Arroz Con Pollo (Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice)
Submitted by Melanie Hinckley - Leavitt Select Insurance ServicesTotal Cook Time – 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into small serving-size pieces
- 1 tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¾ tsp. paprika
- ¼ tsp. coriander
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. red cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- Freshly ground pepper
For the sofrito & rice:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp. cumin
- ¼ cup finely diced green pepper
- ¼ tsp. ground turmeric
- ¼ cup finely diced white onion
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ cup diced cilantro
- ¼ tsp. oregano
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. ground coriander
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 cup basmati white rice (don’t use brown, it will take too long to cook)
Instructions
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Add chicken to a large bowl. Add in 1 Tbsp. olive oil and your adobo seasoning: cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, salt and pepper. Use clean hands to toss the chicken mixture. Cover and allow chicken to marinate for 30 minutes.
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Next add remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil to a large deep 10 inch skillet and place over medium high heat. (If you do not have skillet a large pot will also work very well.) Once oil is hot, add in chicken and season with a little more salt and pepper. Cook until brown 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to a plate.
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In the same skillet (it should be greased enough already for sauteing, but you can add a little more oil if needed) you will make your sofrito by adding in your garlic, jalapeno, diced green pepper, diced onion and cilantro.
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Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add in your spices (also known as homemade sazon spices): cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Then add in tomato sauce and water and still well to combine.
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Bring to a simmer then fold in the rice, making sure it is evenly distributed. Add browned chicken on top.
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Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet immediately and cook for 20-25 minutes.
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After 20-25 minutes, most of the liquid should be absorbed and rice should be cooked. Serve immediately. Garnish with cilantro and serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.