Arroz con Pollo Recipe [Mexican]
Arroz Con Pollo is one-pot chicken and rice. A meal you'll be familiar with if you grew up eating traditional recipes. Rice can be intimidating to cook with chicken, so here, I simplify the recipe, in my Mexican style, and share helpful tips.
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 307kcal
Equipment
- 1 Large saute pan
- 1 Knife for chopping
- 1 Vegetable peeler if adding potato
- 2 Bowls for serving your delicious arroz con pollo
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 5 chicken drumsticks about 1.5 lbs
- 1.5 - 2 tsp sea salt reduce to 1.5 tsp if using fine sea salt
- 1 cup rice rinsed
- 1/2 whole onion
- 2 whole garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce canned and preferably unsalted.
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin up to 1/2 tsp if you like cumin flavor.
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 large carrot peel and cut medium lengths.
- 1/2 large chayote or swap with quartered potato.
- 1 serrano pepper whole, not chopped.
- 5-8 cilantro sprigs optional herb
Alternative to DIY Mexican Spices
- 1.5 tbsp bouillon of choice sazonador
Instructions
To make the Arroz Con Pollo
- Heat large saute pan for 2 minutes on medium heat. Once heated add garlic clove and let fry in oil for 1 minute.
- Quickly and carefully add chicken, in single layer, to pan. Cover immediately (use lid to block oil popping). Turn up to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.
- Once cooked for 10 minutes, use tongs to safely turn over chicken.
To add the Rice and Vegetables
- In this order, add the rice over the chicken; then tomato sauce; then pour the broth over every area where the rice is.
- Add all spices and salt. Lay all vegetables in the pan in the way you would like them to appear.
- Using a pan safe spoon, stir into the liquid in so all ingredients blend.
- Cover with lid, and let cook on medium heat for 22 minutes. Set timer as a reminder. After 22 minutes, set to low heat for remaining 6-8 minutes (at this point, add optional cilantro sprigs).
- Leaving on medium heat the entire time will result in evaporation of your liquid in the rice much faster. We don't want any burnt rice. Thus our low and slow end cook time.
Once cooked
- Remove lid and sample texture of you rice ensuring it is to your liking. If it's great, safely slide pan onto different burner. Keep covered with lid for 10 minutes.
Enjoy your delicious Arroz Con Pollo!
Notes
- Recipe yield: 5 cups chicken and rice from scratch.
- Storage: Store any remaining chicken and rice in food safe container with lid and refrigerate. Enjoy within 7 days. Allow recipe to cool to room temp before refrigeration.
- Rinse the uncooked rice for best recipe result.
- Substitutions: Not all arroz con pollo is made with vegetables. This is my way of healthy-ing up my traditional rice and chicken recipe.
- Many arroz con pollo meals are made from onion, garlic, tomato, rice, and chicken and the sazon of your choice. If you'd like to share your fave added veggies, please leave comment below so the LQC Community can try it too. Thank you!
- Spice: This recipe uses fresh pepper, whole, in the cooking of the arroz con pollo. This releases a light spice flavor.
- Important note: Chopping a fresh pepper and placing it in the pan to cook will result in a spicy flavor of the whole dish.
See full post and tips on LatinasQueComen website for all vegetable combinations encouraged in making this Arroz Con Pollo Mexican-style.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.25cup | Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 904mg | Potassium: 382mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2303IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg