One-Pan Arroz con Pollo is incredibly easy to make, and makes for an impressive presentation when brought to the table right in its skillet.
One-pan Arroz con Pollo
(Updated post.)
One-Pan Arroz con Pollo has roots in Spain and Puerto Rico and is practically ubiquitous throughout Latin America. It's wonderful because you'll finish the dish in under an hour.
But best of all, its components are cooked in the same pan.
When you present One-Pan Arroz con Pollo at the table in its skillet, it makes for a truly impressive meal.
Flavors in One-Pan Arroz con Pollo
Although it contains a lot of spices, this recipe for arroz con pollo is not spicy-hot (unless you're one of those people who thinks that mustard is spicy).
This version includes a garnish of pickled red onion, which I make separately and store in the fridge.
The inspiration for this addition was an experience I had at a local Peruvian-American restaurant. I ordered the Arroz con Pollo and wasn't blown away by the dish. It seemed a little bland.
That is until I mixed in some of the pickled onion that was served on the side.
Somehow, that garnish managed to offset and highlight the complex, savory flavors in a way that I would not have thought possible.
My easy arroz con pollo recipe is as simple and inexpensive as it is impressive. The one-pan approach means fewer dishes and easier clean-up.
About the pickled onion...
I realize that technically, the pickled onion garnish makes One-Pan Arroz con Pollo a two-vessel meal. But it's an optional addition. Definitely make it ahead of time: it goes well with a lot of different things and it can be stored in your refrigerator for quite some time.
I've actually kept the pickled onion for a couple of months and it was just fine. I highly recommend it as a garnish, though. It's incredibly easy to make and acts as a wonderful counterpoint to the other flavors and textures of this dish.
How to make Arroz con pollo
Preparing the chicken
Sauteing the aromatics and building the dish
Baking and finishing
Even though this looks complicated, the dish relies on plenty of pantry staples.
You can mix the spices and prep the chicken in advance. Much of the cooking is hands-off, so even though this is an impressive dish , it's easy enough for a weeknight.
You'll notice in the pictures that I have only 3 leg quarters: this is because I often do this when it's just Phil and myself for dinner.
We each eat a chicken leg quarter with the rice and garnishes. Then we split the remaining leg and rice for lunch the next day. YUM.
And there you have it: One-Pan Arroz con Pollo is fancy enough for an impressive Sunday dinner, but simple enough to pull off on a weeknight.
I hope you love this meal! For more one-pot dinner ideas, check out Mastering Easy One-Pot Meal Recipes! Or, if you want more Latin American-inspired recipe ideas, check out my Mexican-Inspired Recipes for Cinco de Mayo!
Stay safe. Stay well.
—xoxo Michelle
P.S. For more meals that rely heavily on pantry staples, check out Easy Pantry Meals – Living Out of Your Pantry (and refrigerator and freezer).
One-pan Arroz con Pollo
One-pan Arroz con Pollo is an easy, inexpensive—yet delicious and impressive—dish with roots in Spain and Puerto Rico.
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN AND RICE
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or 4 leg quarters
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- 1 medium Vidalia onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup sliced, roasted sweet red pepper or pimento
- 1 cup green olives, pitted (preferably stuffed with pimento)
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 tbsp. chili powder, or to taste (I like ancho or guajillo)
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt, (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground (or to taste)
- 2 ¼ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- juice of ½ lemon
FOR THE PICKLED ONION GARNISH
- 1 medium red onion, sliced thinly into rings
- ¾ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. sugar or Splenda
ADDITIONAL GARNISHES
- lemon or lime wedges
- chopped cilantro
- sliced jalapeños
- thin-sliced radishes
Instructions
FOR THE PICKLED ONION GARNISH
- Add red onions to a small, round plastic container with a tight-fitting lid (small Ziploc twist n' loc containers are perfect). Mix vinegar and sugar; pour over the onions. Shake and keep in the refrigerator for up to a month. They will turn bright pink and soften as they cure.
- NOTE: if you need the pickled onions done faster, you can nuke the onions and vinegar mixture in the microwave for a minute on high first. Keep at room temperature until dinner is ready, then store in the refrigerator.
FOR THE CHICKEN AND RICE
- Trim as much fat as practical from the chicken. Score the meat and season liberally with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you prep the other ingredients, or in the refrigerator up to 8 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, warm the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook the other side until golden-brown, about 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium-low; remove chicken to a plate and reserve.
- Wipe excess fat from the pan, then add the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic; sauté for an additional minute. Add the rice and roasted pepper to the skillet; sauté 1 minute. Add the spices; sauté an additional minute.
- Carefully add the wine and stir until absorbed, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth, olives, and tomatoes to the skillet; bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 30 seconds. Arrange the chicken on top of the rice, skin side up. (The dish will be quite soupy at this point and the chicken will be partially submerged. No worries! The rice will absorb it all!) Pour any accumulated juices over the top.
- Lid the skillet and place in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the lid and bake an additional 10-15 minutes (45-50 in total), or as necessary until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F), liquid is absorbed, and the rice is tender.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice over the dish and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Note on the photographs: I made this for just Phil and myself, so I halved the number of chicken leg quarters.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 piece chicken,Amount Per Serving: Calories: 967Total Fat: 52gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 37gCholesterol: 372mgSodium: 2225mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 8gSugar: 21gProtein: 76g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate: if you are tracking this information for medical purposes, please consult a trusted external source. Thanks! (Keep in mind that this recipe makes lots of extra rice, so the amounts [e.g., calories and carbs] are quite a bit lower)
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Traci says
Love me some Arroz con Pollo any day! Great recipe...packed with flavor and easy enough! Thanks!
Michelle says
Oh, great! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
Jessica Formicola says
We had this for dinner last night and it was fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Michelle says
I'm so glad it was a hit, Jessica!
Toni says
I love how tasty this is! Packed full of amazing flavors!
Michelle says
Thank you so much, Toni!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
I love a one pan dinner and the flavours in this are perfect, especially the olives and the pickled onion.
Michelle says
I'm all about the one-pan dinners on busy weeknights! Thanks, Amanda!
Farah Maizar says
What a great way to make chicken more interesting and exotic! I love this idea. I also really appreciate the step by step photos thank you!
Michelle says
You're so welcome, Farah! I'm glad they're helpful!
Scarlet says
This Arroz con pollo sounds delicious and I love the presentation in the pan too. I'll have to try cooking chicken this way soon.
Michelle says
Thank you, Scarlet! I hope your family loves it!
Platter Talk says
Great one pan dinner and perfect for this time of year. Heart and stomach warming good.
Michelle says
Thanks, Dan! I agree!
Jessy @ The Life Jolie says
How delicious this looks- I really love this flavor profile. You're making me hungry just looking at it, and it's only 9am!!
Michelle says
Thank you, Jessy!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
YAY for one pan meals! The less clean up the better 🙂 And I actually didn't know all of that about Cinco De Mayo!
Michelle says
Thanks, Liz! One-pan meals ROCK.
Erren says
Love this idea, would be perfect for dinner right now!
Michelle says
Thanks, Erren!
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
I love one pan meals!! This looks so flavourful and delicious; love all the spices in there too!
Michelle says
Thanks, Annie!