Easiest Way to Prepare Appetizing Arroz con pollo (Rice with Chicken)

Arroz con pollo (Rice with Chicken). Arroz con Pollo is a popular staple in the Caribbean kitchen. Our chicken and rice is extra special with the addition of Sazón GOYA® with Azafrán, which adds color and flavor derived from our unique saffron spice blend. Make Arroz con Pollo tonight—everyone loves an easy rice and chicken dish.

You'll make this recipe again and again! Authentic Arroz Con Pollo, or Latin chicken and rice, is the ultimate one-pot meal. It's a classic Colombian dish that I grew up on that I now love to White meat is not my personal preference, but you can use diced chicken breast if you prefer. You can cook Arroz con pollo (Rice with Chicken) using 13 ingredients and 9 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Arroz con pollo (Rice with Chicken)

Prepare 3.5-4 pound of chicken, cut up and seasoned on both sides with 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
You need of Olive oil or vegetable oil.
You need 1 of small to medium red bell pepper, chopped into ⅛” pieces.
You need 1 of small to medium green bell pepper, chopped into ⅛” pieces.
It’s 1 of medium yellow onion, chopped into ⅛” pieces.
Prepare 6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced.
Prepare 2 of medium tomatoes, seeded and cored and chopped into ¼” pieces.
Prepare 2 packets of GOYA Sazon azafran or 1 Tablespoon achiote (or 1 teaspoon crushed saffron threads).
It’s 6 cups of unsalted chicken stock.
You need 1 cup of water.
You need 3 cups of long grain rice (Uncle Bens).
You need 1/3-1/2 cup of frozen peas (optional).
Prepare of Cilantro/parsley/green onion chopped for garnish (optional).

I season my chicken and rice with sazon, a common. Arroz con Pollo is a classic Latin American dish, with each country—and each family, for that matter—having its own unique recipe. For mine, I like to use whole pieces of chicken (legs or thighs) that I season with chile powder, cumin, and oregano before adding the rice. I've been trying to duplicate the Arroz con Pollo that my friend's father made many years ago (he was Puerto Rican and made absolutely the best!).

Arroz con pollo (Rice with Chicken) step by step

In a 4 or 5 quart Dutch or French oven, preheat 1.5 Tablespoons oil (if using skin-on chicken, 2.5 Tablespoons if skinless) over medium high heat and sear the chicken in two batches, about 3.5 to 4 minutes per side, until each side has a dark golden brown crust on it. Set the chicken aside..
In the same pot, add 1 Tablespoon of oil and add your bell pepper, onion, garlic, & tomatoes, and sweat your aromatics until the onion becomes translucent about 5 minutes. Then add the GOYA Sazon azafran or achiote (or saffron) and 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, stirring them in until you can see the azafran or achiote is evenly distributed throughout your sofrito (A term in many Latino/Hispanic cuisines for the savory flavor base made when you sautee a minimum of onion, pepper, and garlic in oil)..
Add the chicken back, along with any juices, as well as 2 cups unsalted chicken stock and 1 cup water, give it a stir, and cover the pot to bring the braise to a boil (8 to 10 minutes). When the braise hits a boil, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer, with the lid askew (open about 1 inch on one side) for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally..
Remove the chicken and set aside. Then turn up heat to medium, remove lid, and simmer, uncovered for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will reduce braising liquid a little and concentrate the flavors. Adjust seasoning if needed, and turn off the heat. Then put the chicken back into the pot..
At this point, get another 4 or 5 quart pot out for your rice. Put the pot on the burner, turn the heat up to medium high, pour in the 3 cups of rice, 2 cups of the braising liquid from the chicken (I either scoop it right out with a 1 cup measuring cup or ladle it out into a measuring cup, along with some bits of the sofrito), 4 cups of unsalted chicken stock, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt..
Stir to combine, taste the seasoning and adjust for salt if desired. You’ll want to cover the chicken back up with the lid while the rice cooks so it’ll stay warm..
Cover the pot completely until the rice comes to a boil (check at about 7 minutes), then give it a few gentle stirs, turn the heat down to medium low, and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, fully covered, until all the liquid has been completely absorbed for a good 3 or 4 minutes..
Turn off the heat, add the frozen peas to the rice, and fold them into the rice as you fluff it..
Plate the rice, then place desired amount of chicken on top, spooning a little bit of the braising liquid over both the chicken and the rice, and garnish with some fresh chopped cilantro/parsley/green onions if desired before serving. The chicken should have remained warm enough for serving, but if not, you can always put it on medium heat about 5 minutes beforehand..

This wasn't quite it but it was delicious nonetheless. The only drawback was that with the chicken just sitting on top of the flavorful rice the chicken had no. Turn to packaged saffron rice blend for intriguing flavor for this classic Mexican chicken dish, made even easier with frozen mixed vegetables. A staple in Latin American kitchens, arroz con pollo combines inexpensive ingredients—chicken, rice, and spices—in a filling one-pot meal. To make our version, we chose moist chicken thighs, which we browned in a Dutch oven to build flavor and render fat.