Arroz Con Pollo (Straightforward Recipe!)

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


Arroz con pollo, Spanish for “rice with rooster”, is a Latin model of a rooster and rice casserole. There are numerous methods to organize it, relying on which nation is asking! Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Colombia all have their variations. My recipe makes use of juicy bone-in rooster 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 stunned by how easy it’s to make.
Why Arroz Con Pollo Is the Final One-Pot Meal
- Straightforward clean-up. This conventional rooster and rice recipe is fast to prepare dinner with minimal pot scrubbing afterward.
- Straightforward substances. 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 organize arroz con pollo inside Latin cooking. The probabilities for add-ins and variations are countless.


Substances You’ll Must Make This Recipe
Right here’s a fast overview of the substances in my do-it-yourself 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 simple rooster spice rub from a mixture of garlic and onion powder, paprika (candy or smoked), cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne.
- Olive Oil – You need to use further virgin olive oil or your most popular cooking oil for sautéeing.
- Hen Thighs – I make my arroz con pollo with bone-in rooster thighs. You may as well use drumsticks, skin-on, or boneless rooster. I like to make use of bone-in rooster for optimum taste.
- Chorizo – Sliced into ¼-inch cash. You need to use sizzling or gentle chorizo, relying in your most popular spice degree.
- Onion and Carrot – Finely diced. I like to recommend yellow onion or shallot, and I normally peel the carrots, however it’s non-obligatory.
- Garlic, Jalapeño, and Bell Pepper – Additionally finely chopped. Mixed with the above veggies, this makes what’s referred to as a “sofrito”, an fragrant taste base for the dish. I exploit an analogous combo in my Sancocho Dominicano recipe (one other Latin favourite).
- Rice – I make this recipe with white rice, however you should use one other selection like brown rice (see under) or saffron rice.
- Hen Inventory – I exploit low-sodium rooster 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 do-it-yourself. You might 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 sort of rice you might have within the pantry. Brown rice is heartier than white rice and may have barely longer to prepare dinner.
What’s the Finest Reduce of Hen to Use?
I choose to make use of bone-in rooster thighs as a result of they’re juicier and more durable to overcook than breast meat. That being stated, drumsticks are additionally nice, or you should use a mixture of bone-in cuts, both skinless or skin-on.


Preserve These Ideas In Thoughts
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven, braiser pot, or comparable, 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 rooster so it’s good and tender.
- Verify the rooster for doneness. Hen is cooked when the juices run clear and the inner 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 rooster broth with white wine (I prefer to hold it Spanish with Albarino, however you should use one other dry white, like Pinot Grigio). You might additionally attempt a variation with beer, like a crisp lager.
- Vegetarian. Skip the rooster and bulk up your rice with further veggies like inexperienced beans (Colombian-style), mushrooms, asparagus, and so on. You might additionally use tofu for a meatless possibility.
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. When you’d prefer to lean into the starches, attempt a aspect of crispy potato wedges or French fries. I really like plating this rooster and rice up in the summertime subsequent to a white wine sangria!


Ceaselessly Requested Questions
Positive! I’d suggest following the instructions for my gradual cooker rooster and rice to make your arroz con pollo within the crock pot or gradual cooker.
The easiest way to forestall mushy rice is to not overcook it. Verify the instructions on the rice packaging, because the cooking instances I give on this recipe are pointers. Chances are you’ll have to adapt the time relying on the rice you’re utilizing.
Arroz con pollo is extra of a savory dish than a spicy one. In fact, you possibly can 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 rooster thighs, or drumsticks, or use boneless rooster 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 pink bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1¼ cups white rice, raw
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 2½ cups low sodium rooster inventory
- 1¼ cups tomato sauce
- contemporary cilantro, for garnishing
- salt and pepper, to style
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Make the spice rub and season the rooster. 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 rooster on all sides. Add salt and pepper to style.
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Brown the rooster. Add the oil to a big pot over medium warmth. Add the rooster thighs and prepare dinner them for 5-7 minutes on both sides or till browned. Take away the rooster from the pot and switch it to a plate.
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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.
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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 pink bell pepper. Cook dinner for an extra minute, stirring regularly.
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Add the rice. Pour the rice into the pot and stir to mix with the opposite substances.
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Add the liquids. Stir within the tomato sauce and broth. Improve the warmth to medium and convey to a simmer, then scale back the warmth to low.
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Mix and simmer. Add the rooster again within the pan and convey 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.
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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.
Energy: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 27g | Fats: 29g | Saturated Fats: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 5g | Monounsaturated Fats: 12g | Trans Fats: 0.1g | Ldl cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 652mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2860IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 3mg
Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might fluctuate in accordance with the substances and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
Learn how to Make Arroz Con Pollo (Rice With Hen)
Able to convey 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:




- Season the rooster. Begin by combining the substances for the spice rub, and sprinkle the seasoning generously over the rooster.




- Brown the rooster. Subsequent, sear the rooster 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 pink pepper.




- Add the rice. Now, stir within the rice, tomato sauce, and broth. Deliver the pot to a simmer.
- Add the rooster and prepare dinner. Nestle the rooster 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 rooster 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. When you raise the lid too early, it’ll have an effect on the completed texture.


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 best ways to reheat this rooster 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 rooster moist because it reheats.
- Freeze. You may freeze arroz con pollo in a freezer-safe container for as much as 3 months. Thaw the rooster and rice within the fridge earlier than reheating.