Arroz con pollo is a staple in Latin + Caribbean cuisine made with savory yellow rice and chicken. Traditional Puerto Rican arroz con pollo is packed with flavor because the chicken and rice are cooked together in the same pot. It is one of my go to meals to cook for my family. It’s kid-friendly and always hits the spot! This hearty one-pot meal satisfies and stores well for leftovers the next day.

The secret to making flavorful arroz con pollo:

To make flavorful arroz con pollo you’ll want to add homemade sofrito along with crushed garlic and finely diced onions and peppers. This is going to add tons of flavor to the rice and chicken. You can also use store-bought sofrito, but homemade is best. I make a large batch of sofrito and store it in ice cube trays in the freezer.

I also make my own homemade blend of adobo and sazón. They are much healthier than store-bought seasonings, they are cost effective, and last up to three years when stored in an air tight container.

Pro tip: Store any leftover broth from stews and soups in the freezer and use it to cook yellow rice. The flavor it adds is insane! Thank me later.

Arroz con pollo ingredients:

Chicken

Chicken drumsticks or thighs
Adobo
Sazón
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Oregano
Cumin

Rice

Jasmine rice
Annatto oil
Sofrito
Garlic
Onion
Bell pepper
Chicken bouillon
Tomato sauce
Olives
Bay leaves
Cilantro

*Find the full recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post or click the Jump to Recipe button at the top of this page.

How to make arroz con pollo?

Prep the chicken

Remove the skin from the chicken. Clean the chicken thoroughly with cold water and vinegar or lemon juice. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towels. Then, place the chicken in a large bowl and season with adobo, sazón, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin. Toss until evenly coated.

Sear the chicken

Place a caldero over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of annatto oil and sear the chicken until browned on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Cook the rice

In the same pot, add annatto oil and the sofrito, garlic, onions, and peppers. Sauté a few minutes until fragrant. Add chicken bouillon, tomato sauce, olives, and seasonings. Then, add the water and rice. Stir everything until well combined. Taste the liquid for seasoning and adjust to your liking, if necessary. Add the chicken back to the pot along with bay leaves. Add fresh cilantro on top.

Allow this to boil for a few minutes until some of the water is absorbed. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Allow the rice to cook for 25-30 minutes, covered. Then, uncover the caldero and remove the cilantro springs. Carefully fluff the rice by lifting and flipping over spoonfuls of rice with a large kitchen spoon. The grains of rice should be fluffy and fully cooked.

Pro tip: Make sure your caldero is twice the size of the amount of rice and chicken. Since the rice and chicken cook together in the same pot, enough space is needed in order for everything to cook evenly.

Elevate your arroz con pollo with add-ins:

crushed garlic
fresh onions
fresh bell peppers
roasted red peppers
fresh cilantro or culantro
pimento stuffed olives
green peas
diced tomatoes

What to serve with arroz con pollo?

Arroz con Pollo, tostones, y ensalada de repollo

I like to serve arroz con pollo with beans and a side of veggies. Usually I go with cabbage, green beans, peas or broccoli. Sometimes I make a mixed greens salad or serve with an avocado and tomato salad with red onions. Tostones (fried green plantains) or maduros (fried sweet plantains) pair really well with arroz con pollo. Also, if you have macaroni salad or potato salad on hand, that elevates the meal even more!

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Arroz con Pollo (Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings 4 people

Equipment

1 Caldero see recipe notes for links

Ingredients

Chicken

4 drumsticks or thighs can use a combination of chicken
1/2 tbsp adobo
1/2 tbsp sazón
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp black pepper

Rice

2 cups Jasmine rice rinsed
2 tbsp annatto oil divided
1/4 cup sofrito
2 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 onion finely diced
1/2 bell pepper finely diced
1 tbsp chicken bouillon paste Better than Bouillon
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tbsp pimiento stuffed olives whole or sliced, (optional)
1/2 tbsp adobo
1/2 tbsp sazón
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
4-5 sprigs cilantro plus more for garnish

Instructions

Prep the chicken

Remove the skin from the chicken. Clean the chicken thoroughly with cold water and vinegar or lemon juice. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.
Place the chicken in a large bowl and season with adobo, sazón, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin. Toss until evenly coated.

Sear the chicken

Place a caldero over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp of annatto oil and sear the chicken until browned on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Cook the rice

In the same pot, add 1 tbsp of annatto oil and the sofrito, garlic, onions, and peppers. Sauté a few minutes until fragrant.
Add chicken bouillon, tomato sauce, olives, and seasonings.
Add the water and rice. Stir everything until well combined. Taste the liquid for seasoning and adjust to your liking, if necessary.
Add the chicken back to the pot along with bay leaves.
Allow this to boil for a few minutes until some of the liquid is absorbed. Add a few sprigs of fresh cilantro on top. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Allow the rice to cook for 25-30 minutes, covered.
Uncover the caldero and remove the cilantro springs. All of the liquid should have been absorbed by the rice. If there is still a lot of liquid left, cover and continue cooking 5 minutes more.
Carefully fluff the rice by lifting and flipping over spoonfuls of rice with a large kitchen spoon. The grains of rice should be fluffy and fully cooked. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro, if desired.
Serve with beans, tostones or maduros and avocado. ¡Buen provecho!

Notes

Elevate your Arroz con Pollo with add-ins:

crushed garlic
fresh onions and peppers
fresh cilantro or culantro
pimento stuffed olives
green peas
corn

Tips:

If your rice is too wet and mushy (amogollao) that means you added too much liquid. The best way to fix this is to uncover it and cook for about 10 minutes, uncovered on super low heat. This will allow some of the excess moisture to evaporate. But don’t keep it on the heat for too long or the rice will overcook.

If your rice is too grainy and the grains are hard in the center, that means you added too little liquid. Add about 1/2 cup of water and cook covered for 15 more minutes. This should fix it. If it’s still grainy, repeat the steps.

Pro tip: Make sure your caldero is twice the size of the amount of rice and chicken. Since the rice and chicken cook together in the same pot, enough space is needed in order for everything to cook evenly.

How to store arroz con pollo?

Store leftover arroz con pollo in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.

For longer storage, store arroz con pollo in freezer-safe containers or freezer ziplock bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for easier reheating.

Annatto Oil:

To make annatto oil (aceite de achiote), simply warm annatto seeds in your oil of choice. Allow the oil to warm over low heat for about 5 minutes. You could also add aromatics like garlic, cilantro, culantro and black peppercorns. Allow the oil to cool and strain into a glass bottle. Store at room temperature for up to 2 months. See full recipe here.