Cuban Arroz con Pollo
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lb bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1/2 tsp Knorr chicken bouillon
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
Sofrito
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp annatto (aka achiote or bijol)
- 1/2 tsp Knorr chicken bouillon
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp msg optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tbsp tomato sauce
Other ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
- 1 cup light beer
- 2 cups chicken broth 2 cups water + 2 tsp Knorr chicken bouillon
Instructions
Prepare the chicken
- Clean/trim any fat off the chicken thighs and season with salt, pepper, Knorr chicken bouillon, cumin, and 1 tbsp of the olive oil.
- In a 10-inch shallow pot, add 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and sear the chicken skin side down until browned, then flip over and brown the other side. Remove from heat and set the chicken aside (it will not be fully cooked yet).
Make the sofrito
- In the same pan, add a little more olive oil if needed then add the diced onions and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate any leftover fond (flavor) from the chicken.
- After 1 minute, add the diced bell peppers and continue sweating over medium low heat for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, annatto, coriander, Knorr chicken bouillon, tomato sauce, and bay leaves. Cook for another minute and lower the heat if needed. Do not burn the spices. Optional: add 1/4 tsp msg
Prepare the rice
- Add the rice and toast it in the sofrito for 1 minute, then add the beer and chicken broth.
- Add the chicken thighs back into the pot on top of the rice.
- Increase the heat to medium and let some of the liquid boil off, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid for 20 minutes.
- Fluff the rice and thats it! At this point you can also mix in frozen peas and cover the lid for a few minutes until warmed through. Peas are commonly added but my Tio never added them <3
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
This Post Has 24 Comments
I just made this for my husband and college kid who is home for the summer and it is so good! I don’t think we’ve ever had anything with the annato flavor and it is really good. Definitely making this again!
I love this recipe simple and delicious
This was FIRE. Will be using this recipe over and over again. Made for a yummy dinner but could also be amazing for meal prepping!
Loooove this recipe!
My son ate it all up! Looking forward to using more recipes!
Just popping in again *Cuban Girl* you did this justice!!! You’re right on about the beer! It’s the key ingredient that makes ALL the difference! Super tasty! Watching you make it and bringing it to life had me in my feels!! I’ve learned it on my own but having your recipe makes me feel comfort knowing I’m doing it right! lol
So delicious! Husbands favorite even though he’d say he only likes chicken breast🤣
This recipe is straight fire!!! I’ve used it with chicken and even pork on a separate occasion, Ty for sharing your recipes and such easy functional directions.
OMG this recipe is BOMB!!! I’ve tried several and NONE of them came close to the real thing like yours did! LOVE YA for sharing this recipe with me and my family!
I’m new here, but I’m kinda obsessed with cooking chicken so I needed a new recipe. Flavor, simplicity, and aesthetically pleasing all in one. YES, PLEASE!
I love your take on Cuban recipes, and this one is by far my favorite (followed closely by the Cuban Picadilo). The rice cooked with the sofrito before adding the beer and consome (chicken stock) are the traditional way to make it, just how my grandma also always made it. This is for sure a fail proof recipe. Now just having the husband follow the steps 🙂
Loved it! And it’s another dish I’ve added to my meal prep repertoire! So I can switch things up. My hubby loveddd it!
This is a great recipe, one of my go to meal prep meals, I can’t have alcohol so I generally just sub in w water. It tastes great for the entire week and I can just make a quick salad to have my fill of veggies.
You know it’s legit when it has achiote!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this dish! I’ve always heard of Cuban arroz con pollo but never had I tried to make it until now! My Hubs and I enjoyed it so much it’s a staple on our dinner menu. I appreciate how easy the recipe is to follow and the outcome is *chefs kiss* !
Absolutely love this recipe! Most ingredients you probably already have in the pantry and fridge, but combined in this recipe is so tasty and comforting. Definitely a staple.
My husband and I absolutely loved this!
delicious recipe. Greta for the family
This recipe is easy to follow and delicious. Thanks!
Made it for the family and they LOVED IT! If you want a great meal this is it. This will be a repeat meal for us. ♥️♥️♥️
I love this recipe to include for my meal prepping! Easy to make but full of lots of flavor which is especially crucial for meal preps.
Made it once. Now it’s going to be my favorite go to dinner recipe. 🫶🏻
So I am Cuban!! And ofcourse I had to try this recipe which I make a bit different. BUT it was definitely approved by the best cook (my dad)! 😂 good job Stella for recreating one of our staples ❤️.
This looks so good and I plan to make it tomorrow. Question: Do you keep the skin on the bone in thighs?
Hi Monica, yes I keep the skin on the thighs but you can remove it if you prefer. The skin adds some flavor though so I don’t recommend it. Hope that helps!