using) and serve.
Keywords: arroz con pollo, chicken, chicken and rice, rice
Evelyn-
You’r photos look “delish”. I’m looking forward to trying them soon. I’ll let you know how they turn out!
Trisha
Thanks, Trisha!