All my life I’ve loved my Mom’s rice and beans. As most of you know, my mom is full Puerto Rican and so are my grandparents. When I was young, we basically lived off rice and beans. Don’t get me wrong, my mom made hundreds of recipes, but that was the one I remembered the most.
Years later, I discovered that cooking from your own heritage was a great way to tap into your roots, create nostalgia and remember those special moments with your family.
This particular Puerto Rican twist on arroz con pollo involves a few special twists:
HOMEMADE SOFRITO: We’re making the holy trinity of flavor here and the base for most Puerto Rican dishes: green bell pepper, cilantro (or culantro if you can find it!) and onion. Then you’ll add your tomato sauce and say hello to DELICIOUSNESS.
HOMEMADE SAZON SEASONING: Sazon is a really popular Puerto Rican spice. The downside of most sazon is that it contains MSG, so I’ve included a homemade sazon in this recipe. It flavors the rice SO much, you’re going to fall in love!
GREEN PIGEON PEAS OR REGULAR PEAS: Green pigeon peas are one of my favorite things. Unfortunately they are difficult to find. I use the Goya brand and have to purchase in the hispanic section (if they have it), head to our local hispanic store, or purchase off Amazon. Don’t worry though — if you want to use frozen peas instead that’s totally an option and usually what I do because I often have them on hand.
WHITE BASMATI RICE: This is our favorite kind to use because of how fluffy the rice gets. It shouldn’t be that difficult to find, but please don’t try and sub another rice. Or if you do, just know that cooking times differ. For instance, brown rice can take up to 45 minutes. It’s also usually stickier.
I love this recipe because everything is made in one pan, is easy to cook, surprises people with it’s unique, delicious flavor and is perfect for meal prep.
Now it’s important to remember that everyone’s version of Arroz con Pollo is different — that’s the great part about cooking is that you can really make it your own. This is our take on it, and one I know you’re going to love!
If you make this recipe be sure and tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram or leave a comment below and rate it so I can know how you liked it. Thanks for being here — have a lovely week! xo.
Mama's Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice (Arroz con Pollo)
Ingredients
- For the chicken:
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- For the adobo seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon red cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the sofrito & rice:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup finely diced green pepper
- ¼ cup finely diced white onion
- ¼ cup finely diced cilantro
- Optional: 1 jalapeno, diced
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 cup basmati white rice (don’t use brown, it will take too long to cook)**
- ⅔ cup frozen peas (or rinsed and drained pigeon peas)
- OPTIONAL: ½ cup pitted green olives
Instructions
- Add chicken to a large bowl. Add in 1 tablespoon olive oil and your adobo seasoning: cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, salt and pepper. Use clean hands to toss the chicken in the mixture. Cover and allow chicken to marinate for 30 minutes, or you can skip this completely and begin the cooking process!
- Next add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large deep 10 inch skillet and place over medium high heat. (If you do not have a skillet a large pot will also work very well!) Once oil is hot, add in chicken and season with a little more salt and pepper. Cook until browned 4-5 minutes, then flip and and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet (it should be greased enough already for sauteing) you will make your sofrito by adding in garlic, jalapeno, diced green pepper, diced onion and cilantro.
- Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add in your spices (also known as homemade sazon spices): cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Then add in tomato sauce and water and stir well to combine.
Bring to a simmer then fold in the rice and peas, making sure it is evenly distributed. Add browned chicken on top.
- Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet immediately and cook for 20-25 minutes.
- After 20-25 minutes, most of the liquid should be absorbed and rice should be cooked. Serve immediately. Garnish with cilantro and serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- To meal prep: This meal serves four. Place rice in a meal prep containers and top with 1 chicken thigh. Garnish with cilantro.
Recipe Notes
Do not use brown rice. It takes a lot longer to cook and I would NOT recommend. Cauliflower rice works well in this recipe.
If you are looking for an alternative, I would recommend subbing about 2/3 cup quinoa. The cooking time and liquid ratio will stay the same.
349 comments
This would have me super excited for dinner! Yum!!
So good! Makes the best leftovers too.
Can’t wait to try this! Going to use cauli rice and see how it goes.
Hope you loved it with the cauliflower rice!
