Cuban Arroz con Pollo

This Cuban Arroz con Pollo is made with arborio rice, drumsticks, adobo, sofrito, saffron, peppers, broth and white wine. 

Arroz con pollo is the ultimate one-pot dinner and everyone who knows me knows how much I love one pot dinners. What is better than being able to make a meal that feeds four to six people, the clean-up is easy AND it only takes 45 minutes to make? Every mom has their own version of Arroz con Pollo. There are so many varieties but this is mine.

I am not a huge fan of peas and I omitted them, although I know that most arroz con pollo recipes have them. Chicken and rice is one of my favorite combinations and I guarantee that when you learn how to make this, you won’t ever make it any other way. It is VERY important to use Arborio rice – if you make this with long grain rice it will come out mushy.

If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Pork Birria Tacos and my Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas.

Why you will love this recipe

Versatile: Chicken is so versatile and most flavors will go with it.

Full of flavor: The sazon gives the chicken so much flavor. The chicken cooks inside the rice which gives the rice an abundance of flavor.

Hearty: This dish is so hearty because of the chicken and rice combination. It is so comforting too.

Kid Friendly: I grew up eating this when I was younger. Your children will love this.

Great for cold weather: I love making this during the fall and winter time because it is so hearty and comforting.

Serves a crowd: This recipe is so easy to make and it is great for dinner parties.

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Olive oil
• Drumsticks
• Adobo
• Bell peppers
• Onions
• Sofrito
• White wine
• Tomato
• Chicken broth
• Bay leaves
• Saffron
• Arborio rice
• Green olives
• Cilantro
• Limes

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

In a bowl, add the white wine and add the saffron threads and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

Season the chicken with salt and adobo

Add olive oil in a large dutch oven and start by browning the chicken thighs and legs on medium high heat, about 8 minutes total, turning often. Remove the chicken and place on a plate.

In the same oil, add the peppers and onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sofrito for another 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes.

Pour in the white wine with the saffron, chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and add the rice, olives and return the chicken.

Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes. You might need to use more liquid but check the chicken often.

Substitutions

Chicken: I love using chicken drumsticks for this recipe. You could use a whole chicken and cut it up into pieces. This works so well and great if you want a variation of cuts of chicken.

Adobo: Adobo is a big latin ingredients that is widely used. It is basically an all purpose seasoning and you can use it for chicken, meats, or vegetables. You can make your own adobo by combining garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt.

Bell pepper: You can use any colors you want for the bell peppers.

Onion: You can use red, white or yellow onion.

Broth: I like sticking to chicken broth since we are cooking with chicken, but if you would like to use vegetable broth that works too.

Saffron: Saffron can be pretty expensive but if you buy on amazon you can get a bunch for a great price.

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or top with hot sauce at the end.
• Deluxe - I love squeezing some lime juice on the Cuban Arroz con Pollo for a nice tangy taste.
• Kid friendly - add crushed potato chips (ketchup chips!)

Check out this Dona Maria Chicken Mole.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality.

Storage

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

This Cuban Arroz con Pollo can be frozen for up to three months.

Top tip

Make sure to use a meat thermometer for the chicken at the end to make sure the chicken cooked through.

Cuban Arroz con Pollo

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• Author: Maxine Dubois
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

This Cuban Arroz con Pollo is made with arborio rice, drumsticks, adobo, sofrito, saffron, peppers, broth and white wine. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 lbs drumsticks
• 1 tablespoon adobo
• 2 red peppers, sliced lengthways
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup sofrito 
• ⅓ cup white wine
• 1 cup tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• A pinch of saffron
• 1 ½ cups arborio rice
• ¾ cup green olives, sliced
• Sea salt and ground black pepper

Garnish:

• Cilantro
• Lime wedges for serving

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Instructions

1. In a bowl, add the white wine and add the saffron and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. Season the chicken with salt and adobo.
3. Add olive oil in a large dutch oven and start by browning the chicken thighs and legs on medium high heat, about 8 minutes total, turning often. Remove the chicken and place on a plate.
4. In the same oil, add the peppers and onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sofrito, tossing for another 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Pour in the white wine with the saffron, chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and add the rice, olives and return the chicken.
5. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes. You might need to use more liquid but check the chicken often.
6. Garnish with cilantro and squeeze lime into it. 

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Cooking
• Cuisine: Cuban

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 430.0
• Sugar: 0.7 g
• Sodium: 1,715.0 mg
• Fat: 16.0 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 50.1 g
• Fiber: 2.5 g
• Protein: 20.0 g
• Cholesterol: 35.4 mg

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.