Arroz con Pollo (Easy & Authentic Recipe!)
A classic and flavorful one-pan recipe for Arroz Con Pollo (chicken and rice). This hearty dish features bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks coated in a savory spice rub of cumin, oregano, and garlic powder, then seared until golden brown. A sofrito of onion and bell peppers is cooked in the same skillet, followed by long-grain rice which is toasted to develop its flavor. The rice is then simmered with chicken broth and diced tomatoes, and the seared chicken is returned to the pan to cook until everything is tender and infused with flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (plus more as needed)
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Pat the chicken pieces dry and season them all over with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Rub this spice mixture into the chicken.
- In a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped onion and bell pepper for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the finely chopped garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant, then stir in the tomato paste.
- Add the uncooked rice to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring, until the rice is well-coated and toasted.
- Add the broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, then return the seared chicken pieces to the skillet.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Add more broth or water if the pan becomes too dry.
- Remove the bay leaf, fluff the rice, and serve.
Notes
- This is a true one-pan meal that builds layers of flavor by cooking all the components in the same skillet.
- Searing the chicken first is a crucial step that creates a crispy skin and a rich, browned flavor in the final dish.
- Toasting the rice in the pan with the vegetables before adding the liquid helps the grains to stay separate and absorb more flavor.
- The final cooking instructions were not fully provided in the source article and have been inferred.
Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/arroz-con-pollo/