Arroz con Pollo
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Arroz con pollo is a much-loved Latin American dish that combines seasoned rice, tender chicken, and vegetables in one big pot, making it the perfect meal to feed a crowd or enjoy with family.
Arroz con pollo—which means “rice with chicken” in Spanish—is a beloved Latin American dish that’s as comforting as it is delicious. In my version, bone-in chicken is seared until golden, then simmered with rice, aromatics, spices, and olives until everything is tender and infused with rich flavor. A final mix of peas and fresh cilantro ties it all together and brings brightness to the dish.
When it comes to serving, you can shred the chicken and mix it into the rice for a cohesive dish, or leave it whole for a prettier presentation (my family prefers it shredded). Arroz con pollo is the kind of hearty, feel-good meal that’s just right for feeding a hungry crowd. Serve it with a big salad and a traditional Latin American dessert like flan to round out the meal.
“Just delicious – even my picky eaters loved it. I used my Dutch oven and shredded the chicken and mixed it into the rice. Perfect one-pot meal!”
What You’ll Need To Make Arroz con Pollo
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Season and Brown the Chicken
Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, mix together 1½ teaspoons salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the cumin.
Cut off any excessive fat on the chicken, but leave the skin intact. Dry the chicken pieces by blotting them with a paper towel and season both sides with the spice mixture.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or deep, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken in a single layer, working in two batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. For thighs, start skin-side down and cook until golden and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. For drumsticks, sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side until evenly browned all over.
Using tongs, transfer the chicken pieces to a large plate and set aside aside.
Step 2: Sauté the Vegetables and Rice
If there’s a lot of oil left in the pan, carefully pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat. Return the pot to the stove and lower the heat to medium-low. Add the onion and bell pepper, stirring occasionally, and cook until they’re softened, 6 to 8 minutes. As you stir, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan—they’re packed with flavor and will mix right into the vegetables.
Add the rice, garlic, tomato paste, and remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin; cook until fragrant, another few minutes.
Step 3: Add the Broth, Seasoning and Browned Chicken To The Pot
Add the chicken broth, oregano, turmeric, sugar, olives, bay leaves, and remaining 1¼ teaspoons salt.
Nestle the chicken on top of this mixture and pour any remaining chicken drippings into the pan as well, and bring the broth to a boil.
Step 4: Bake
Cover the pot with a lid and transfer it straight to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Once done, remove the pot from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Uncover the pan (remember, the lid will be hot!) and use tongs to transfer the chicken to a plate. Remove the bay leaves, then fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in the peas and cilantro.
Return the chicken to the top of the rice, or if you prefer, remove the skin, shred the meat off the bones, and mix it into the rice for a more cohesive dish. Serve immediately, or cover the pan to keep warm for up to 30 minutes. Serve with lemon or lime wedges on the side.
If you love Spanish and Latin American flavors, you might also enjoy my paella, beef empanadas, and gazpacho Andaluz.
Video Tutorial
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Arroz con Pollo
Ingredients
- 2¾ teaspoons salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 cups long grain white rice (basmati works very well), rinsed
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 3½ cups chicken broth (see note about measurement)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric (may substitute with annatto powder or bijol)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ cup drained and halved pimento-stuffed green olives (from a 6-oz/170-g jar)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- Lemon or lime wedges, as garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In a small bowl, mix together 1½ teaspoons of the salt, the pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the cumin. Cut off any excessive fat on the chicken (leaving the skin intact). Blot the chicken with a paper towel and season both sides with the spice mixture.
- Heat the oil in a large (5 to 6-qt/5 to 6-L) Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, high-sided, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Working in two batches so as not to crowd the pan, brown the chicken. For thighs, place the chicken skin side down, and sear until golden and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes more. For drumsticks, sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turning to brown evenly all over. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate and set aside. If there is a lot of oil left in the pan, pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat.
- Return the pot to the stove and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. As you stir, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and mix it into the vegetables. Add the rice, garlic, tomato paste, and remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, oregano, turmeric, sugar, olives, bay leaves, and remaining 1¼ teaspoons salt. Nestle the chicken on top of this mixture and pour any remaining chicken drippings into the pan as well. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot with a lid and immediately transfer to the oven to bake for 35 minutes, or until the chicken registers 175°F (80°C) on a meat thermometer.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let sit, covered, on a wire rack or the stovetop for 10 minutes.
- Uncover the pan (remember the lid is hot!) and use tongs to transfer the chicken to a plate. Remove the bay leaves, and fluff the rice. Taste the rice to be sure it is fully cooked. (If it still tastes too firm, pour ½ cup/120 ml water evenly over the rice, and give the rice a quick fluff again.) Place the pan on the stovetop over low heat and cook, covered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Uncover and taste to ensure the rice is cooked. Add more water and repeat if necessary.) Mix the peas and cilantro (if using) into the rice. Return the chicken pieces to the top of the rice. Alternatively, remove the skin, pull the meat off of the bones, and shred into bite-sized chunks, and mix in with the rice. Serve or cover the pan to keep warm for up to 30 minutes until ready to serve. Serve with lemon or lime wedges.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Made this meal tonight. Very tasty. Makes a lot of food!
Excellent dish! We loved it. Next time i will keep the dish in the oven without a lid for a while so that chicken gets crispier
Your recipes never fail me, thank you for doing what you do!
This recipe was marvelous! As an elderly adult, I loved the favor without a lot of heat. I upped the amount of cumin and my husband is now in his third serving. Jean, this is a great recipe that we will make over and over.
Can I leave out the peas? If my kids see a pea, they will revolt. Can’t wait to try this!
Yep, totally fine to leave out the peas. 🙂
What an easy and wonderful recipe! I halved the portions (we are a two-person household), used basmati rice, used unstuffed green olives, eliminated the peas, and substituted fresh parsley for cilantro. We had just purchased skinless, boneless thighs for a different meal plan but used them in this instead. (Both in terms of appearance and flavor, the addition of skin would have been an improvement.) The rice turned out perfectly, the depth of flavors was really nice. I prepared the dish without salt (we’re a heart-conscious household) and we both used a bit at the point of serving. Lovely recipe, flavorful result. Definitely on the “repeat” list for us. Thank you!
My family doesn’t like olives. Do you think I can get away with leaving the olives out? Or do you feel the dish just won’t taste good without them? I know they add a lot of flavor.
Hi Nat, It’s perfectly fine to leave them out. It will still be delicious.
Delish, delish, delish!
Hi Jenn
Could i use boneless chicken thighs with this recipe?
Looks delicious and cannot wait to try it
Sure — if they’re skinless, you’ll only need to brown them for about 2 minutes per side (and you may need to add a bit more oil before adding the onions and peppers). Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Could you use boneless chicken thighs here?
Sure, Kristy – if they are skinless, you’ll only need to brown them for about 2 minutes per side, and you may need to add a bit more oil before adding the onions and peppers. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!