I’ll present you easy methods to make my favourite arroz con pollo recipe! This traditional Latin dish has juicy, seasoned hen and rice bursting with smoky, savory taste, cooked in a single pot.

Arroz con pollo, Spanish for “rice with hen”, is a Latin model of a hen and rice casserole. There are numerous methods to organize it, relying on which nation is asking! Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Colombia all have their variations. My recipe makes use of juicy bone-in hen and chorizo sausage cooked with seasoned rice and an fragrant sofrito of garlic, jalapeño, bell pepper, and onion. It’s a one-pot meal filled with taste, and also you’ll be shocked by how easy it’s to make.
Why Arroz Con Pollo Is the Final One-Pot Meal
- Straightforward clean-up. This conventional hen and rice recipe is fast to prepare dinner with minimal pot scrubbing afterward.
- Straightforward elements. I’ve tailored my arroz con pollo recipe to make use of pantry staples. It nonetheless delivers on these scrumptious and conventional deep, wealthy flavors.
- Nice for leftovers. Arroz con pollo is nice for meal prep! I like storing leftovers within the fridge or freezer for future meals. The flavors get even higher with time.
- Customizable. There are SO MANY methods to organize arroz con pollo inside Latin cooking. The probabilities for add-ins and variations are limitless.


Components You’ll Must Make This Recipe
Right here’s a fast overview of the elements in my selfmade arroz con pollo recipe. You’ll discover the total, printable particulars within the recipe card after the publish, adopted by a step-by-step part with pictures.
- Seasoning – I make a straightforward hen spice rub from a mixture of garlic and onion powder, paprika (candy or smoked), cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne.
- Olive Oil – You need to use further virgin olive oil or your most popular cooking oil for sautéeing.
- Hen Thighs – I make my arroz con pollo with bone-in hen thighs. You may also use drumsticks, skin-on, or boneless hen. I like to make use of bone-in hen for max taste.
- Chorizo – Sliced into ¼-inch cash. You need to use sizzling or delicate chorizo, relying in your most popular spice degree.
- Onion and Carrot – Finely diced. I like to recommend yellow onion or shallot, and I normally peel the carrots, nevertheless it’s elective.
- Garlic, Jalapeño, and Bell Pepper – Additionally finely chopped. Mixed with the above veggies, this makes what’s referred to as a “sofrito”, an fragrant taste base for the dish. I take advantage of an identical combo in my Sancocho Dominicano recipe (one other Latin favourite).
- Rice – I make this recipe with white rice, however you should use one other selection like brown rice (see beneath) or saffron rice.
- Hen Inventory – I take advantage of low-sodium hen inventory. Substitute vegetable broth if wanted, although you might discover the flavors a bit lighter on this case.
- Tomato Sauce – Select your favourite jarred tomato sauce from the shop, or use selfmade. You may additionally use tomato purée.
- Cilantro – Freshly chopped, for garnish.
Can I Use Brown Rice in Arroz Con Pollo?
Sure! You may make arroz con pollo with nearly any sort of rice you will have within the pantry. Brown rice is heartier than white rice and might have barely longer to prepare dinner.
What’s the Greatest Minimize of Hen to Use?
I favor to make use of bone-in hen thighs as a result of they’re juicier and more durable to overcook than breast meat. That being stated, drumsticks are additionally nice, or you should use a mixture of bone-in cuts, both skinless or skin-on.


Hold These Ideas In Thoughts
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven, braiser pot, or related, to keep away from the underside of the rice burning whereas it cooks.
- Relaxation after cooking. As soon as the rice has cooked by way of, permit the dish to relaxation off the warmth earlier than serving. Resting permits the juices to redistribute all through the hen so it’s good and tender.
- Examine the hen for doneness. Hen is cooked when the juices run clear and the interior temperature reaches 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
Different Recipe Variations
- Add olives. Add in olives and sazon seasoning for a Puerto Rican arroz con pollo.
- Swap the broth with wine. Substitute the hen broth with white wine (I prefer to hold it Spanish with Albarino, however you should use one other dry white, like Pinot Grigio). You may additionally attempt a variation with beer, like a crisp lager.
- Vegetarian. Skip the hen and bulk up your rice with further veggies like inexperienced beans (Colombian-style), mushrooms, asparagus, and so on. You may additionally use tofu for a meatless possibility.
What to Serve With Arroz Con Pollo
Serve your arroz con pollo topped with avocado slices and pico de gallo. The spicy tomato flavors within the rice go nice with a recent inexperienced salad topped with avocado dressing, or a crunchy kale salad. In case you’d prefer to lean into the starches, attempt a aspect of crispy potato wedges or French fries. I really like plating this hen and rice up in the summertime subsequent to a white wine sangria!


