Rice & grains · Puerto Rico

Arroz con Pollo (Rice and Chicken)

Name: Arroz con Pollo (Rice and Chicken)
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Puerto Rico
Ingredients: 1 ea. (1.3–1.8 kg) chicken, cut into serving pieces; Salt to taste; Pepper to taste; Olive oil; 4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced; 1 medium onion, chopped; 225 g diced red bell pepper; 425 g (1 can) diced tomatoes; 7.5 g (½ tablespoon) sweet paprika; 14 g (½ oz) chopped cilantro; 1.4 liter (6 cups) chicken stock; 8 saffron threads or 1 teaspoon food coloring for yellow rice; 370 g (2 cups) medium or long-grain rice; 225 g (8 oz) canned peas (thoroughly drained)

Arroz con pollo (trans: rice with chicken) is a traditional dish common throughout Spain and Latin America especially in Cuba, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. It resembles Spanish paella, both in its ingredients and cooking technique, and may very well be a New World adaptation of it. Common ingredients for arroz con pollo include rice, vegetables, fresh herbs and chicken.

Published October 15, 2026

EST. TOTAL TIME40 min

DIFFICULTYMedium

SERVESSee recipe

Time and difficulty are editorial estimates; allow extra time for your equipment and experience.

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What you’ll need

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Let’s make it

Step 1

Season the chicken with two pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper.

Step 2

Pour enough olive oil into a large skillet to just barely cover the bottom.

Step 3

Sauté chicken in oil until brown. There are two ways to proceed from here: either remove the chicken from the skillet or keep it there.

Step 4

Sauté garlic until brown. Be careful, garlic burns easily.

Step 5

Add the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes and paprika. Sauté until the vegetables are tender.

Step 6

Transfer the ingredients to a large stewing pot.

Step 7

Add the cilantro, bouillon and saffron (or food coloring). Bring to a rolling boil.

Step 8

Add the rice and mix well. Simmer over medium heat until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed. Add more broth or water if the liquid evaporates before the rice is cooked.

Step 9

Add the chicken to the pot (if you removed it previously) and cover it with rice. Wait two to three minutes to allow the chicken to warm.

Step 10

Sprinkle peas on top of the rice.