By Von Diaz
- Total Time
- 2 hours, plus marinating
- Rating
- 4(1,766)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Ubiquitous throughout Latin America and beyond, arroz con pollo can be as simple or as complex as your ingredients allow. The key is to layer flavor, adding dimension as you go. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are preferred, but bone-in will also work well. (Chicken breasts lack the same amount of fat and flavor, so they are not recommended here.) Watch the rice carefully as it cooks, absorbing the liquid, as pots and stoves vary greatly. If it starts to smell a little burned, reduce the heat, toss and put the lid on the pot. But don’t worry, as this aroma can be part of creating the coveted pegao, a layer of toasted rice that develops on the bottom of the pan and sticks to it, similar to Persian tahdig, Spanish socarrat or Senegalese xoon.
Featured in: Finding Strength in Sofrito in Puerto Rico
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 3large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1tablespoon kosher salt
- 1tablespoon olive oil
- 2teaspoons white vinegar
- 1½teaspoons dried oregano
- ¼teaspoon black pepper
- 3pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3cups medium-grain white rice
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 5cups low-sodium chicken broth (or water)
- 2½ to 3cups fresh sofrito (see recipe below)
- 3dried bay leaves
- 1teaspoon ground annatto or sweet paprika
- 1cup tomato sauce (basic canned tomato sauce is fine)
- ¾cup medium pimento-stuffed olives, drained (optional)
- 2teaspoons drained capers (optional)
- 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1lime, cut into wedges
- Salted, sliced avocado and tomato, for serving
- 1medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into quarters
- 3ají dulce or amarillo peppers (or mini bell peppers), seeded and coarsely chopped
- 6large garlic cloves
- 1large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 6fresh culantro leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped (see Note)
- 6fresh cilantro stems, coarsely chopped
For the Adobo
For the Chicken and Rice
For the Sofrito
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
646 calories; 18 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 76 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 45 grams protein; 1354 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Prepare the adobo by whisking the ingredients together in a bowl, or blending in a small food processor, pilón or mortar and pestle.
Step
2
Pat the chicken dry, then place in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Pour prepared adobo over chicken. Toss well to combine, then cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, or seal the bag, and let the chicken rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. If you have the time, marinate for several hours or overnight to make the chicken extra tender and flavorful.
Step
3
Prepare the sofrito: In a large food processor or blender, blend the peppers and garlic until smooth. Add the onion and blend until smooth, then add the culantro and cilantro and blend until smooth. (The preparation may produce more sofrito than needed for this recipe, but you can store additional sofrito in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.)
Step
4
Add the rice to a medium bowl, then rinse with several rounds of cool water, pouring through a fine-mesh strainer until water runs out clear.
Step
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Once chicken is marinated, heat olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. When the oil is simmering, working in batches if necessary, add chicken in one layer and brown for 7 to 10 minutes per batch, turning several times to evenly brown.
Step
6
Meanwhile, bring chicken broth (or water) to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer until ready to use.
Step
7
Add sofrito, bay leaves and annatto or paprika to pot with chicken and stir well. Reduce heat to medium, and sauté until liquid is mostly evaporated and sofrito thickens to a paste, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Step
8
Add tomato sauce and cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer, until the sauce darkens. Add the rinsed rice, olives and capers (if using), and salt and pepper, and fold in to ensure that the rice is fully coated and the chicken is evenly distributed.
Step
9
Pour in hot stock, then simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring only 2 to 3 times and shaking the pot every few minutes to keep rice level. (The liquid surrounding the rice will lower by about 1 inch.) Watch the rice very closely: The window between just right and overcooked is small, and difficult to predict, but you’ll become an expert at this over time.
Step
10
Once you start to spot lots of little bubbles on the surface but see no more pronounced liquid on top, top with the lid, reduce heat to low and cook until the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes, shaking pot a few times. Once liquid is almost entirely evaporated, sprinkle thawed peas on top.
Step
11
Working directly in the pot, using 2 forks, pull apart chicken thighs until shredded. Gently fluff the rice, bringing grains from the bottom to the top. Return the lid and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Step
12
Garnish with lime wedges, and serve with salted avocado and tomato slices (or a simple green salad). The dish keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Tip
- Culantro, also called sawtooth herb or wild coriander, has long leaves with jagged edges and a stronger, earthier flavor than cilantro. You can find it in the produce section of most Latino markets, as well as many Asian markets.
