Cuban Arroz Con Pollo (Cuban Chicken & Rice)
1/3 cup oil
2 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, (use drumsticks too, if you’d like)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces tomato sauce
3/4 cup vino seco, (dry cooking wine)
7 ounces whole red pimientos, chopped
1 packet Sazon Goya con Azafran, (or 1 tsp Bijol or annatto powder)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
1 bay leaf
5 cups water, divided
1 chicken bouillon cube
3 cups uncooked long-grain white rice, rinsed and washed
1/2 cup frozen peas
In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the oil and chicken pieces. Turn on the heat to medium-high. You want to add the chicken to the cold oil so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot (pro tip!). Once you start hearing the oil sizzling, brown the chicken on all sides.
Reduce heat to medium. Add in the sofrito (onions, green bell peppers, and garlic) with the chicken. Carefully fold the chicken with the sofrito and cook for 1-2 minutes. Make sure the sofrito doesn’t burn, keep an eye on it. Make sure the sofrito doesn’t burn, keep an eye on it.
Add the vino seco (dry cooking wine), tomato sauce, chopped red pimientos, Sazon Goya, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir gently to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Meanwhile, let’s make the homemade chicken stock. Dissolve 1 chicken bouillon cube into 1 cup of hot water. If you’re using chicken bouillon powder, use 1 tablespoon. Stir until it is completely dissolved.
Add the homemade chicken stock to the pot with the remaining cups of water and the rice. Bring to a boil, uncovered, stirring slightly so nothing gets stuck to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to LOW and cover the pot. Simmer with the lid on. No peeking! Cooking LOW and SLOW will ensure the rice doesn’t burn or dry out.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and stir the rice so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Cover with the lid again and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
After 40 minutes, give the rice another stir and make sure it is cooked. The rice is cooked when it has absorbed most of the liquid and has become tender. Test it out by tasting a small spoonful.
If the rice is not yet cooked, turn the heat off, place the lid back on, and let it continue to cook with the residual heat for another 5-10 minutes. If the rice is cooked, remove from the heat. Stir in the frozen peas so they warm through with the residual heat. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Enjoy!
Optional: Remove the chicken pieces and shred them with two forks then place them back into the pot before serving. Mami does this so it is easier for guests to serve and eat.
Final thoughts: Authentic Cuban arroz con pollo is all about that perfect texture: tender, moist, slightly sticky, and just a tad bit oily. It’s like the goldilocks of rice dishes – not too dry, not too moist, just right. That moisture? It’s all thanks to the juicy chicken and the flavorful broth that gets soaked up by the rice as it cooks. When it comes to arroz con pollo, a little stickiness is actually a good thing!
