Enjoy Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice (Arroz con Pollo) by itself for a full delicious meal or served alongside habichuelas guisadas (Puerto Rican stewed beans) as this dish is traditionally served!
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Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice or otherwise famously known as Arroz con Pollo, is one of our most common and traditional dishes.
You can bet that you will find me making this rice dish at least once a week in my home with a side of habichuelas guisadas (Puerto Rican Beans) as it is traditionally served.
If you have never had Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice or always wanted to learn how to make Arroz con Pollo, make sure to save this recipe.
In under 45 minutes you will have one of the tastiest and filling rice dishes in your repertoire of rice dishes!
Most Puerto Rican Rice dishes are served and most delicious with Puerto Rican stewed beans (habichuelas guisadas) and a side of platanos fritos (sweet fried plantains) or tostones (garlic fried plantains).
However, if you are short on time you will still love this rice dish on its own.
The flavors of the chicken cooking with the rice blend so well together and makes this rice hyper tasty on its own.
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Ingredients for Arroz con Pollo?
- a whole chicken or chicken pieces
- 2 1/2 cups of medium or long grain rice (I always use medium grain)
- 3 tablespoons of sofrito
- salted pork fat, cut into small cubes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1 packet of Sazon with Annatto
- 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
- 2 tablespoons of pimiento stuffed olives
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 4 tablespoons of oil
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tablespoon of salt
Seasoning for Chicken
- adobo seasoning
- garlic powder
- oregano
Toppings
- fresh chopped cilantro
- red pimientos
How to Make Arroz con Pollo
- Get all ingredients ready.
- If using a whole chicken, cut up chicken and cut up chicken breast sections into one and a half inch chunks. Remove any extra fat from chicken. Then rinse chicken.
- Season the chicken with adobo, garlic powder and sprinkle with oregano.
- Over medium heat, add oil to a large caldero or dutch oven. (Do not use a non stick pot).
- Add the sugar to pot and stir for a minute so that the sugar dissolves and turns slightly golden.
- Add the chicken to the pot except the chicken breast pieces.
Note: I know it may seem strange to add sugar to the arroz con pollo but trust me on this step.
The sugar helps to bring out the flavors of the chicken into the rice and gives it a nice golden color. Promise you will not taste the sugar!
Cook chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side. (The chicken will finish cooking in the rice, this step is simply to start the chicken juices flowing and brown pieces a little.
Add the rest of the ingredients to pot with chicken. (Pork fat, sofrito, tomato paste, sazon, chicken bouillon, bay leaf, oregano and olives). With a large spoon, stir well.
- While chicken and spices are sauteing, rinse the rice until the water runs clear. If you would like to see an example of how to do this, check out my Puerto Rican yellow rice with corn recipe.
- Add rice to pot, water and salt.
- Raise heat to high.
- Cook uncovered until rice dries out.
- After rice has dried out, stir and cover immediately! (have lid beside pot ready to cover or rice will stun and not cook properly).
- LOWER heat to medium low.
- Cook for 15 minutes.
- Uncover pot, add chicken breasts pieces and stir again. Cover immediately!
- Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, stir again.
Rice is done!
Top with red pimientos and fresh cilantro if you like and serve.
Hopefully you have also made the habichuelas guisadas to serve with this delicious Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice!
How to Make Arroz con Pollo in an Instant Pot
For an Instant Pot version and a slight variation of this dish, you may want to follow this recipe from Mommy’s Home Cooking “Easy Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo.”
For more delicious rice dishes, you will also love these:
Arroz Mamposteao (Dirty Rice with Beans)
Puerto Rican Rice (Puerto Rican Yellow Rice with Corn)
Equipment
- caldero pot or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut up or a mix of legs, thighs, wings
- 2 1/2 cups medium or long grain rice I always use medium grain
- 3 tbsp sofrito
- salted pork fat, pork back fat (optional) cut into small ½ inch cubes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 packet Sazon with Annatto found in the Latin food section
- 2 tsp chicken bouillon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2 tbsp pimiento stuffed olives
- 1 tsp sugar
- 4 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tbsp salt
Seasoning for Chicken
- adobo
- garlic powder
- oregano
Toppings
- fresh cilantro chopped
- red pimientos
Instructions
- Get all ingredients ready.If using a whole chicken, cut up chicken and cut up chicken breast sections into one and a half inch chunks. Remove any extra fat from chicken. Then rinse chicken.
Season Chicken
- Season the chicken with adobo, garlic powder and sprinkle with oregano.
Preparing the Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice (Arroz con Pollo)
- Over medium heat, add oil to a large caldero or dutch oven. (Do not use a non stick pot).
- Add the sugar to pot and stir for a minute so that the sugar dissolves and turns slightly golden.Note: I know it may seem strange to add sugar to the arroz con pollo but trust me on this step.The sugar helps to bring out the flavors of the chicken into the rice and gives it a nice golden color. Promise you will not taste the sugar!
- Add the chicken to the pot except the chicken breast pieces.
- Cook chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side. (The chicken will finish cooking in the rice, this step is simply to start the chicken juices flowing and brown pieces a little.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to pot with chicken. (Pork fat, sofrito, tomato paste, sazon, chicken bouillon, bay leaf, oregano and olives). With a large spoon, stir well.
- While chicken and spices are sauteing, rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
- Add rice to pot, water and salt. Raise heat to high.
- Cook rice uncovered until water dries out.
- After rice has dried out, stir and cover immediately! (have lid beside pot ready to cover or rice will stun and not cook properly).
- LOWER heat to medium low.Cook for 15 minutes.
- Uncover pot, add chicken breast pieces and stir rice again. Cover immediately!
- Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken breast pieces are cooked through. Stir again.
- Rice is done. Top with red pimientos and fresh cilantro if you like and serve.
This looks delicious and so full of flavour! Will definitely be making this soon
Thanks Bintu! Let me know how you enjoy it!
Such a filling meal that my whole family loved! This was a nice change from our usual chicken dinner routine.
Wonderful to hear Jen!!
I love the classic use of chicken and rice in this recipe! The flavors were amazing
Glad you enjoyed it Noelle!!
Ah, this chicken and rice looks s good that I am almoston my way to buy more chicken now (I’ve got enough rice for this recipe). Fabulous looking meal and just what I would like to make this weekend.
Thanks Elaine!
I have a question about the salted pork fat ingredient. How do I get this? Is it sold in stores or you make this? Thanks in advance, I’m really looking forward to making this soon !
Hello Margarita! Thank you for your question! Pork fat is simply the fat skin of a pig and is used to flavor certain foods such as Puerto Rican rice and beans. Depending on where you live “pork back fat” “salted pork fat” can easily be found in your local super market. Also, if you have a Super Foods Walmart by you, you can usually find it by the smoked ham hocks. If you have a hard time finding it, try asking the meat attendant, he/she should be able to direct you. Please keep in mind, if you can’t find it, don’t worry the rice will still come out delicious!! If you look at the list of ingredients I have put this ingredient as “optional” so no worries! If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. Happy cooking! Hope you love it!
Your ,r recipe is my recipe! This is exactly how I make my arroz con pollo! Love it every time! Nothing beats home cooking!
Really?! That is awesome! This recipe is just how my mami taught me since I was 9! Nothing beats home cooking! So TRUE! Like you, love it every time!