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Cooking Notes
Cristina
I am not Puerto Rican but I have made a version of this dish hundreds of times. It surprises me, and saddens me a bit, that no one has tried to make it because it’s really not as complicated as it sounds. The only thing I would add is that the rice shouldn’t be rinsed so far in advance because (depending of the type of rice used) it may absord too much moisture and turn out mushy if not watched carefully. I always rinse it right before adding it to the sofrito. The type of rice is also important
jodyM
Followed this recipe step by step - had to improvise as I was unable to find neither culantro nor aji dulce/ amarillo peppers - cilantro and bells were the stand ins. The result even without those two ingredients was a delicious and aromatic dish which was enjoyed all.
Trudee in MN
In NYC 30 years, this from Puerto Rican friends. I don't rinse rice, no peas, allergic. Olive, caper, pimento mix you buy on E. coast, (friends bring/send to me,) Alcaparrado. The best! I season chick w/ salt, pepper, Sazon seasoning, Con Culantro y Achiote, I can get in MN now! Colors chicken and rice wonderful flavor! Brown chick, remove, add onion and garlic to pan, saute, add chick back, water, bring to boil add rice, season w/ more Sazon, salt, cover, cook, add Alcaparrado at end. Fam fave!
eM
Culantro aka racao is similar to but not the same as cilantro. Cilantro us a perfectly acceptable substitute. If using cilantro, double it.
IR
My grandmother would freeze her sofrito in an ice cube tray and keep the cubes in a plastic bag in the freezer, perfectly portioned and ready to use for rice, beans, stews...
Susie
NYT cooking shared this recipe on their insta stories they do not add the chicken back into the pot until the stock goes in. The sofrito has a better chance of reducing this way. Not sure why it's described differently here!
Jeremy S.
I've always had arroz con pollo prepared as my Spanish mom prepared it, more like a paella. The chicken partially cooked first (with chunks of smoked Asturian chorizo), then left on the bone and cooked with a sofrito and rice. And saffron. Mmmmmm...
Herbie
I am cuban and make this on the regular. There are some great variations here. I would recommend adding one beer towards the end. The rice and chicken soak it up and give a delicious “a la chorrera” flavor and finish!
cristy
Puerto Rican cooks use basic long grain rice. Some people prefer short or medium grain. All this to say that nobody uses Jasmine or Basmati. Referring culantro: look for it at Asian markets. I live in DC Metro and they have it at H Mart. Good luck!
David
Know your rice. It seems the total cooking time of 30 minutes plus the 15 minute rest is too long and will result in an overcooked mushy texture. I would try to reduce the cooking time and keep or slightly increase the resting time to 15-20 min. For short grained rice, 15-18 min cooking was our max, followed by a nice rest.
Alba
I’ve never seen arroz con pollo served with lime wedges. Avocado slices and fried plantains on the side yes . For a quickie hack you can buy frozen sofrito in your grocery store or local Latino market and add two packets of sazon with some fresh onion garlic and cilantro. To make the sofrito it’s common to fry a bit of pork fat or ham first and then add the rest of sofrito ingredients
Renee Orozco
Delicious arroz con pollo - followed recipe with a few small modifications. 1. Made my own sazon mixture 2. added a Serrano for kicks. 3. Added saffron. Overall Flavor of dish was unique, had depth, and multi layered. One thing - the rice took much longer to soften than recipe allowed. I would absolutely make this again.
Georgia
Delicious but a lot of work and time consuming time standing. Next time I would spread over a couple of days making the sofrito two days ahead and marinate the day of. Also I found that these ingredients made only 2 cups not 2 1/2 cups or 3 cups of sofrito so maybe I would make bigger batch. It will take some more practice (maybe no rinsing for concerted rice?) to make my rice fluffy!
J Brink
I made this Friday and it was perfection. We have had no power for days, due to hurricane Zeta, and we needed comfort food that could be prepared on the stove top. Bingo! The only thing we lacked was culantro but we'll have to keep looking for that. I will make this again and again.
