Tasty, soft and full of flavor, this MG-friendly Puerto Rican arroz con pollo recipe only requires one pot!
A hearty and flavorful dinner option is possible without major cleanup. And, with this dish’s soft rice and tender chicken, it may be easier to chew and swallow, too.
Ready for flavor? Arroz con pollo is a traditional Hispanic comfort food. This recipe is great to make solo for meal prep as you’ll have ample, protein-rich leftovers. Or, as this mouthwatering dish may require a little extra time to prepare, bring the whole family into the cooking process for some quality time and enjoy the meal together.
This classic arroz con pollo recipe was submitted by Alexis* who lives with MG. “It’s comfort food,” he says, “and you can feed your entire family with an inexpensive budget.”
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin (or 2 large bone-in chicken breasts with skin)
- Adobo all-purpose seasoning for chicken to taste
- 2 Tbsp oil
- ¼ small onion
- ¼ medium green bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 10 stems fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbsp green pitted olives
- 1 Tbsp capers
- 1 ½ cups medium-grain rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ tsp (or 1 packet) of sazón seasoning
Tip: For a softer texture, use an additional cup of water and simmer covered over lowest heat for about 30 to 45 minutes. Then allow the pot to rest covered for 15 minutes prior to serving.
One Pot Puerto Rican Arroz Con Pollo Recipe
Directions
- Season chicken with Adobo seasoning, then store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven or large lidded pot over medium heat. Carefully add chicken to sear for 1 minute over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and brown for an additional 5 minutes, reducing heat slightly to avoid scorching.
- Turn off heat, add chicken to platter and set aside. Keep the fond (pan leavings from searing the chicken) to use later for seasoning the rice.
- To make the sofrito (a flavor base of finely chopped aromatic ingredients in Latin American cuisine), combine onion, bell pepper, garlic, cilantro, olives and capers in a food processor and pulse 3 to 4 times to mince. Add this minced sofrito and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan used to sear the chicken, turn on medium-low heat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir rice into sofrito mixture and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until rice is coated in seasonings, oil and bits of fond. Mix well, add water and sazón.
- Bring the pot to a boil, stir, reduce heat to lowest setting and add the chicken back into the pan and nestle into the rice. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and continue cooking over low heat for 15 minutes.
- Without removing the lid, turn off the heat and allow the pot to remain on the stove for an additional 15 minutes for the rice to finish steaming.
Yields: 4 servings
Please consult your healthcare team for which recipes are best for your dietary needs, whether any modifications would be appropriate, and consider any allergies or dietary restrictions before making these recipes.
Facebook
X
Pinterest
