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Arroz con Pollo

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.
Course Entree
Cuisine Latin American
Keyword arroz con pollo, chicken and rice, one-pot meal
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 4 -6
Author Michelle Frank

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)
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 tbsp. chili powder or to taste (I like ancho or guajillo)
  • 1 tbsp. cumin
  • 2 tsp. turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper freshly ground (or to taste)
  • 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
  • juice of 1/2 lemon

FOR THE PICKLED ONION GARNISH

  • 1 medium red onion sliced thinly into rings
  • 3/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. sugar or Splenda

Instructions

FOR THE PICKLED ONION GARNISH

  1. 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.
  2. 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

  1. 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.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice over the dish and serve. Enjoy!