Meg
I learned to make this from my Ponceña mother-in-law 40 years ago. Same (vegan) recipe for cooked pink beans (in PR) or gandules. 1 large can, rinsed. Total 1 hour. Chicken add 15 min Water is fine. No sazon Goya-artificial chemical taste. Small bunch of cilantro is fine if no culantro. 1:1 boiling water to rice.Chop sofrito while saute chickenAfter add rice, let cook 2-3 minutes before adding boiling water. Check salt in simmering water.Steam on lowest possible heat. DO NOT STIR
Catherine
I wanted to make a Panamanian version...I removed the chicken to a plate before adding the rice, which I cooked, stirring, for a few minutes until it got opaque and started to stick. Then I added the liquid and put the chicken back in for Step 9. At Step 10 I added beer, as another commenter and other recipes suggested, before covering it. I needed to add two additional ladlefuls of broth, but the rice came out perfect and I even got a bit of that nice crust on the bottom.
Sarahker
I just want to say that this recipe is absolutely outstanding as written and is a highly requested dinner in my house (including 2 picky tween boys). To shorten the prep time you can absolutely use store bought sofrito (or cheater sofrito as I call it using amarillo paste and garlic, cilantro and onion) but you will need to add a bit more tomato sauce to get the right consistency (it may take a few minutes longer to reduce). 5 stars!
Sarahker
Oh - and even if you cheat on the sofrito, definitely make your own adobo - it absolutely makes the dish (add extra garlic). And don't skimp on the olives and capers!
alysha
Loved this. Used edamame instead of peas
susan
This is not great… a lot of steps for something that just does not have enough flavor (and I used chicken broth and all the sofrito). Kind of dry, even though I watched carefully. I had high hopes…. And now have enough left over to feed an army!
James S
So where do you get the chicken stock? Not a can or carton. We make this dish by first making stock with a whole chicken. Take the meat off the chicken, return the bones to the pot (break the big ones) and continue to simmer, strain when done. Now make this recipe with homemade stock. Toss the chicken in when the rice is almost done. Adjust seasonings/peppers to your audience and availability. You'll have extra chicken meat and stock to use for the next dish.
busseja
Breast meat is fine. be sure the chicken is as fresh as possible. We always add cinnamon just because we add cinnamon to just about everything. 1TBS is about right for this one. Added in the chicken coating with the salt. Use Batsmani rice. for even more flavor. This is go to for breakfast, lunch or dinner. When on our costa rican farm sometimes I make a full weeks worth then keep it in the Nija crock pot. It and fruit and home made bread is all we eat.
Amanda
For me the rice was mushy. Flavors were ok. Have to admit, rice often challenges me.
NP
Followed the recipe exactly as it was mentioned and the result was absolutely delicious! So glad I have leftovers for the week. This is going on my regular rotation of weekend meals.
Sajuaro u
The recipe calls for 2.5-3 cups raw sofrito. When I blended mine it yielded 2.25 cups.
SC Kim
What about the cheese sauce though? I need some queso to smother all this goodness in and make it better than the ACP I pick up at the Mi Casa de Leon.
leah
It says the recipie may make too much sofrito- how much total should we use?
LMW
This was a delicious meal. Following previous commenters, I reduced the tomato sauce to 1/2 cup because my family does not like an intense tomato flavor. Will make this again and again.
nelli
Just came here to say I’m an experienced home cook and this took me almost 2 hours! Not cool when we have hungry kids waiting! If I had prepped ahead of time it would have been shorter but just looked at the cook time and started later than I should have. Delicious though!
Richard
Recipe times do NOT include prep.
Natacha
This is a good recipe. Of course we all cook differently. My family always adds a little beer. It is known as thr true way to make Puerto Rican arroz con pollo from the old times.
Jill
This was delicious! Subbed poblano peppers since the other wasn’t available. suggest cutting back on the salt - I skipped the last add and it was plenty salty. It also took much longer for the sofrito to cook to a paste - removing the chicken may speed this up. Next time I will use less rice so the carb factor isn’t so high. Also - you need a REALLY BIG pan to cook this! I used my largest deep skillet and it was filled to the tippy top (another reason to use less rice). Lime squeeze a good add.
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