Arroz Con Pollo is a traditional dish of Latin America that usually consists of chicken cooked with rice, onions, spices and vegetables of your choosing. It's one of our absolute favorite dishes and Poppy's been eating it since she was 1!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Arroz con Pollo was one of the first sets of words Poppy's said when she started to talk! Which clearly shows how often we make this incredible dish. Arroz con Pollo, which translates to Rice with Chicken is a popular dish from Latin America with rice, spices, chicken and a splash of lime juice and cilantro to make the most delightful dinner. Our nanny, Lulu, who is a beloved member of our family at this point, has been making this once every week or for us (but mostly Poppy) since she turned 1! To say we're obsessed would be an understatement.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Olive Oil
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- Spices: Cumin, Paprika, Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Onion Powder, Granulated Garlic, Oregano, Ground Coriander
- Bell Peppers
- Yellow Onion
- Jalapeno
- Garlic
- Tomato Sauce
- Water Or Stock
- Jasmine rice
- Cilantro
- Lime Juice to garnish
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make Arroz Con Pollo
Step 1: Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the spices for the chicken and stir to combine.
Step 2: Coat the chicken in the oil and spice mixture.
Step 3: In a large Dutch Oven, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add in chicken in batches 4 thighs at a time, seasoning with salt and pepper and searing on both sides for 4-5 minutes.
Step 4: Be sure not to overcrowd the pan, as you want the chicken to get a nice sear rather than just steam. Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Step 5: In the same Dutch Oven, add another swirl of olive oil if needed and sauté the bell pepper, onion and jalapeño for 5 minutes.
Step 6: Add the garlic, rice and all the spices and cook for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant and rice starts to toast.
Step 7: Then add in tomato sauce and water and stir well to combine.
Step 8: Bring to a simmer and nestle the chicken on top. Reduce heat to low, cover the Dutch Oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is tender to the bite.
Step 9: After 20-25 minutes, most of the liquid should be absorbed and rice should be cooked. Serve immediately. Garnish the Arroz Con Pollo with cilantro and plenty of fresh lime juice.
How to Store Arroz Con Pollo
The Arroz Con Pollo (chicken and rice) will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Store it in an air tight container and reheat as needed. I'll even give this a quick hard sear to reheat and crisp it up.
How to Freeze Arroz Con Pollo
This can be frozen for a month in an airtight container. I recommend thawing in the fridge overnight when its time to eat and making sure everything is properly warmed through.
Tips & Tricks
This Arroz Con Pollo doesn't need much! It's perfect served on it's own with a squeeze of lime juice and a salad on the side!
FAQ's
What is arroz con pollo made of?
Arroz con pollo is a traditional Spanish and Latin American dish made with chicken and rice and a plethora of incredible seasonings and spices.
The rice is too mushy or undercooked. What do I do?
Make sure you follow the amount of water/stock listed in the recipe. Cooking time and amount of liquid also depends on the type of rice. You can check on it a few times if you are unsure, but do not open too often to not let the heat out
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Arroz con Pollo
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
For the Rice
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ tesapoon mexican oregano
- 1 cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 1.5 cups water or stock
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
- Fresh cilantro and lime juice to garnish
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the spices for the chicken and stir to combine. Coat the chicken in the oil and spice mixture. In a large Dutch Oven, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add in chicken in batches 4 thighs at a time, seasoning with salt and pepper and searing on both sides for 4-5 minutes. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan, as you want the chicken to get a nice sear rather than just steam. Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- In the same Dutch Oven, add another swirl of olive oil if needed and sauté the bell pepper, onion and jalapeño for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rice and all the spices and cook for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant and rice starts to toast. Then add in tomato sauce and water and stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer and nestle the chicken (and the peas if you're using) on top. Reduce heat to low, cover the Dutch Oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is tender to the bite. If the rice is still a bit al dente, add another splash of water and let cook for 3-5 minutes more.
- After 20-25 minutes, most of the liquid should be absorbed and rice should be cooked. Serve immediately. Garnish with cilantro and serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice
So good and so easy. Thanks for a great recipe!
I love your recipes. Please help - I followed your recipe but my end result was soggy and the bottom burnt :/. What do you think I did wrong?
sounds like the heat was a bit too high and maybe could have used a bit more oil to prevent the burnt! Did you use a different kind of rice - thats the only way I would think it would be soggy
I made this exactly as you have instructed and it was perfect! Ok, I’ll admit I did add a chopped up chipotle pepper in adobe just cause I love them :). I’m making this again a soon!
Super tasty stuff. I needed a little more liquid and a little more cooking time on the rice, so just be sure to check it. I’d call this a borderline weeknight meal because prepping the veggies and spices took a minute, but you could probably do that during the day.
I also used bone in skin on thighs with the bone cut out (family preference, it’s not hard to do and you can use the bones for stock) and next time after searing, I’ll just park them in a warm oven while the rice cooks to try and keep my crispy skin. The fat in them gave a ton of richness and flavor when you cooked the veggies and toasted the rice in it.
But this was super tasty and feels like it’ll work with whatever chicken your family likes as long as you know how to cook it.
Very straightforward. Definitely a success. My rice did require more broth and minutes to cook but I read the comments beforehand and knew what to expect!
Was delicious! My chicken thighs lost all their “char” when simmered with the rice, any tips?
Hi! Will the Dalkin&Co taco seasoning work for this? Thank you
sure will
This was delicious, and especially loved the chicken! My only problem is that the rice cooked unevenly. The grains near the top were undercooked, so I cooked the whole thing longer and the rice on the bottom ended up burning. Any recommendations for this? (I subbed white rice for jasmine, but not sure if that’s related!)
sounds like you needed just a bit more water or stock to let it cook more evenly! Next time you can taste the rice with 5 mins to go and add a splash more of liquid and give it a quick stir if needed
Very tasty and I like spice, have no problem with it, but with a jalapeño and 1/2t cayenne this is very spicy. Like burning my lips spicy. But good flavors!
you must have had a very spicy jalapeno!!
It tastes absolutely delicious but my rice is taking much longer and still has a bite to it. Did I do something wrong?
nope! sometimes different brands of rice just cook differently. you can add a bit more water and let it continue to cook
Would it be possible to make this using chicken breasts? Or would they be too dry?
ya you could cube up chicken breasts and marinate them and then sauté them. Remove them, make the rice, then add the chicken in about 5 minutes before the rice is done to warm thru
This is an underrated dish! Speaking from experience - it is ABSOLUTELY delicious!!!! SO glad to be able to make this now!
Looks delish. Is tomato sauce the small canned tomato sauce?
yes! that works
Looks wonderful, but any issue with simply using bone in, skin on thighs? Both which give great flavor? Thanks!
GO FOR IT!! Chicken might need a few extra minutes to cook through when searing
how would this taste with chicken breasts instead of thighs?
you could cube up chicken breasts and marinate them and then sauté them. Remove them, make the rice, then add the chicken in about 5 minutes before the rice is done to warm thru