Another one-pan meal! Thank you so much! Your Thai Coconut Curry and Tandori Chicken one-pan meals are in regular rotation when getting home from the gym at 7:00PM. They help me make a healthy meal I can be proud of serving without using a lot of pre-packaged ingredients AND so quick and easy! Keep’em comin’…..please!
You’re so welcome! These are perfect after a long day. I’ll keep ’em coming 🙂
Chomp! Been waiting for this one!!! YAYE! I’m not subbing a thing, gonna make it like you have it listed…the search for green pigeon peas begins NOW! Plenty of Hispanic grocery stores around to visit!
Viva la arroz con pollo! Con todo mi carazon, tu mama ricandeleon!
Hello from Western Australia, I’ve just made this for work lunch tomorrow. Judging by the delicious aroma, it will be dinner tonight! Puerto Rican flavours are not common here in West Oz, excited to try something new 👌
Hi Karla! Amazing – hope you’re loving this one!
I like the idea to sub with cauliflower rice, but the original recipes sounds amazing!
Can’t beat a bowl of fluffy basmati rice 😉
If you can find Arroz Sello Rojo brand,or other short grain rice , it’ll work perfect, some tostones on the side, hmm, hmm, hmm, Que Rico!!!!
Absolutely! And tostones on the side – YUM.
Hi I was trying to see if I can still make this even though I don’t have ground coriander or turmeric..
This looks great. I just wish it had more veggies. Maybe I can double them or add another veg such as carrots?
Feel free to add some more!
I can never say no to arroz con pollo. I need to try your version!
Right? So good. Hope you love my mama’s version!
Sorry but Puerto Ricans do not use jalapeno the only Mexican so I think there’s a little bit confusion there would that recipe
Sorry but Puerto Ricans do not use jalapeno the only Mexican so I think there’s a little bit confusion there with that recipe version.
Hi W. That’s why the recipe lists jalapeno as optional, and that’s also why I added this note above: “Now it’s important to remember that everyone’s version of Arroz con Pollo is different — that’s the great part about cooking is that you can really make it your own. This is our take on it, and one I know you’re going to love!”
I have located and purchased Green Pigeon Peas! YAYE ME, now I can make this dish! I could literally spend days in the international grocery store, googling everything I see, it’s so fun!!!
And, I’ll be adding jalapeno, cuz I like heat always!!! Also, super love that it’s in our exclusive salad recipe for AKSaladChallenge!
Woo hoo!! Hope you love this one Denise 🙂
Made this tonight and looooved it!!! Used the cauliflower rice and would definitely recommend the chopped olives. Thank you for another fab weeknight ( or special occasion) dinner!!!💜
Amazing!! So glad you loved it 🙂
Can you tell me how you used cauliflower rice? How much did you use? Did it turn out watery? How did you use it
I am trying to find what you posted about the new products from Expo West and can’t find it. Can you please post it again?
Thank you!
I am trying to find what you posted about the new products from Expo West and can’t find it. Can you please post it again?
Thank you!
I actually didn’t go to Expo West! Must be from someone else 🙂
really interesting recipe, have never made this before, love the flavors though and thank you for the non-msg tweak to the sazon seasoning, much appreciated!
I hope you get a chance to try this! And yes the sazon is great this way.
Do you think quinoa would work in this?
Yep! Check out the “notes” section of the recipe 🙂 I’d recommend 2/3 cup.
Looks yummy-I plan to try this chicken & rice version very soon-Thank U
Hope you love it!!
I made this tonight! Amazing! Delicious! Thank you for all your recipes!
So happy to hear that!!
Love this! Didn’t want to put leftovers in the fridge for my husband’s lunch tomorrow, shoot. Very good, fun to make, great recipe!!!!
Glad you loved it Denise!! It makes the best leftovers 🙂
Nice guideline for recipe (but) No Temp was indicated for oven 20-25 min
Sry wrong recipe was looking @ two same time making this right at this moment let you know Puerto Rican wify
Monique, this was amazing! The recipe was easy and so tasty and flavorful. The rice reminded me of a Bahamian peas and rice dish my mother used to make, with black-eyed peas. This made the meal even better, bringing in a childhood memory and some comfort food. Thank you!
So happy to hear that, Samantha! This one’s my favorite comfort food too 🙂
Making this tonight, but in your recipe you call for cumin in the adobo ingredients but when you describe the recipe, you don’t mention it. Just want to clarify to use in the adobo and sofrito. Thanks so much!
