Growing up, arroz con pollo was my favorite Cuban dish. Maybe because it was my mom’s favorite, or maybe because it was a change from Cuban pork, or even perhaps just because it is a cool color, but I loved arroz con pollo.
It is still one of my favorite dishes, but right now, palomilla has my top spot. So if you are not a steak person, or if you are cooking for a crowd or dinner party and are looking for a great dish for a group, look no further than Arroz con Pollo.
Arroz con Pollo is made with chicken, I like to use chicken legs, but you can use whatever you like, and seasoned rice. That description right there, really undersells it. Even the translation, to Chicken with Rice, is a pretty bland description. Though in English, you usually add the extra adjective of Yellow Chicken and Rice to make it sound a bit better.
However, don’t be swayed by the simple name. This dish, which simple to make, is anything but simple in taste. The flavors in this dish are incredible and the colors are so vibrant, you can taste the food because you even eat it.
Arroz con Pollo starts with a Cuban “sofrito.” Like the holy trinity in New Orleans, a sofrito is the start to basically any and every Cuban dish. Onions, garlic, and green peppers, chopped and sauted in olive oil until they are soft and delicious. That alone gives killer flavor to anything.
There are three other “secret” ingredients to an amazing arroz con pollo.
- Saffron. This dish has a bright yellow color which is a call to Cuba’s Spanish roots. Saffron is the world’s main producer of saffron, specifically Spanish saffron. (Sargol Saffron is a highly, highly prized saffron from the Middle East, specifically to Iran but due to obvious restrictions, it comes from bordering nations. It also looks a little bit different than Spanish saffron and has a bit more intense frangrance and flavor.) If you are Cuban, there is a good chance you family was once from Spain. (See my post on my mother’s claim to her heritage.) Saffron is used widely in Cuban cooking, but also sparingly so because it is expense. It has a delicious flavor and gives a beautiful yellow hue to a dish.
- Bijol. Enter secret ingredient number 2. Bijol, is a Cuban seasoning that basically every Cuban uses. It is prolific. While I don’t think it has much flavor, it does have a ton of color. Bijol is a combination, probably, or Red 40 and some annatto powder. Annatto, for those who aren’t totally familiar, is this red seed, that again, doesn’t taste like much, but does give a beautiful color to whatever you add it to. All this to say, Saffron is expensive and bijol is less expensive. Bijol mimics the color of saffron perfectly to give that extra kick of color. Cubans add it to add a bit of yellow pop to a dish without changing up the taste.
- Beer. Didn’t see that one coming, did you. You know sometimes you eat something, and the chef added a random ingredient that really brought the whole dish together. That is what beer does for Arroz con Pollo. It is not the same with out it. The beer adds an umami flavor that brings all the flavors home. You can use just about any beer you life, I try to use something Mexican because Cuban and/or Spanish beer is not an everyday thing.
Now, the beautiful thing, is that rather than trying to procure Spanish saffron and Cuban bijol, we have already done that for you in our MarnaMaria Sazon Rojo seasoning blend. The blend also has a few other ingredients that perfect compliment arroz con pollo, so it’s a no brainer ingredient in this recipe.
Aside from the sofrito and secret ingredients, the last two components to highlight are the peas and the pimentos. So far, you have gourgeous, seared and crispy skin chicken served over a bright yellow and aromatic rice. The last additions are a pop of green from fresh peas and a pop of red from chopped pimentos.
This recipe is a great one to try and pleases a crowd.
📖 Recipe
Arroz con Pollo | Yellow Chicken with Rice
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Cuban
Description
Arroz con Pollo is the Cuban version of Spanish Paella as Cuban heritage can be traced back to Spain. It is traditionally made with chicken, peas and red pimento peppers for color.
Ingredients
- 10 - 12 chicken thighs (with bone and skin)
- 6 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tbsp. MarnaMaria Sazón Rojo blend
- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- ¾ cup cooking sherry (or white wine)
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2 ½ cups Yellow long grain rice
- 1 cup of beer
- 1 jar of chopped pimento peppers
- ½ cup of frozen peas
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Heat a Dutch oven over high heat.
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Season chicken with salt and pepper.
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Working in batches, add two tbsp. olive oil to Dutch oven and sear chicken, skin side down, until crispy and browned, about 5 minutes.
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Flip and cook the other side for three minutes longer. Chicken will be about cooked through but not fully done.
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Repeat until all the chicken has been browned.
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Remove chicken to a plate and add remaining olive oil to the Dutch oven.
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Lower heat to medium. Add onions, green pepper, garlic, and let cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is translucent and soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
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Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325ºF.
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Add MarnaMaria Sazón Rojo seasoning blend, tomato sauce, sherry, and chicken stock. Stir, raise heat, and bring mixture to a boil.
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Stir in rice, reduce heat to low and cover. Let cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 15 minutes, rice should still be firm.
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Add beer, pimentos, and peas and stir to combine.
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Place the reserved chicken on top of rice mixture, cover and place in oven. Let cook for 15 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through and the rice is tender but still holding its shape.
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Serve hot.
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