This is my own take on Arroz Con Pollo, and it skips the usual step of searing the chicken in favor of something I love even more, a beautifully crisp finish. The chicken is seasoned with adobo seasoning, along with paprika, cumin, onion, and a touch of black pepper or chili powder. Then paired with a zesty, vibrant rice that cooks up so beautifully. Everything is finished in the oven. The chicken gets cooked and crisps up, all while the rice rests. While arroz con pollo is comforting and colorful, it’s also flexible. Use whatever seasonings you love for both the chicken and the rice. Serve the entire tray right at the table, family-style, with a few simple sides, and let everyone dig in.This dish is good for a family of four and can be stretched to make 6 servings with the addition of 2 extra chicken quarters.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Quarters - Cleaned and trimmed, joints cracked
- 1/4 C Rendered Chicken Fat - Or use 2 Tbl each of olive oil & butter.
- 2 C Rice - Jasmine, American White, Calrose, or Basmati
Chicken Seasoning
- 1 Tbl Goya Adobo Seasoning - Or our Homemade Adobo Seasoning
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Cumin, Onion powder - each
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper - or chili powder as desired
Rice Seasoning & Broth
- 2 1/2 C Water
- 2 Cubes Maggi Chicken Bouillon
- 1/4 C Sweet Pimento Paste & Lemon Juice - each
- 1 Tbl Achiote Paste - Chopped finely or blended with water; see notes for alternatives.
- 1 Tbl Smoked Paprika & Parsley - each
- 1 tsp Sea Salt - See notes.
Vegetables
- 3 cloves Garlic - Minced or chopped fine
- 1 Large Onion - Dice
- 1 Whole Tomato - Diced and washed
- 1/2 Whole Green & Red Bell Peppers - Dice, can be exchanged for various other peppers.
- As Desired Red Thai chilies, jalapeños, or other hot peppers or chilies - Optional
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350 F (ca. 177 C) with the rack in the middle position. Chicken Seasoning: Combine the chicken seasoning in a small bowl. Chicken: Clean and trim the chicken and season with the desired amount of seasoning. Chop the trimmings into small pieces. Broth: In a large bowl, combine all the rice seasoning & broth ingredients and mix.
- Stovetop: Rendered Fat: Heat a skillet up over medium heat and render the chicken fat. Discard the crackling or remove and finely chop to include. If there is not enough fat to make 1/4 C, add more fat with lard, olive oil, or neutral oil. While rendering the fat, prepare your vegetables and set them aside.Toasted Rice: When finished rendering the fat, add the rice and toast for about 5 minutes. Vegetables: Add the vegetables to mix through and cook an additional minute or so. Bring to a Boil: Add the broth along with diced tomatoes and mix while it comes to a boil. Ensure the bouillon cubes are completely dissolved.
- Oven: Empty the contents into a casserole and place the seasoned chicken quarters on top. Cover and place into the oven for 35 minutes.
- Crisp the Chicken: Remove the casserole, uncover, and transfer the chicken to another pan to place back into the oven for another 20 minutes, while you cover the rice and leave it to rest for 20 minutes. You can also increase the heat to 375 F (ca. 190 C) for more browning and crisping.
- Serving: Fluff the rice and place the chicken back on top of the rice to serve the whole casserole at the table. Optionally plate the chicken & fluffed rice to serve. Garnish with Cilantro or Parsley, with Chili flakes or Aleppo pepper.
Notes
Achiote Paste: This is added for color and flavor. It can be exchanged with a good pinch of saffron, 2 Tbl of tomato paste, or a pouch of Goya Sazon seasoning.
Salt Level: If including about 1/2 C of olives and 1-2 Tbl rinsed capers, or using Sazon Seasoning for color, omit the salt as these ingredients will contain salt. Additional salt can always be added after fluffing the rice if needed.
Arroz con Pollo Variations: You can go with many different seasonings and vegetables for both the Chicken & Rice, employing the same technique.
Serve it with some Rotisserie Dipping Sauce! This can be made up while the rice is resting and the chicken is in the oven.