Puerto Rican–Style Arroz con Pollo
- Makes6 to 8 servings
- Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
- Active time plus cooling30 minutes active
- 1
Arroz con pollo, or chicken and rice, is a much-loved dish in many Latin American countries. Pieces of chicken cooked directly in rice seasoned with aromatics and herbs, the grains soaking up the juices from the bird—it’s comfort food at its best. In his book “Cocina Tropical,” chef Jose Santaella includes the recipe for the arroz con pollo he serves at his restaurant, Santaella, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As with most versions of arroz con pollo, the flavor foundation is sofrito, a cooked mixture of aromatic vegetables, herbs, ham and capers, so you will need to make a batch of sofrito as the first step. Santaella cuts up a whole chicken, but for ease we use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. We do, however, cut each one in half so the chicken cooks on par with the rice. Medium-grain rice, starchier than long-grain but less so than short-grain, is the right type of rice to use here. Italian Arborio is a widely available option; Spanish Valencia and bomba rice, used for paella, work, too. A combination of chicken broth and beer is the cooking liquid; the beer’s hoppiness provides flavor balance and helps lighten the dish. Look for a quaffable pilsner, such as Corona Extra. Serve with fried sweet plantains.
Don’t use chicken breasts that are larger than 1 pound each as they will take too long to cook, even if cut in half. If the ones you purchase do happen to weigh more than 1 pound each, cut them into thirds rather than halves. And be sure to rinse and drain the rice before cooking. Rinsing removes excess starch so the grains don’t cook up thick and gluey.
Step 1
In a small bowl, stir together the oregano, onion powder, granulated garlic and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Season the chicken on all sides with the mixture.
Step 2
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the grapeseed oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice, until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and set aside. Pour off and discard the fat from the pot.
Step 3
Return the pot to medium-high and add the sofrito, tomato paste and olives. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the mixture begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring often, until the mixture begins to stick to the pot, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 4
Add the beer and scrape up any browned bits, then add the broth. Return the chicken and accumulated juices to the pot, nestling the pieces skin side up in the rice mixture.
Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the rice has absorbed some of the liquid and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
Reduce to medium-low, cover and cook without stirring until the rice is tender and the center of the thickest piece of chicken reaches about 155°F, about 30 minutes.
Step 5
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the roasted peppers, cilantro and olive oil. Re-cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, then stir again, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
