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arroz con pollo

One-Pot Arroz con Pollo with Brown Rice and Sofrito

Crisp bone-in chicken thighs cooked on top of brown rice with a fresh onion, pepper, garlic and cilantro sofrito, cumin, oregano, annatto, olives and peas. One pot, about 34g protein.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Latin American, Puerto Rican
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs about 2 1/2 lb
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sofrito and rice
  • 1 large yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 green bell pepper finely diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro stems and leaves, chopped, plus more to serve
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp ground annatto (achiote)
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 cups long-grain brown rice rinsed
  • 4 cups chicken broth low sodium, hot
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp sea salt
To finish
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives halved, plus 1 tbsp brine
  • 1 lime cut in wedges

Method
 

  1. Pat the chicken dry and season all over with the salt, cumin, oregano and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the thighs skin side down 6 to 7 minutes until deep gold, flip for 2 minutes, then set aside.
  2. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and both peppers to the drippings and cook 6 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and cilantro for 1 minute.
  3. Add the tomato paste, annatto, turmeric, cumin and oregano. Cook 2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens and smells sweet.
  4. Stir in the rinsed brown rice until every grain is coated and golden. Pour in the hot broth, add the bay leaf and salt, and bring to a boil.
  5. Nestle the chicken thighs skin side up on top of the rice. Cover tightly, reduce the heat to low and simmer 45 minutes without stirring, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
  6. Scatter the peas and olives over the rice, drizzle in the olive brine, cover and let it rest off the heat 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, fluff the rice around the chicken and serve with cilantro and lime.