I’ve been devouring this Arroz con Pollo lately and was wondering if you’ve tried it yet?! It’s a keeper and has become one of the most popular recipes on the site. Please try it!
You really can’t beat Arroz con Pollo as a one-stop dinner: with minimal fuss you get a savory meal that is far superior to local takeout options.
There’s something so satisfying about throwing everything in a pan and letting the heat of the stove do all the heavy lifting. All while relaxing on the sofa 
I take this recipe a step further by brining the chicken, but keep in mind that you can always skip that step for an even quicker, couch-friendly version.
How to prepare Arroz con Pollo: Mexican chicken and rice
A quick swim in salt water can do wonders for chicken and I’ve been brining chicken almost every time I cook it lately. Brine it will help keep it moist while cooking and, more importantly, improve the flavor!
For this recipe that meant brining 5 bone-in chicken thighs in 2 quarts of cold water with 1/2 cup kosher salt dissolved in it.
Cover them and let them rest in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. It doesn’t matter exactly how long you pickle them – I usually play them by ear and take them when I get hungry
Keep in mind that you can use just about any cut of chicken for this recipe, you can even use boneless breast if that’s what you have on hand.
While the chicken is brining, I usually put the tomatoes in the oven to roast. This will sweeten them a bit before adding them to the sauce.
When you feel hungry, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry.
Preheat a deep skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat and add a large drizzle of oil, 2-3 tablespoons.
Brown the chicken on both sides: I usually brown it skin side down first.
Don’t try to get the skin super crispy as it has absorbed some of the brine and won’t crisp up as easily – in the picture above it took about 5-6 minutes to get a light crispiness on the thighs.
While the chicken is browning you can prepare the tomato and jalapeno mixture. Add the following ingredients to a blender:
roasted tomatoes
1/2 small onion
1 jalapeno
2 cloves of garlic
Give it a good swirl and feel free to add more jalapeno if you want your Arroz con Pollo to be fiery. I like this dish best when the heat is decent and a single jalapeno seems to do it quite well.
Once the chicken is browned, you can remove the legs from the pan and set them aside.
Add 2 cups of rice to the same pan and let it cook over medium heat.
It will start to absorb some of the amazing flavor of the chicken left in the pan. Perfect!
When the rice starts to turn opaque and light brown you can add the tomato and jalapeno mixture from the blender.
Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then add:
3 cups broth
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano What is Mexican oregano?
1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
salt (optional)
Bring it to the boil and now the important taste test, especially checking the salt level. The fact is….
The exact amount of salt you need will depend on the broth you use. I sometimes use homemade chicken broth that doesn’t contain sodium, so I have to add a heaping teaspoon of salt to this dish. Conversely, if you use store-bought broth, you may not need to add salt.
So, once this mixture has come to temperature, be sure to taste it, adding salt if you think it needs it. At this point it should already be tasty enough so don’t eat it all!
When you are happy with the salt level, add the chicken to the pan.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Leave to cook for 20-25 minutes.
And now the best part…
Taking the lid off and seeing how your amazing one dish has transformed is so satisfying! Something about seeing how the rice has puffed up around the chicken gets me every time
Here’s what this batch looked like after about 20 minutes….
Once you’ve made sure the liquid is fully absorbed, you can remove the pan from the heat, cover and let it sit with the steam for a few minutes.
First things first…
Taste the rice.
It’s easily some of the best rice you’ll ever eat. Really.
It was cooked in chicken stock, broth, chicken skin fat, and roasted tomato mixture. It’s off the charts and you’ll have a lot of it when you start with 2 cups of uncooked rice.
Serve your chicken on a bed of UNREAL rice and everything will be fine for a few minutes.
I seasoned this batch with chopped fresh cilantro but you can consider that optional.
Ok, I hope you try this Arroz con Pollo. It’s the very definition of comfort food and I think you’ll be amazed at how tasty it can be despite so little work!
Feel free to get creative with your epic rice over the next few days. You can use it in so many tasty ways: burritos, tacos, tostadas, or even just mixed with some black beans.
Enjoy!
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Mexican Chicken and Rice – Arroz con Pollo
This Arroz con Pollo is the most satisfying main dish I have ever made! The rice is delicious and you can use it in all kinds of quick meals over the next few days. So good!
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Portions: 5
Calories: 691kcal
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs. chicken (I used 5 bone-in chicken thighs)
- 2 cups raw rice
- 3 cups broth (or water)
- 3 cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 table spoon Mexican oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional)
- 0-1 teaspoons salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper
- chopped fresh coriander (optional)
- olive oil
Instructions
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I usually brine the chicken, but keep in mind that this step is optional if you want a quicker version. Add 2 quarts of cold water to a large bowl along with 1/2 cup of kosher salt. Mix well to dissolve the salt and then add the chicken legs. Cover and leave brine in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
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Rinse and remove the stems from 3 cherry tomatoes. Roast tomatoes in oven (400F) for 30 minutes or until needed.
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Remove the chicken pieces from the brine and dry them. Preheat a deep skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat and add a large drizzle of oil, 2-3 tablespoons. Once the oil is hot you can add the chicken, browning it on both sides for a few minutes each. I usually start skin side down, cook until the skin is golden brown, then turn and cook the bottom side for another few minutes. Once browned, you can remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. Note: If you brine the chicken, the skin may not crisp up as easily since it has absorbed some of the salt water.
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Add 2 cups of uncooked rice to the pan you used to brown the chicken (the chicken has been set aside for now). Cook the rice for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring regularly.
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While the rice cooks, add the following ingredients to a blender: the roasted tomatoes, 1/2 small onion, 2 cloves garlic, and 1 jalapeno. Combines well. For a milder version you can use less jalapeno.
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When the rice has become opaque and light brown in color you can add the blended tomato and jalapeno mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly. Then add the remaining ingredients: 3 cups broth, 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional), freshly ground black pepper, and salt (optional). Bring it to a boil and do some taste testing. The exact level of salt to add will depend on the broth used. If you use store-bought broth, you may not need to add much salt. If you use water you will probably need to add a large teaspoon of salt. Taste and add pinches of salt until you like this mixture.
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Add the browned chicken to the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and leave to simmer for 20-25 minutes.
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Once all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice (usually around 20 minutes), you can remove it from the heat and let it sit on its own steam for a few minutes, covered.
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Serve the chicken pieces on a bed of rice and, optionally, garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
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Store leftovers in the refrigerator where they will keep for a few days. The rice is delicious, feel free to use it over the next few days in burritos, tacos, tostadas or even just mixed with some black beans. Enjoy!
Check out the latest post here: What Else Can I Make With Cilantro? 9 Mexican recipes.
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