Often Requested Questions
Positive! I’d suggest following the instructions for my sluggish cooker hen and rice to make your arroz con pollo within the crock pot or sluggish cooker.
One of the simplest ways to forestall mushy rice is to not overcook it. Examine the instructions on the rice packaging, because the cooking instances I give on this recipe are pointers. You might have to adapt the time relying on the rice you’re utilizing.
Arroz con pollo is extra of a savory dish than a spicy one. After all, you possibly can simply adapt the seasonings to incorporate extra cayenne, chili powder, or add extra jalapeño to amp up the spice.
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For the Hen Spice Rub
For the Hen and Rice
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil
- 6 bone-in, pores and skin on hen thighs, or drumsticks, or use boneless hen thighs
- ¾ cups of chorizo slices, (¼-inch thick)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- ¼ jalapeño, finely chopped
- ½ medium crimson bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1¼ cups white rice, raw
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 2½ cups low sodium hen inventory
- 1¼ cups tomato sauce
- recent cilantro, for garnishing
- salt and pepper, to style
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Make the spice rub and season the hen. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne till nicely mixed. Sprinkle the combination generously over the hen on all sides. Add salt and pepper to style.
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Brown the hen. Add the oil to a big pot over medium warmth. Add the hen thighs and prepare dinner them for 5-7 minutes on both sides or till browned. Take away the hen from the pot and switch it to a plate.
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Cook dinner the chorizo. Place the chorizo in the identical pot and let it prepare dinner for 5-6 minutes or till it releases its fats.
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Cook dinner the veggies. Add the onions and carrots. Allow them to prepare dinner for 5-7 minutes or till the onion softens. Add the garlic, jalapeño, and crimson bell pepper. Cook dinner for a further minute, stirring often.
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Add the rice. Pour the rice into the pot and stir to mix with the opposite elements.
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Add the liquids. Stir within the tomato sauce and broth. Improve the warmth to medium and convey to a simmer, then cut back the warmth to low.
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Mix and simmer. Add the hen again within the pan and convey it to a simmer. Cowl the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes or till the rice is cooked by way of.
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End and serve. Take away it from the warmth, set it apart, and let it cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve.
Energy: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 27g | Fats: 29g | Saturated Fats: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 5g | Monounsaturated Fats: 12g | Trans Fats: 0.1g | Ldl cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 652mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2860IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 3mg
Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might range based on the elements and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
How you can Make Arroz Con Pollo (Rice With Hen)
Able to deliver an entire bucket-load of taste to the dinner desk? Nice! As a result of this one-pot arroz con pollo recipe couldn’t be simpler to make:




- Season the hen. Begin by combining the elements for the spice rub, and sprinkle the seasoning generously over the hen.




- Brown the hen. Subsequent, sear the hen in a big pot with oil over medium warmth. Cook dinner for 5-7 minutes per aspect till the meat is properly browned, then transfer it to a plate.
- Cook dinner the chorizo and veggies. In the identical pot, brown the chorizo for 5-6 minutes to launch the fats. Then, sauté the onions and carrots for 5-7 minutes, adopted by the garlic, jalapeño, and crimson pepper.




- Add the rice. Now, stir within the rice, tomato sauce, and broth. Deliver the pot to a simmer.
- Add the hen and prepare dinner. Nestle the hen again into the pot, cowl it with a lid, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, permitting the rice to prepare dinner by way of.
- Serve. Take the pot off the warmth to chill for 10 minutes, then serve heat, sprinkled with recent cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
No Peeking!
Identical to my no-peek hen with rice, don’t peek whereas the arroz con pollo is cooking! Sealing the pot with the lid traps the steam whereas the rice cooks. In case you elevate the lid too early, it’ll have an effect on the completed texture.


Storing and Freezing Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Retailer your leftover arroz con pollo in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. I’ve at all times discovered one of the simplest ways to reheat this hen and rice with out drying it out is to make use of a saucepan or skillet on the stovetop. Add a splash of water or broth to assist the rice steam and hold the hen moist because it reheats.
- Freeze. You’ll be able to freeze arroz con pollo in a freezer-safe container for as much as 3 months. Thaw the hen and rice within the fridge earlier than reheating.