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This one-pot classic is a vibrant, hearty dish that brings together two beloved staples of Cuban cuisine: rice and chicken. Cuban arroz con pollo is packed with flavor, and it’s the perfect comfort food for family gatherings or weeknight dinners.
What is Cuban Arroz con Pollo?
Arroz con pollo translates to “rice with chicken.” In Cuban cuisine, the dish is made with long-grain rice, bone-in chicken, and a rich sofrito. What sets it apart are the bold seasonings, including saffron or bijol (annatto), which gives the dish its signature golden hue, and beer or wine, which adds depth to the broth.
Rich in history and flavor, arroz con pollo is often compared to Spain’s paella but carries its own distinctive Caribbean flair.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- First off, it’s a one-pot-meal! I love one-pot-meals because they are usually very straight-forward recipes with minimal clean up. You only have one dish to wash!
- It’s perfect for feeding a crowd!
- Back in the day, my late Tio Orestes would make a HUGE pot of this every Sunday, and our family members came by at different times of the day to collect their plate.
- My dad raves about my Tio Orestes’ arroz con pollo all the time, and he’s very picky about this dish
- After asking my Tios and Tias what his secret was, they all said the same, exact thing. Miller Lite! Of course you can use whatever beer you prefer, but for Tio Orestes’ version, you need the Miller Lite.
Ingredients
- Chicken- bone in thighs or drumsticks
- Rice- jasmine or extra long grain rice
- Cooking oil- olive oil recommended
- Seasoning- for the chicken, a simple seasoning of salt, pepper, cumin, and Knorr chicken bouillon.
- Sofrito- an aromatic flavor base sauté for the arroz con pollo:
- onion
- bell pepper
- garlic cloves
- cumin
- oregano
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- annatto (aka achiote or bijol)
- Knorr chicken bouillon
- ground coriander
- msg (optional)
- bay leaves
- tomato sauce
More Cuban Dishes
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, if using a prepared Sofrito for this recipe, ( frozen type from supermarket)…how much should be used?
Really looking forward to making this!
Thank You!!
Hi June! It’s difficult to say without knowing its exact contents, but for frozen prepared sofrito I think 1/4 cup would suffice.
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