Arroz Con Pollo (Simple Recipe!)

I’ll present you easy methods to make my favourite arroz con pollo recipe! This basic Latin dish has juicy, seasoned hen and rice bursting with smoky, savory taste, cooked in a single pot.

Overhead view of a large pot of arroz con pollo.

Arroz con pollo, Spanish for “rice with hen”, is a Latin model of a hen and rice casserole. There are numerous methods to arrange it, relying on which nation is asking! Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Colombia all have their variations. My recipe makes use of juicy bone-in hen and chorizo sausage cooked with seasoned rice and an fragrant sofrito of garlic, jalapeño, bell pepper, and onion. It’s a one-pot meal full of taste, and also you’ll be shocked by how easy it’s to make.

Why Arroz Con Pollo Is the Final One-Pot Meal

Simple clean-up. This conventional hen and rice recipe is fast to prepare dinner with minimal pot scrubbing afterward.
Simple elements. I’ve tailored my arroz con pollo recipe to make use of pantry staples. It nonetheless delivers on these scrumptious and conventional deep, wealthy flavors.
Nice for leftovers. Arroz con pollo is nice for meal prep! I like storing leftovers within the fridge or freezer for future meals. The flavors get even higher with time.
Customizable. There are SO MANY methods to arrange arroz con pollo inside Latin cooking. The chances for add-ins and variations are infinite.

Arroz con pollo ingredients with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

Substances You’ll Must Make This Recipe

Right here’s a fast overview of the elements in my home made arroz con pollo recipe. You’ll discover the complete, printable particulars within the recipe card after the publish, adopted by a step-by-step part with images.

Seasoning – I make a straightforward hen spice rub from a mix of garlic and onion powder, paprika (candy or smoked), cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne.
Olive Oil – You should utilize additional virgin olive oil or your most well-liked cooking oil for sautéeing.
Hen Thighs – I make my arroz con pollo with bone-in hen thighs. You can even use drumsticks, skin-on, or boneless hen. I like to make use of bone-in hen for optimum taste.
Chorizo – Sliced into ¼-inch cash. You should utilize sizzling or gentle chorizo, relying in your most well-liked spice stage.
Onion and Carrot – Finely diced. I like to recommend yellow onion or shallot, and I often peel the carrots, but it surely’s non-obligatory.
Garlic, Jalapeño, and Bell Pepper – Additionally finely chopped. Mixed with the above veggies, this makes what’s known as a “sofrito”, an fragrant taste base for the dish. I take advantage of an analogous combo in my Sancocho Dominicano recipe (one other Latin favourite).
Rice – I make this recipe with white rice, however you should utilize one other selection like brown rice (see under) or saffron rice.
Hen Inventory – I take advantage of low-sodium hen inventory. Substitute vegetable broth if wanted, although you could discover the flavors a bit lighter on this case.
Tomato Sauce – Select your favourite jarred tomato sauce from the shop, or use home made. You could possibly additionally use tomato purée.
Cilantro – Freshly chopped, for garnish.

Can I Use Brown Rice in Arroz Con Pollo?

Sure! You can also make arroz con pollo with nearly any kind of rice you’ve got within the pantry. Brown rice is heartier than white rice and might have barely longer to prepare dinner.

What’s the Greatest Lower of Hen to Use?

I choose to make use of bone-in hen thighs as a result of they’re juicier and more durable to overcook than breast meat. That being mentioned, drumsticks are additionally nice, or you should utilize a mixture of bone-in cuts, both skinless or skin-on.

Overhead view of chicken and rice on a plate with a fork.

Preserve These Suggestions In Thoughts

Use a heavy-bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven, braiser pot, or related, to keep away from the underside of the rice burning whereas it cooks.
Relaxation after cooking. As soon as the rice has cooked by means of, enable the dish to relaxation off the warmth earlier than serving. Resting permits the juices to redistribute all through the hen so it’s good and tender.
Test the hen for doneness. Hen is cooked when the juices run clear and the interior temperature reaches 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer.

Different Recipe Variations

Add olives. Add in olives and sazon seasoning for a Puerto Rican arroz con pollo.
Swap the broth with wine. Substitute the hen broth with white wine (I prefer to hold it Spanish with Albarino, however you should utilize one other dry white, like Pinot Grigio). You could possibly additionally strive a variation with beer, like a crisp lager.
Vegetarian. Skip the hen and bulk up your rice with additional veggies like inexperienced beans (Colombian-style), mushrooms, asparagus, and many others. You could possibly additionally use tofu for a meatless choice.

What to Serve With Arroz Con Pollo

Serve your arroz con pollo topped with avocado slices and pico de gallo. The spicy tomato flavors within the rice go nice with a contemporary inexperienced salad topped with avocado dressing, or a crunchy kale salad. If you happen to’d prefer to lean into the starches, strive a aspect of crispy potato wedges or French fries. I really like plating this hen and rice up in the summertime subsequent to a white wine sangria!

