Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
A close-up of a pan filled with seasoned chicken thighs atop spicy rice, reminiscent of Cuban arroz con pollo. The dish is garnished with bay leaves and surrounded by green leaves, making the freshly cooked food look incredibly flavorful.
Print Recipe
5 from 24 votes

Cuban Arroz con Pollo

Cuban arroz con pollo is a classic one-pot dish made with chicken, rice, tomato, bell pepper, and spices. The secret ingredient? Beer!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cuban
Servings: 4 people
Author: Stella Navarro-Kim

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
QR Code linking back to recipe