One Pot Arroz con Pollo

This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.

Arroz con pollo is chicken and rice cooked together in one pot, and that togetherness is the entire point. The rice sits directly under the chicken and drinks up every drop of fat and juice that comes off it, which is why this tastes nothing like chicken served over rice you boiled separately.

It starts with a sofrito, the onion, pepper and garlic base that runs through most Latin cooking. Cook it slowly until the vegetables go soft and sweet, then stir in tomato paste and let it darken in the pan for a minute or two. That darkening step builds the deep savory backbone the whole pot rests on, and rushing it gives you a flatter dish.

One rule after the lid goes on: leave it alone. Every time you lift the lid to check, steam escapes and the rice on top stops cooking. Set a 25-minute timer, walk away, and let the pot do its job. The 10-minute rest afterward is what finishes the grains and lets the chicken juices settle back in.

Why You’ll Love This Arroz Con Pollo Recipe

• One pot, no separate rice. Chicken, sofrito, and rice all cook in the same Dutch oven, so there’s no colander and no second pan to wash.
• Bone-in thighs are cheap and forgiving. They cost a fraction of breasts, they don’t dry out during a covered simmer, and the skin renders fat that flavors the rice.
• Every grain tastes like something. Toasting the rice in the sofrito before the broth goes in seasons it from the outside in.
• It reheats like it was made for it. A splash of broth brings day-two portions right back, which is more than most rice dishes can claim.

Arroz Con Pollo Ingredients

Sazon with achiote is what gives arroz con pollo its yellow-orange color and a savory, faintly earthy flavor. It comes in little packets in the Latin aisle of most grocery stores. If yours doesn’t stock it, use 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric plus 1 teaspoon sweet paprika and an extra 1/4 teaspoon salt, which gets you close on both color and taste.

• 2 1/2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin, divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 packet sazon with achiote (about 1 1/2 tsp)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cups long grain white rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
• 3 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, drained
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Recipe Variations

• Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead. Brown them 3 minutes per side, shorten the covered simmer to 20 minutes, and cook them to an internal temperature of 165°F.
• Leave out the olives if they’re not a hit at your table and stir in a chopped jarred roasted red pepper at the end for color and a little sweetness.
• Make it with brown rice by increasing the broth to 4 cups and the covered simmer to 45 minutes. Brown the chicken first and set it aside, then nestle the thighs back in for the last 25 minutes so they finish at 165°F without drying out.

How to Make Arroz Con Pollo

1. Season the chicken: Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels, then season all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt, the black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin. Dry skin is the only way to get skin that browns.
2. Brown the thighs: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, lay the thighs in skin side down and cook undisturbed for 6-7 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and releases on its own. Flip and cook 2 minutes more, then move them to a plate. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat.
3. Build the sofrito: Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and bell pepper. Cook for 6-7 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Darken the tomato paste: Add the tomato paste, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, the sazon, and the oregano. Stir constantly for 2 minutes, until the paste turns brick red and smells sweet instead of sharp.
5. Toast the rice: Add the rinsed, drained rice and stir for 2 minutes, until every grain is coated in the sofrito and the edges look chalky and opaque.
6. Add the broth and settle the chicken back in: Pour in the chicken broth and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the bay leaves, and the olives. Bring it to a boil, then nestle the thighs skin side up on top of the rice along with any juices from the plate.
7. Cover and simmer: Turn the heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 25 minutes without lifting the lid. The thighs need to reach at least 165°F, and dark meat is most tender closer to 175°F. If they’re under, re-cover and give it 5 more minutes.
8. Rest and finish: Take the pot off the heat, scatter the peas over the top, and let it stand covered for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, fluff the rice around the chicken with a fork, and stir in the cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Recipe FAQs

Do I Have to Rinse the Rice for Arroz Con Pollo?

Yes, and it takes two minutes. Rinsing washes off loose surface starch, which is what makes rice clump into a sticky mass. Swirl it in a bowl of cold water, pour it off, and repeat until the water runs nearly clear.

Can I Use Chicken Breasts?

You can, though they dry out in a 25-minute covered simmer. Use bone-in split breasts, brown them the same way, and pull them out as soon as they hit 165°F, then return them to the pot during the 10-minute rest.

What Is Sofrito and Can I Buy It Already Made?

