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Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo
  • Spanish
  • Main
  • One-Pot
  • Comfort Food

Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo

A comforting, deeply seasoned Puerto Rican-style chicken and rice made in one pot with salt pork, cured ham, sweet peppers, culantro, olives, capers, tomato, and achiote. The chicken marinates in a garlicky oregano seasoning before slowly cooking with the rice, allowing every grain to absorb the savory flavors of the caldero. Peas and pimientos add the classic finishing touches to this generous, family-style meal.

By Russell Toris
Prep
1 d
Cook
1⅓ hr
Total
1 d 1 hr
Servings
8
Difficulty
Intermediate

Instructions

  1. Prepare the seasoning paste

    Place the peppercorns, garlic, oregano, and 4½ teaspoons salt in a mortar. Crush everything into a paste, then mix in the olive oil and lime juice.

  2. Marinate the chicken

    Pat the chicken dry and divide especially large pieces into smaller serving portions. Rub the seasoning paste thoroughly over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

  3. Brown the salt pork and ham

    Heat the lard in a large caldero, Dutch oven, or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced salt pork and ham and cook briefly, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.

  4. Begin cooking the chicken

    Reduce the heat to medium. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes, turning them occasionally so they begin to brown evenly.

  5. Cook the aromatics

    Reduce the heat to low. Add the onion, green bell pepper, sweet chile peppers, tomato, and culantro. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.

  6. Prepare the cooking liquid

    While the aromatics cook, drain the liquid from the canned peas into a measuring cup and reserve the peas. Add enough water to the pea liquid to make enough for the rice. Warm the liquid in a separate saucepan and keep it hot.

  7. Add the rice and seasonings

    Add the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, olives, capers, tomato sauce, achiote oil, and rice to the chicken mixture. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, gently stirring so the rice is evenly coated.

  8. Add the liquid

    Pour the hot reserved liquid into the pot and mix well. Cook uncovered over medium heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the surface of the rice looks dry.

  9. Turn and cover the rice

    Using a fork or large spoon, gently lift and turn the rice from the bottom of the pot toward the top. Cover tightly, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 40 minutes. About halfway through cooking, uncover the pot and gently turn the rice from bottom to top once more. Replace the cover and continue cooking.

  10. Add the peas

    Scatter the reserved peas over the rice and gently turn the rice one final time. Cover and continue cooking over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the chicken is completely cooked through.

  11. Garnish and serve

    Warm the pimientos in their canning liquid, then drain them. Spoon the arroz con pollo onto a large serving platter and arrange the warm pimientos over the top. Serve immediately.

R

Recipe by

Russell Toris

@russell-toris