Arroz con Pollo
Chicken and rice built on a blended sofrito of onion, garlic, bell pepper, and cilantro, colored with achiote instead of turmeric, with the rice toasted in the sofrito before the broth goes in - the sofrito and toasting step are what real arroz con pollo is built on, not just spiced rice and chicken.
⏱ 55 min🍽 6 servings
dinner
Ingredients
- •4 chicken thighs
- •1 onion, quartered
- •4 cloves garlic
- •1 red bell pepper, quartered
- •1/4 cup cilantro, plus more for garnish
- •2 tbsp olive oil
- •1 tbsp achiote (annatto) paste or powder (or 1 tsp turmeric)
- •1 tsp cumin
- •2 cups rice, rinsed
- •3 cups chicken broth
- •Lime wedges, for serving
Steps
- 1.Blend the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and cilantro into a coarse sofrito paste.
- 2.Brown the chicken thighs in the olive oil in a large pot, then set aside.
- 3.Sauté the sofrito in the same pot with the achiote and cumin until fragrant and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
- 4.Add the rinsed rice and toast it in the sofrito for 2-3 minutes, coating every grain, so it holds its texture instead of turning mushy.
- 5.Stir in the chicken broth and nestle the chicken back in.
- 6.Cover and simmer for 25 minutes until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- 7.Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.