Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con Pollo is a rice and chicken taste bud fiesta! A hearty mix of colors and flavors with a generous quantity of vegetables, so indulge away!

Arroz con Pollo is a wonderful colorful chicken and rice dish native to Spain and Latin America, and soon to be a frequent guest at your dining room table! While the presentation is irresistible on its own – some people even shape the rice into cute little cylinders. Even more enjoyable are all the subtle layers of flavors. There’s a bacon flavor layered over chicken, layered over rice and several veggies, to be discovered among six different spices, in addition to … wait for it … a dark beer flavor! And if you grow tired of one version of Arroz con Pollo, fear not. In addition to the Mexican version, there’s Arroz Con Pollo Colombiano, Peruvian, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Costa Rican — and those are just the varieties touched on in this article. This dish is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

For more amazing South of the Border options, take a look at my Caldo De Pollo and Mexican Pollo Asado recipes! Que rico!

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE:

• Prep time is just 10 minutes!
• Broadening my family’s culinary horizons is always a bonus.
• All the flavors really come together into something special.
• I love that it only creates one dirty pot!

What is Arroz con Pollo?

Arroz con Pollo receta is a traditional chicken and rice dish in Latin America and Spain. The name literally translates to “rice with chicken.” It is a delicious one-pot meal that incorporates bacon, peppers, onion, and peas in addition to the rice and chicken! Sabroso!

What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Arroz con Pollo?

My Arroz con Pollo recipe is comprised of numerous ingredients, hence the uniquely interesting flavor! This is not a plain rice dish! You will need five strips of bacon (these add amazing flavor) and eight chicken thighs with the bone and skin.

For veggies, you need two cups of chopped white onion, two cups of chopped green bell peppers, and a cup of frozen petite peas. “Petite peas are less starchy with a sweeter flavor than their regular counterparts”, according to Cook’s Illustrated.  This recipe calls for three and a half cups of converted rice, which is a white rice made from brown rice that has been soaked, steamed, dried, and milled.  

As for spices and other flavor boosters, you will need salt, black pepper, ground cumin, dried oregano, six cloves of garlic, 32 ounces of chicken broth, 12 ounces of dark beer, a small can of tomato paste, a tablespoon of Bijol powder (check out the note below!), and three bay leaves. Here is a list of dark beer brands from The Beer Connoisseur, and a list of dark beer types from Liquorista, in case dark brews aren’t your area of expertise!

How To Make Arroz con Pollo:

This easy Arroz con Pollo is made in three basic steps. First, you brown the meats, then you sauté the veggies, and finally, you boil the rice along with the remaining ingredients! Although there are a lot of ingredients, it’s really not that complicated when you get down to it!

Authentic Arroz con Pollo Recipe:

My authentic Arroz con Pollo recipe is culturally authentic. While it’s fun to experiment, sometimes it’s nice to study and try to master the original! Of course the definition of authentic varies depending on the region you hail from.