Chicken With Rice - Arroz Con Pollo Recipe

Season

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. In a small bowl combine 1.5 tsp salt, 0.75 tsp pepper, 1 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp smoked paprika. Rub the spice mixture evenly over all pieces of chicken. If using, lightly dredge the thighs in 2 tbsp flour and shake off excess.

Brown

Heat 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin-side down, in a single layer (work in batches if needed). Cook without moving 4–5 minutes until the skin is deep golden-brown. Flip and brown the other side 3 minutes. Transfer browned chicken to a plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. In the same pot add the diced onion (1 cup) and bell peppers (0.5 cup each) and sauté in the residual fat for 4–5 minutes until softened and starting to brown, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Add the minced garlic (4 cloves) and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Stir in 1 cup diced tomatoes and 2 tbs tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to concentrate flavors. If using white wine (0.5 cup), pour it in now to deglaze the pan, scraping up any fond; let it reduce 1–2 minutes.

Add the rinsed rice (2 cups) to the pot and stir to coat the grains in the tomato-vegetable mixture. Toast the rice 1–2 minutes while stirring so each grain is glossy.

Stir in 4 cups chicken stock, 0.25 tsp saffron threads or turmeric, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp ground oregano, 0.5 tsp additional ground cumin, and the remaining pinch of salt/pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Return the browned chicken pieces to the pot, nestling them into the rice with skin-side up. Reduce heat to low so the liquid is at a bare simmer. Cover tightly with a lid.

Cook covered on low for 18–22 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed and chicken registers 165°F (74°C) at the thickest point. Avoid stirring while it cooks to develop a light crust (socarrat) on the bottom—if you prefer no crust, lift the lid once halfway through to release steam.

Five minutes before the end of cooking, scatter 3 oz frozen peas over the rice. Recover and finish cooking.

When done, remove from heat. Let rest, covered, 5–7 minutes to allow steam to finish the rice and redistribute juices.

Remove bay leaves. Spoon the rice onto a large serving platter or serve directly from the pot. Squeeze 1 tbs fresh lime juice over the dish, sprinkle chopped cilantro (0.25 cup) and parsley (2 tbsp) and garnish with extra cilantro if desired. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or hot sauce to taste.

To serve: transfer chicken thighs to plates with generous portions of rice. Spoon any pan juices over the chicken and rice.