Thank you for the catch! Add the cumin with the adobo ingredients (into your bowl with the chicken). Fixed 🙂
One of the best dishes I’ve made from your recipes. Mom’s know what’s up!
So happy to hear that! Mama’s do know 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight and it was soooo delicious and filling! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Amazing! So glad you loved this one 🙂 It’s one of my go-to dinners!
Thanks for good full recipe. I have been using brown rice, and you convinced me to use the white rice….plus adding more flavorings that you list.
The white rice is much easier to work with! Glad you enjoyed this one 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Perfect amount of seasoning, I left out the Jalapeños but other than that, I didn’t change a thing.
So happy to hear that! 🙂
this is one of my new fave recipes. I have made this twice… the 1st time exactly as written. the second time was too lazy and used rotisserie chicken and added corn. both delish… you can’t fault this recipe! thanks, M (and thanks to your mumma)! love from down unda. xx
So happy to hear that! It’s one of my go-to comfort foods <3
I tried this tonight and boy, was it delicious! I am so glad I stumbled on your site. I can’t wait to try out your other recipes.
I’m so happy you found AK! This was a great recipe to start with (one of my absolute favs).
Easy and delicious!
Yes! My favorite <3
Do you think that I could use skin on, bone in chicken breasts?
That should work!
This was delicious and we ate every single mouthful. The perfect mixture of spice and warmth (but not heat). Not entirely sure I know what some of the things are…cilantro…is that what we call coriander but that all adds to intrigue. Oh, and a one pan meal….what’s not to like.
I’m so glad you loved this! And yes cilantro is like coriander 🙂
I love this recipe. I’ve made it twice in the last month. Can’t wait to make it again.
SO happy to hear that! It’s one of my favorite comfort foods <3
Awesome recipe – just cooked it for the family – made a few wee adjustments to suit what I could get in New Zealand and totally delicious 😋 thanks for sharing 🙏
Amazing!! Glad those adjustments worked out 🙂
I made this dish…It was very tasty, although it was WAY too hot.WAY too hot.
Everyone’s spice preferences are a bit different, so feel free to reduce the cayenne & chili powder next time!
Hello
Would skinless chicken breasts work? I’m planning to make these this weekend as meal prep
Thank you!
I made this for my daughter and I. We loved it! We both love spicy food and this one was great! Tell mama she gets 5 stars!!
So happy to hear that Debi! I’ll be sure to let her know <3
We’ve made this for family dinner twice now + everyone loves it. That everyone includes adults + littles from 4-9 yrs old.
Amazing! So happy to hear that Judy 🙂
Can u use adobe dressing in packet and sofrito in jar?
Sure, I haven’t tried it but I’m sure it would work.
I’ve never tried the sofrito in a jar, BUT you can quadruple or double the recipe here for Sofrito — make it in a food processor and you can divide in an ice cube tray and freeze it so you don’t have to make it every time! That’s what my mom always did. Then when you’re ready to cook, you take out one ice cube (roughly a heaping tablespoon) or two and then saute that in your oil before adding your tomato and water and rice. 🙂 Can also store in a jar in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks should be fine.
Made this for the first time last night and cannot wait to make it again! Both my husband and father-in-law are excellent cooks and they were seriously impressed. Father-in-law took the recipe home and my husband said it’s his favorite thing I’ve ever made! Easy, quick, and SO delicious. (And the green olives are genius). Thanks, Monique!
Amazing!! So happy to hear that, Katie 🙂
I must say, we’ve made this recipe at least a dozen times, and it has become a favorite in our household. The flavors are amazing and the recipe is absolutely perfect
So happy to hear that, Cory! One of my all-time favorites.
Love your recipes. I have cooked 4 this week.
Amazing! So happy to hear that.
Delicious dinner! My family and I loved it. This will be in a new recipe in my rotation of dinners.
Thank you.
I’m so glad! This is one of my all-time favs.
Can you use chicken breast?
Yes that should work!
Ack where do olives go, just garnish?
You can stir them into the rice once it’s done if you wish! Or garnish a few on top 🙂
Just made your recipe this evening. We LOVED it! I’ve tried three of your recipes so far. All winners.
Amazing! So happy to hear that.
Just made this and my sister and I cant get enough of it!!!
So glad you two love it! One of my favs.
