Arroz con Pollo (chicken with rice)
Experience the flavors of Latin cuisine with this arroz con pollo recipe - a perfect blend of savory chicken, aromatic spices, and fluffy rice!
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- large Dutch oven or braising pan
Ingredients
- 8 chicken legs (about 2 - 21/2 pounds)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, rough chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 green pepper, seeded and rough chopped
- 1 jalapeño, rough chopped
- large handful cilantro leaves and stems
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp anatto
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups long grain rice (uncooked)
- 1/2 cup smoked ham, cut in small cubes
- 3 cups hot chicken stock or broth
garnish
- 1/2 cup pimento stuffed green olives
- 1 Tbsp capers
- 1/2 cup cooked peas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Season the chicken well with salt on all sides.
- Heat the oil in a large pan until hot but not smoking. Brown the chicken, in batches, for 5-7 minutes, turning so all sides of the legs get browned. Set the legs aside on a plate. Note: when the pan is hot enough you'll hear a sizzle when the chicken hits the oil, if you don't hear that sizzle, let the pan heat up a little longer.
- Meanwhile make the sofrito in a food processor (you can also finely chop everything by hand if you prefer.) Put the onion, garlic, peppers, cilantro, salt, pepper, and oregano in the processor.
- Pulse until fairly finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the machine as necessary. You will end up with about 3 cups, give or take.
- Saute the sofrito in the same pan that you browned the chicken in for about 3 minutes. Than add the bay leaves, paprikas, anatto, and tomato paste. Stir well and saute for 3 more minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the rice and stir well. I like to toast the rice for a minute or two, stirring constantly.
- Add the smoked ham and the hot stock, mixing well. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
- Nestle the chicken legs back into the pot, leaving the browned skin just above the sauce. Bring the whole pot back up to a bubble, then cover, and put the pot in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the oven and let rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Fluff up the rice around the chicken with a fork. Garnish with olives, capers, and peas just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 551 kcal · Carbohydrates: 44 g · Protein: 29 g · Fat: 28 g · Saturated Fat: 7 g · Cholesterol: 128 mg · Sodium: 692 mg · Potassium: 543 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 3 g · Vitamin A: 500 IU · Vitamin C: 17 mg · Calcium: 37 mg · Iron: 2 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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