You don’t need to be Cuban to make this delicious Cuban Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice). Cuban Arroz con Pollo is like a cross between risotto and paella packed with flavor. The perfect Arroz con Pollo should be sticky in a good way. You want it to make that drool-worthy sound you’ve heard when stirring a pot of mac n cheese. To me, Arroz con Pollo is the most comforting dish that tastes like home.
Every Arroz con Pollo features chicken and rice but not every chicken and rice dish is Arroz con Pollo. Traditional Cuban Arroz con Pollo is characterized by yellow rice made with sofrito. Sofrito is the base of all Cuban cooking, similar to a mirepoix (onion, celery, carrots) in European cuisine, but with onion, bell peppers, olives, and garlic.
Arroz con Pollo is a staple in every Cuban household but everyone makes it their own way. In my house, we cook it on the stovetop like the women in my family have for generations. This recipe uses natural ingredients to give the rice its distinct yellow color. Many households use Goya Sazón and Bijol as seasoning and coloring but they contain harmful, cancer-causing ingredients like Red 40 and Yellow 5. When I developed this recipe from my grandmother’s recipe, I went back to the original ingredients Cubans used before immigrating to the United States like saffron and annatto to add color and flavor.
This recipe doesn’t include peas or canned pimiento morrón but they can be added to the sofrito and as a topping.
A pot of Arroz con Pollo feeds Cuban families at big events like Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) and Sunday feasts. This recipe yields eight to 10 servings. It’s a great recipe to add to your hosting toolbox when you want to cook something affordable, other than a pasta dish.
Building your sofrito
Sofrito is the base of almost all Cuban cooking. It’s equal parts onion, olives, bell peppers, and garlic.
The best olives to use in sofrito are Manzanilla Spanish olives with pimiento. Also, when we say bell peppers we mean bell peppers “de tres colores” or “of three colors.” This includes a green, red, and an orange or yellow bell pepper.
You can make sofrito ahead of time and keep it in your fridge for a few days. I prefer to freeze chopped bell peppers to keep on hand when I’m ready to make sofrito. You can easily add the frozen peppers to the other ingredients that are more shelf-stable (olives, garlic, and onions).
Can I buy sofrito at the store?
Yes, Goya and other brands like Loisa sell jarred or canned sofrito but it’s always better from scratch. Plus, it’s easy to make at home.
It’s all in the sazón
Arroz con Pollo is just regular chicken and rice until you add sazón. Sazón means seasoning in English. This recipe calls for a long list of ingredients, but most of them are spices. This seasoning or sazón is what makes Arroz con Pollo so special.
I use organic sazón and adobo from the brand Loisa. You can find if Loisa is sold at a store near you here.
Taste your rice as you go to see if you need to add any other spices to your liking.
Cooking with short-grain rice
Making this recipe with short-grain rice is a non-negotiable because the starch in the short-grain rice gives the dish its creamy texture. The best rice to use is Valencia-style rice, the same rice used in paella. You can find it in the international or Latin section of your grocery store from brands like Goya and Iberia. You can also go to your local Spanish market to get imported Spanish rice.
Cuban Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice)
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts about 2 lbs
- 2 cups short-grain rice valencia-tyle
- 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 large white onion about 1/2 cup chopped
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 orange or yellow bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped Manzanilla Spanish olives with pimento about 1/2 a jar
- 8 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 1/2 tsp adobo
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp annatto
- 1 tbsp white vinegar about two capfuls
- 1 tsp olive brine
- 2 bay leaves
- dash of hot sauce
- pinch of saffron
Instructions
Boil the chicken
- Boil 2 large chicken breasts for 30 minutes with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp adobo, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp kosher salt.
Make the sofrito
- Meanwhile, make your sofrito. Chop 1/2 large white onion. Chop about 1/4 to 1/3 of each bell pepper (1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, and 1 orange or yellow bell pepper) until you have about one cup of chopped bell peppers. Chop 1/2 a jar of Manzanilla Spanish olives with pimento until you have about 1 cup of chopped olives Mince 8 garlic cloves. Add the chopped onion, bell peppers, olives, and garlic to a bowl and stir to combine. Set the sofrito aside.
Make the Arroz con Pollo
- When the chicken is done boiling, transfer it to a plate or cutting board. Using two forks, tear it into pieces as if you were shredding but don't shred it thinly. You want big pieces of chicken in your rice.That Planner Friend Tip: You can save the water you boiled the chicken in to use instead of chicken stock. The flavor won't be as strong as store-bought or homemade stock but it works in a pinch.
- Add 3 tbsp olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pieces of chicken and cook for about two minutes until it has a bit of color. Add in the sofrito and stir to combine. Cook for 10 minutes or until the onions soften while you add the seasoning.
- Add 2 tsp adobo, 2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp annatto, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp olive brine, and a dash of hot sauce.
- After you add the seasonings and the onions have softened, add 2 cups short-grain rice and stir.
- Add 4 1/2 cups chicken broth along with 2 bay leaves and a pinch of saffron.
- Bring the pot to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the chicken broth. It should have a creamy, risotto-like consistency.
- Serve and enjoy on its own or with tostones.
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