Hi! If I use cauliflower rice should I adjust anything in the recipe? Like the amount of water?
Hi Megan! I think it should be fine as is, you might have it a little saucier but it will be amazing.
I was wondering could I use chicken breasts for this recipe? Thank you
Yes that will work!
Excellent receipt! We enjoyed it quite a bit. It’s a keeper.
So happy to hear that!
This was ALMOST a disaster because I did NOT read the recipe properly before I started. It all turned out fine, actually really GREAT! I used bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, so after 20 minutes they were definitely not done. I just added more water so the rice wouldn’t scorch, and kept it going about more minutes. I also didn’t have any tomato sauce so I used some leftover salsa and extra water. Just sharing this here in case it could help those reading. Now that I know to use boneless, skinless next time, it certainly is an AWESOME recipe for weeknights that would take you just about 30 minutes (if not marinating). Going to try the Jerk one-pot next!
Glad everything still turned out! Perfect for weeknights (and it makes the best leftovers). Enjoy the jerk chicken!
Is there an Insta-Pot version of this recipe?
I haven’t tried it in an Instant Pot – let me know if you do!
I made this and it was SO GOOD! However – my rice didn’t cook. I can’t figure out what I did wrong. I bought basmati rice. Only thing is it was organic and I didn’t see the instruction on the bag to rinse it prior. Could this have been it? I did everything else to a t. The chicken was delicious and I could tell the rice would have tasted good if the rice was cooked. Any tips?
Hi Jennie! Sounds like you didn’t cook it long enough or had your heat too low. I’ve never had an issue using white rice. I do not rinse my rice prior to cooking, but you certainly can. You can also soak the rise before if necessary.
This is delicious and the more you make it, it gets faster and easier! Cheap and delish way for my teen son’s to do their clean bulk phases too!
So true! It becomes second nature 🙂 Glad you guys love it!
This was delicious! Your mom’s Puerto Rican rice and beans recipe is next on my list 🙂
So happy you liked it! You’ll love the rice and beans too 🙂
I made this last night-it is DELICIOUS!! My husband & I both absolutely loved it! Great flavor with a little kick – looking forward to it today for lunch! Thank you so much.
Can I use red bell pepper instead of green in sofrito? I live in Japan and we don’t have green bell peppers here, just piman which is a kind of green pepper but the taste is a lot more bitter and not very nice, my husband hates it haha.
Sure, you can try it!
Been making this for 40+ years. Always use Uncle Ben’s rice and comes out great. My Puerto Rican mother-in-law would add smoked to sausage to it.
Perfect! Smoked sausage sounds delicious too 🙂
Hi! I have a couple of questions:
1. When browning the rice, we are only browning it, correct? Not cooking all the way through?
2. Would chicken broth work in lieu of water?
3. Do you rinse your rice?
4. Is there any reason the chicken can’t marinate for longer than 30 minutes? It would be great if I could prep this at lunch time so I can whip dinner up more quickly.
Thank you!
Hi!
1. You do not brown the rice! If you mean chicken, then yes, you are just browning the chicken 🙂
2. Yes!
3. I do not, but you can if you want to.
4. Yes this is fine to marinate the chicken for up to 8 hours!
Enjoy!
It was so good! Thanks!
Glad you loved it!
Just wanted to leave a comment to thank you for the recipe! I made this tonight and thought it was great — I will definitely be making this again! A note about the pigeon peas – I found some Goya pigeon peas in the Hispanic section of my local grocery store so I used those. They aren’t at all like regular green peas, more like beans, and they were perfect for this dish. Peas would not be quite the same, but I guess we have to use what’s available. I would definitely recommend looking for the pigeon peas, thank you for introducing them to me!
Thanks for your comment, Bridget! So glad you loved this one (and agreed – I do recommend pigeon peas as a first choice if they’re available).
I have made it once so far. Followed the recipe. Wow, hot and spicy! I’m going to try it again and try to make it a little milder. Love the fact that there is no MSG or that salty taste. One thing I added was to fry a maduro on the side. Also, this time, in addition to the peas, I’m going to add garbanzos. My grandmother was Puerto Rican and made fabulous dishes.
I’ve found this one to have a bit of a kick but not too spicy – I would check and make sure your chili powder isn’t also hot 🙂 This one’s great for adjusting the spice to your preferences, and adding garbanzos sounds perfect! You’ll have to give this recipe a try next.