Sofrito is the cooked base of onion, pepper, garlic and herbs that starts countless Latin dishes. Jarred and frozen versions sell in the Latin aisle, and 1/2 cup of prepared sofrito can stand in for the onion, pepper and garlic here.

Why Is My Rice Crunchy in the Middle?

Either the lid wasn’t sealing or the heat was too low to keep a steady simmer under it. Add 1/4 cup of hot broth, put the lid back on, and give it 5 more minutes over low heat.

Is Arroz Con Pollo the Same as Spanish Rice?

No. Spanish rice is a tomato-seasoned rice side dish with no meat. Arroz con pollo is a full one-pot dinner with chicken cooked right in the rice, and it’s most closely tied to Puerto Rican, Cuban and Colombian kitchens.

Cooking Tips

• Use a wide, heavy pot with a tight lid, ideally a 6-quart Dutch oven. A narrow pot stacks the rice too deep, and the layer against the bottom overcooks before the top is done.
• Brown the thighs in two batches even though it takes longer. Crowded chicken steams in its own moisture and the skin never gets past pale, which costs you both the fat and the browned bits the rice needs.
• Add the peas at the very end, off the heat. Ten minutes under the lid is plenty to warm them through, and peas that simmer with the rice turn olive-drab and mealy.

Storage and Freezing

To store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Pull the meat off the bones first, since it stores and reheats more evenly that way.

To freeze: Freezes for up to 2 months in portioned containers. The rice softens noticeably after thawing, so it’s better as a bowl with a squeeze of lime than served as a plated dinner.

To reheat: Add a tablespoon or two of broth per portion, cover, and warm in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or in a skillet over medium heat, until it steams and reaches 165°F.

How to Serve Arroz Con Pollo

Arroz con Pollo is a full meal on its own, but a side of black beans, sweet fried plantains, or a simple avocado and tomato salad rounds it out the way it’s usually eaten. Warm corn tortillas or crusty bread take care of anyone still hungry. Keep extra lime wedges on the table, since a squeeze right before eating brightens the whole plate.

Loved This Recipe?

Arroz con Pollo is one pot, about 75 minutes, and the rare dinner where the side dish and the main course cook into each other.

Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.

One Pot Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con pollo with browned bone-in chicken thighs, sofrito, seasoned long grain rice, green olives, and peas, all in one pot.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time:1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Latin American

Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

• Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs about 6
• 1 1/2 tsp salt divided
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 packet sazon with achiote about 1 1/2 tsp
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cups long grain white rice rinsed until the water runs clear
• 3 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives drained
• 1 cup frozen peas thawed
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 lime cut into wedges, for serving

Get ingredients with

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Season the chicken: Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels, then season all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt, the black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin. Dry skin is the only way to get skin that browns.
• Brown the thighs: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, lay the thighs in skin side down and cook undisturbed for 6-7 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and releases on its own. Flip and cook 2 minutes more, then move them to a plate. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat.
• Build the sofrito: Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and bell pepper. Cook for 6-7 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
• Darken the tomato paste: Add the tomato paste, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, the sazon, and the oregano. Stir constantly for 2 minutes, until the paste turns brick red and smells sweet instead of sharp.
• Toast the rice: Add the rinsed, drained rice and stir for 2 minutes, until every grain is coated in the sofrito and the edges look chalky and opaque.
• Add the broth and settle the chicken back in: Pour in the chicken broth and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the bay leaves, and the olives. Bring it to a boil, then nestle the thighs skin side up on top of the rice along with any juices from the plate.
• Cover and simmer: Turn the heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 25 minutes without lifting the lid. The thighs need to reach at least 165°F, and dark meat is most tender closer to 175°F. If they’re under, re-cover and give it 5 more minutes.
• Rest and finish: Take the pot off the heat, scatter the peas over the top, and let it stand covered for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, fluff the rice around the chicken with a fork, and stir in the cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear so the grains stay separate, and keep the lid on for the full 25 minutes so the steam stays in the pot. Cook the chicken thighs to an internal temperature of at least 165°F; dark meat is most tender closer to 175°F. Let the pot rest covered off the heat for 10 minutes before fluffing.

More Dinners Like This

Creamy Buffalo Chicken PastaRestaurant-Style Chicken Chow MeinCreamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup