Arroz con pollo is a staple in Latin cuisine made with savory yellow rice and chicken. I like to shred the chicken and add moisture with a secret ingredient (see below!). It is one of my go to meals to cook for my family. It’s kid-friendly and always hits the spot! With savory yellow rice and shredded chicken breast, it’s a hearty meal that satisfies and stores well for leftovers the next day. 

How to make arroz con pollo?

There are many ways to cook arroz con pollo but this is my favorite way to make it. I begin by stewing chicken breasts. Since the chicken is going to cook in water, you’ll want to season generously.  I started using Healthy Rican seasonings recently and I love them. They are a healthy alternative to traditional Latin seasonings that contain harmful ingredients and dyes. Use my code “curlsnpearlsss” for 10% OFF your order!

Add sofrito, tomato sauce and chicken bouillon paste to a pot and cook a few minutes until fragrant. Add the chicken breast, half of an onion and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Remember to reserve that chicken broth for later!

I then use the chicken broth to cook the rice in, which adds tons of flavor. 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. 

I shred the chicken while the rice cooks. I also like to add mayonnaise to the chicken, which adds moisture. I know it sounds crazy but trust me on this! You can’t really taste the mayonnaise and the heat will melt it so it won’t even be visible. Once the rice is cooked, I toss everything together to combine. Deliciousness! 

What to serve with arroz con pollo?

 I like to serve arroz con pollo with beans and a side of veggies. Usually I go with green beans, peas or broccoli. Sometime I make a mixed greens salad or an avocado and tomato salad with red onions. Tostones or maduros (sweet plantains) also pair well with arroz con pollo.

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Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con pollo is a staple in Latin cuisine made with savory yellow rice and chicken.

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

For Chicken

• 2-3 Chicken breasts
• Adobo, to taste Healthy Rican
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 tsp Onion powder
• 1/2 tsp Ground oregano
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper
• 1 onion halved
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1 bay leaf optional
• 1/4 cup sofrito
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp chicken bouillon paste Better than Bouillon
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise

For Rice

• 3 cups White long grain rice
• 1/4 cup Sofrito
• 2 tbsp Tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp Chicken bouillon paste Better than Bouillon
• 3 1/2 cups Chicken broth (from stewed chicken breasts)
• 1/4 cup pimento stuffed green olives optional
• Adobo, to taste Healthy Rican
• 1 tbsp Sazon Healthy Rican
• 1 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Onion powder
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp Ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp Annatto oil Healthy Rican, see notes

Instructions

 

Prepare Chicken

• Season the chicken breasts generously and set aside. 
• In a small pot, sautee sofrito, chicken bouillon and tomato sauce until fragrant.
• Add chicken breasts, half of the onion and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes. 
• Remove chicken from broth and place on a plate to cool. Reserve the chicken broth for later. 

Prepare Rice

• Thoroughly rinse your rice with cold water. Drain and set aside.
• In a large pot, sautee sofrito, chicken bouillon and tomato sauce on medium high heat until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
• Add broth, seasonings, rice, the remaining half of the onion and oil. Stir well.
• Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce to medium low heat and cook for 20-25 minutes.
• After the rice has cooked for 20-25 minutes, uncover, remove onion and gently flip rice over in sections by using a large spoon. This ensures the rice cooks evenly. Cover and continue to cook on very low heat, if needed.

Shred Chicken

• While the rice is cooking, shred your chicken breast. I like to use a cheese grater to shred the chicken easily but you can pull the chicken apart with a fork or however you like. Add the mayonnaise and stir until well combined. Set shredded chicken aside.
• Once the rice has cooked, add the shredded chicken to the rice and stir to combine throughout. You can do this in a separate pot or large pan to make the process easier. 
• Serve with beans and sides of choice. Enjoy! 

Video

Notes

How to make annatto oil (aceite de achiote)

• Add oil to small saucepan over medium heat. Add annatto seeds.
• Allow seeds to infuse the oil for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat when oil starts to bubble. Be sure not to burn the annatto seeds.
• Allow oil to cool before storing in a glass bottle.

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Check out my other Latin recipes!

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