Chicken and yellow rice is my cheat code for busy weeknights. Also known as arroz con pollo, it’s made with long grain rice, bone-in pieces of chicken and seasonings, all cooked together in one pot. It’s a complete meal in itself, but tastes even better with slices of fresh avocado and sweet fried plantains on the side!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Arroz con pollo was THAT dish before protein bowls were even a thing! It’s a weeknight go-to in a lot of Latin homes, but most island cultures have their own version of chicken and yellow rice. There’s minimal prep time and clean up is easy since you’re cooking everything in one pot. And it’s picky-eater friendly — the olives are optional! I think it tastes even better the next day, so I always make sure to save leftovers.
Ingredients you’ll need:
The full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below, but here are the main ones:
- Chicken: 2.5 pounds of bone-in skinless chicken, I recommend thighs and drumsticks. Drumsticks aren’t typically sold without the skin so you’ll need to remove it yourself. Just pull the skin down and cut it off using kitchen shears.
- Seasonings: Adobo, garlic and onion powder, ground cumin, ground oregano, paprika, a large bouillon cube, sazón with saffron (sazón con azafrán).
- Herbs and produce: diced onion, diced red bell pepper, and sofrito form the base of the dish, fresh cilantro.
- Extra long grain white rice: my favorite rice for this dish is golden canilla, but any extra-long-grain white rice will work well.
- Green olives are optional
How to make chicken and yellow rice
Step 1: In a medium-sized bowl, season the skinless chicken with adobo, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, paprika and black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
Step 2: Heat the oil and sugar in a large dutch oven until hot. The sugar will turn brown as it starts to caramelize. Brown the chicken on all sides, the transfer it to a plate.
Helpful tips
- Make sure to rinse your rice. This removes dirt, debris and excess starch. Too much starch = mushy/sticky rice!
- If the rice still tastes hard once the time is up, don’t fluff it yet! Instead, lay a wet paper towel over the rice, re-cover and cook on very low heat for 5-10 minutes more. The steam from the wet paper towel helps the rice cook through. Once the grains are tender, you can let it rest for a few minutes before fluffing it.
- Let the rice rest before fluffing it. If you fluff the rice while it’s still steaming hot, it will get mushy.
Serving suggestions
Arroz con pollo is a complete meal in itself, but also goes great with:
- Fried plantains – I prefer fried maduros which are sweet, but this dish also tastes great with tostones.
- A fresh green salad on the side
- Slices of fresh avocado
- With crispy skin – if you’re like me and can’t imagine throwing perfectly good chicken skin, just save the skin instead of throwing it away. I season it right in the same bowl with the chicken, and pop the skin in the oven. Bake it at 375°F for about 30 mins, but watch it closely so it doesn’t burn! When it’s done, chop it up and sprinkle it on top of the rice, or serve it on the side.
Storing and re-heating leftovers
I’m telling you that arroz con pollo tastes just as good (if not better) the next day. For best results:
- Store leftover rice and chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Storing them in the same container is fine.
- For best results, reheat rice in a steamer basket over a boiling pot of hot water until it’s hot throughout. The chicken can be reheated in the same basket or separately in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes or, until hot.
More recipes like this
- Pollo Guisado (Dominican Stew Chicken)
- Carne Guisada (Stewed Beef)
- Pigeon Peas and Rice (Arroz con Gandules Recipe)
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & consider scrolling down and leaving me a review if you REALLY liked it. Thanks!
Chicken and Yellow Rice (Arroz con Pollo)
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks skin removed
- 1.5 teaspoon adobo
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup vegetable or frying oil
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- ⅓ cup sofrito store-bought or homemade
- ½ red bell pepper chopped
- ½ small yellow or white onion chopped
- 1 packet sazón with azáfran (saffron)
- 1 large bouillon cube
- ¼ cup green olives
- ½ teaspoon salt or more, to taste
- 3 cups water
- 2.5 cups extra-long grain white rice rinsed
- ¼ bunch fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Season the chicken: Remove the skin from drumsticks and chicken thighs, if needed. In a medium-sized bowl, season the chicken with adobo, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, paprika and black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
- Brown the chicken: Heat the oil and sugar in a large dutch oven until hot. The sugar will turn brown as it starts to caramelize. Brown the chicken on all sides, the transfer it to a plate.
- Prepare the cooking liquid: Add the chopped bell pepper, onion and sofrito to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to loosen the bits that were left behind from searing the chicken. Add the sazon, crushed bouillon cube and 3 cups of water. Stir until the seasonings are evenly distributed.
- Add the rice and chicken: Bring the water to a simmer and taste it. If it needs more seasoning add ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the olives, rice and chicken. Once everything starts to simmer, lay the fresh cilantro over the rice. Cover the pot with a lid and turn the burner down low. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Remove the lid and discard the cilantro. The rice should be tender, and the water should be fully evaporated. Let sit covered for 5-10 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Fluff the rice, place the chicken on top and serve.
Leave a Reply