Ceaselessly Requested Questions

Can I make this in a sluggish cooker?

Certain! I’d advocate following the instructions for my sluggish cooker hen and rice to make your arroz con pollo within the crock pot or sluggish cooker.

How do I forestall mushy rice?

The easiest way to forestall mushy rice is to not overcook it. Test the instructions on the rice packaging, because the cooking occasions I give on this recipe are tips. Chances are you’ll must adapt the time relying on the rice you’re utilizing.

Is arroz con pollo spicy?

Arroz con pollo is extra of a savory dish than a spicy one. In fact, you may simply adapt the seasonings to incorporate extra cayenne, chili powder, or add extra jalapeño to amp up the spice.

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For the Hen Spice Rub

For the Hen and Rice

▢ 2½ tablespoons olive oil
▢ 6 bone-in, pores and skin on hen thighs, or drumsticks, or use boneless hen thighs
▢ ¾ cups of chorizo slices, (¼-inch thick)
▢ 1 small yellow onion, diced
▢ 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
▢ ¼ jalapeño, finely chopped
▢ ½ medium crimson bell pepper, finely chopped
▢ 1¼ cups white rice, raw
▢ 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
▢ 2½ cups low sodium hen inventory
▢ 1¼ cups tomato sauce
▢ contemporary cilantro, for garnishing
▢ salt and pepper, to style

Make the spice rub and season the hen. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne till effectively mixed. Sprinkle the combination generously over the hen on all sides. Add salt and pepper to style.
Brown the hen. Add the oil to a big pot over medium warmth. Add the hen thighs and prepare dinner them for 5-7 minutes on all sides or till browned. Take away the hen from the pot and switch it to a plate.
Cook dinner the chorizo. Place the chorizo in the identical pot and let it prepare dinner for 5-6 minutes or till it releases its fats.
Cook dinner the veggies. Add the onions and carrots. Allow them to prepare dinner for 5-7 minutes or till the onion softens. Add the garlic, jalapeño, and crimson bell pepper. Cook dinner for an extra minute, stirring incessantly.
Add the rice. Pour the rice into the pot and stir to mix with the opposite elements.
Add the liquids. Stir within the tomato sauce and broth. Improve the warmth to medium and produce to a simmer, then cut back the warmth to low.
Mix and simmer. Add the hen again within the pan and produce it to a simmer. Cowl the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes or till the rice is cooked by means of.
End and serve. Take away it from the warmth, set it apart, and let it cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve.

Dietary data is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might differ in line with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed data.

The best way to Make Arroz Con Pollo (Rice With Hen)

Able to deliver an entire bucket-load of taste to the dinner desk? Nice! As a result of this one-pot arroz con pollo recipe couldn’t be simpler to make:

Chicken seasoning in a bowl with a whisk. — Combine the spices.

Season the hen. Begin by combining the elements for the spice rub, and sprinkle the seasoning generously over the hen.

Seared chicken in a large pot. — Brown the hen.

Brown the hen. Subsequent, sear the hen in a big pot with oil over medium warmth. Cook dinner for 5-7 minutes per aspect till the meat is properly browned, then transfer it to a plate.
Cook dinner the chorizo and veggies. In the identical pot, brown the chorizo for 5-6 minutes to launch the fats. Then, sauté the onions and carrots for 5-7 minutes, adopted by the garlic, jalapeño, and crimson pepper.

Broth is being poured over the rice ingredients in a large pot. — Add rice, then broth.

Add the rice. Now, stir within the rice, tomato sauce, and broth. Carry the pot to a simmer.
Add the hen and prepare dinner. Nestle the hen again into the pot, cowl it with a lid, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, permitting the rice to prepare dinner by means of.
Serve. Take the pot off the warmth to chill for 10 minutes, then serve heat, sprinkled with contemporary cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

No Peeking!

Identical to my no-peek hen with rice, don’t peek whereas the arroz con pollo is cooking! Sealing the pot with the lid traps the steam whereas the rice cooks. If you happen to carry the lid too early, it’ll have an effect on the completed texture.

A fork poking into arroz con pollo on a plate.

Storing and Freezing Leftovers

Refrigerate. Retailer your leftover arroz con pollo in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat. I’ve at all times discovered one of the simplest ways to reheat this hen and rice with out drying it out is to make use of a saucepan or skillet on the stovetop. Add a splash of water or broth to assist the rice steam and hold the hen moist because it reheats.
Freeze. You possibly can freeze arroz con pollo in a freezer-safe container for as much as 3 months. Thaw the hen and rice within the fridge earlier than reheating.

Why Arroz Con Pollo Is the Final One-Pot Meal