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Arroz con Pollo, tostones, repollo

Arroz con Pollo (Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice)

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
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 cebolla en polvo
  • 1/4 tsp ajo en polvo
  • 1/2 tsp ground oregano
  • 1/8 tsp cumin
  • 1/8 tsp pimienta negra

Rice

  • 2 tazas Jasmine rice rinsed
  • 2 tbsp annatto oil divided
  • 1/4 taza sofrito
  • 2 enteros garlic crushed
  • 1/2 onion finely diced
  • 1/2 bell pepper finely diced
  • 1 tbsp chicken bouillon paste Better than Bouillon
  • 1/2 taza salsa de tomate
  • 2 tbsp pimiento stuffed olives whole or sliced, (optional)
  • 1/2 tbsp adobo
  • 1/2 tbsp sazón
  • 3 tazas 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.

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