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Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice Recipe

Angela Milnes
Enjoy a taste of the Caribbean with this Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice Recipe! Tender chicken is simmered with perfectly seasoned rice, sofrito, and flavorful spices, creating a hearty, one-pot dish that’s full of vibrant flavors. It’s an easy and satisfying meal that brings the bold tastes of Puerto Rico to your table!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Additional Time 0 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Dinners
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 5 Servings
Calories 745 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4-5 chicken thighs
  • 11/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons Adobo seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Cayenne Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Coriander
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • One Pot Rice
  • ¼ cup canola oil or olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ medium onion
  • ½ teaspoon Coriander
  • ½ teaspoon Cumin
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Oregano
  • 1 large bell pepper sliced
  • 1 Jalapeno diced
  • ½ cup tomato sauce
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Fresh cilantro
  • 2 cups uncooked long grain rice
  • 1 cup frozen Peas
  • 1 cup pitted green olives
  • 4 cups chicken stock

Instructions
 

  • Once you have your ingredients ready, here's what you'll need to do to make the Arroz con pollo.
  • Add all of the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Set to the side.
  • Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs. Rub both sides with a generous amount of the adobo spice blend.
  • Place the chicken in a cast iron pan or Dutch oven. Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side.
  • Remove from the pan / Dutch oven and set aside.
  • Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Add the olive oil and onions, bell pepper , garlic , bay leaf, cilantro and cumin.
  • Sauté over medium high heat until soft for 2-3 minutes. Now add the tomato sauce and rice to the peppers and onion mixture and gently mix to combine.
  • Now add the frozen peas, jalapenos, and toss to combine.
  • Place the chicken on top of the rice mixture and add the chicken broth.
  • Place it in the oven and cook for 30- 35 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Allow the chicken to cool for 10 minutes then serve.
  • Garnish with the fresh cilantro.

Notes

While this recipe calls for the use of skinless chicken thighs, if you don’t have them, you can use chicken breasts as an alternative. In fact, you can also separate boneless chicken pieces from a whole chicken and use it for this recipe.
Remember to use long grained white rice for this recipe- it will lend the best texture and flavor to the Puerto Rican rice.
While green peas are a great choice, you can also use pigeon peas as an alternative. Pigeon peas are super nutritious and taste absolutely fantastic when added into
Traditionally, Puerto Rican chicken makes use of Achiote oil, but if you don’t have it, you can use any other cooking oil of your choice.
Apart from all the veggies that made it into this rice dish, you can also add some chopped red bell pepper, green bell peppers and even pimiento stuffed Spanish olives.
If you love that characteristic crispy rice on the bottom, make sure you allow dish to cook well in the oven.
You can easily make the Adobo seasoning in advance, but if you really don’t have the time, you can also make do with some store bought Sazon seasoning instead.

Nutrition

Calories: 745kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 29gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 3920mgPotassium: 816mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1647IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 4mg
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