Arroz con Pollo (Latin One Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice)

Arroz con Pollo (Latin One Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice)

Easy Venezuelan Arroz con Pollo, a vibrant one-pot dish from my Venezuelan family, is your weeknight answer to Latin comfort food. Savory spices, smoky bacon, and juicy chicken combined with fluffy yellow rice and delicious vegetables for a complete and flavorful meal in under an hour.

5 from 19 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Venezuelan

Keyword: Authentic Arroz con pollo, chicken and rice recipes., chicken recipes, easy recipes, latin dinners, one-pot meals, venezuelan recipes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 50

Servings: servings

Calories: 461kcal

Author: Juyali (ju-ja-lee)

Ingredients

For the chicken:

2 Chicken thighs skinless
1 Chicken Breast skinless
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Dry Oregano
1 teaspoon Sweet Spanish Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

For the Rice:

2 Bacon strips
1 cup Onion about 1 small onion, chopped
4 Garlic cloves crushed or finely chopped
1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper chopped
1/2 cup Carrots finely diced
2 Tomatoes medium size, finely diced
2 cups Water
2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Chicken base or 2 chicken bouillons.
1 tablespoon Tomato Paste optional
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 cup Long Grain Parboiled Rice
1 envelope Sazon Goya with Culantro and Achiote optional
1/2 cup Green Peas frozen
1/2 cup Green Olives pitted or stuffed green olives with pimento
2 tablespoons Cilantro chopped

Instructions

Step 1: Season the Chicken (2-3 minutes): Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. In a large bowl, toss it with olive oil, cumin, oregano, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Mix well. Let the chicken marinate for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
Step 2: Brown the bacon and chicken (5-7 minutes): If you're using bacon, cook it over medium heat until medium-crispy. Make room in the middle of the pan and add the chicken. Sear the chicken on all sides until golden brown. Once browned, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
Step 3: Sautee the vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium and add the
olive oil to the pan (if you didn't use bacon, you might need more oil). Add the chopped onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions are softened and translucent.
Step 4: Add the carrots and chopped tomatoes, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant and a sofrito is formed.

Step 5: Prepare the chicken broth by diluting 2 teaspoons of chicken base (or 2 chicken bouillons) in two cups of hot water.

Step 6: Add the chicken broth, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Combine while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the uncooked
rice and the Sazon seasoning and stir until well combined. Stir in the frozen peas, green olives, and cilantro. Mix well.
Step 7: Incorporate the browned chicken back in, nestling on top of the rice mixture and ensuring it is mostly submerged in the liquid. Bring the pot to a medium boil. When most of the liquid is absorbed, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 18-20 minutes until the rice is cooked and the chicken is tender.
Resist the urge to peek under the lid while the rice cooks! This lets the steam build up and cooks the rice evenly.
If the rice is not entirely cooked through after 20 minutes but all the liquid has been absorbed, add 1/4 cup of water or chicken stock and cover again for five more minutes. You can also check for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh; it should reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Enjoy!

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Notes

BEST RICE for Arroz con Pollo

Long-grain parboiled rice works best for this dish, but plain long-grain rice works fine.
If you use Jasmine rice, rinse it 4-5 times before adding it to the cooking pot to minimize stickiness.
Brown rice – I have not it for Arroz con Pollo. If you do, I suggest pre-cooking it before adding it to the chicken mixture. Then, reduce the broth added to the chicken mixture by half.
Rice unsuitable: Short grain rice, Minute Rice, instant rice, Risotto or Paella Rice.

Chicken: Bone-in thighs tend to be more flavorful. You can use boneless thighs or even completely substitute skinless chicken breasts.

Fresh oregano is a suitable substitute, but double the amount if you use it.

Sazon Goya is optional but highly recommended. It can be found in the international aisle of most grocery stores. I have also found it at Wal-Mart and Target.

Nutrition