Super flavorful easy dinner with great reheat value
This one’s perfect for leftovers! Happy you like it, Julia 🙂
Made this recipe to tonight and it was delicious! Tweaked it a bit…used black beans instead of peas. Had to cook it and extra 10 minutes so the basmati rice was tender. Definitely add the jalapeno!
Glad you enjoyed! Love jalapeño in here, and black beans are a great addition 🙂
I guess we can call this dish Puerto Rican since your mom is “full Puerto Rican” and arroz con pollo because it has rice and chicken but jalapeños, turmeric and BASMATI RICE, paprika, cayenne and what I assume is powder for the coriander? No way!!
Now, I bet it’s tasty but it just is not anything close to Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo.
This is the way she has always made it, which is why I called it “Mama’s Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice” 🙂 It is delicious!
Five Stars!!! It won’t me select more than 3!!
This is SO DELICIOUS!! I loved it! Thanks so much for sharing! Do you have any recommendations to make this vegan? I was thinking maybe fried sweet potatoes using the spices from the chicken.
So glad you loved it!! For a great vegan alternative, try this recipe or this one! 🙂
We used to make vegan arroz con “pollo” all the time. We used baked tofu torn into chunks, or a vegan chicken alternative like Quorn or one of the local soy-based chicken alternatives. It was always amazing!
I used a whole cut up chicken, 4lb. I doubled your recipe. I was not exactly accurate with measurements.
Large pieces were cut in two and the first cooking time of chicken pieces was probably doubled as well. I also doubled the last cooking time. Just a bit of concon on the bottom. It turned out really nice! served with black beans. All liked it very much. Thank you!
Glad those adjustments worked out for you! Delicious with black beans. I’m glad everyone liked it 🙂
So glad you found this one and that everyone loved it! I make this one all the time, too.
Made this last night and like all of your recipes it was absolutely delicious. Super flavorful and easy to make. Will definitely become a staple in our home!
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Mariana.
I’ve never seen this all made in one pan! My mom’s arroz con gandules/chicken is one of my favorite comfort foods. I will definitely have to try making my own sazon too! 🙂 Badia does make one without MSG if you’re looking for an easy alternative — just as good as the goya original.
Love that! One of my favorite comfort foods, too 🙂 Let me know how you like this one, and I’ll definitely check out the Badia brand!
I used brown basmati rice with great success. While the chicken was marinating, I cooked the brown rice in my rice cooker on the “white” rice setting. I then added it to the recipe just like I would uncooked white rice (and for the same amount of time). I also added a whole drained can of pigeon peas. Used jalapeño, but not the olives….really delicious, healthy and economical (about $2.00 per serving with chicken on sale).
Perfect! I’m glad that worked out with your rice cooker. And yes! The perfect weeknight meal that’s great on a budget, too.
I cannot thank you enough for this recipe. I have made this twice now for family and friends and it has gone down a treat (they are really fussy BTW). Its one to put in my recipe collection. Many thanks. Keep up the good work. I love your recipes. 5 stars
Hi Margaret! So happy to hear that you’re loving this one (and that it’s approved by fussy eaters!) Thanks for your note 🙂
This recipe reminded me of food from an old, lost family recipe that I’ve been trying to replicate for years. I used your beautiful spice recommendations, but also cooked as I remembered: thighs and legs, bone in, skin on. We always used kidney beans, not peas, but I liked the idea of peas, so I used both! I also reduced liquid by 1/4 cup and used chicken broth instead of water. For some reason, every one pot recipe with rice I’ve made needs less liquid than called for. Also, when chicken is involved, I always substitute low sodium chicken broth for any water. The end result – fabulous flavors (the spices are almost exactly what I remember from my childhood!) and rice that was a little “baked” or crunchy on the bottom (YUM!) but still wet on top. I’m wondering if I should stir in the middle of cooking (?!?) or at the end, and let sit for five extra minutes? Or maybe even a tiny bet less liquid? The rice was very tasty, but saucy, not fluffy. Thank you for helping me get closer to a childhood favorite!
So happy that you found this recipe! It’s one of my all-time favorites – delicious and comforting. In terms of the rice, it could be due to the size of your pan or pot you are using. Try a bigger one next time, or feel free to give it a stir and it should be fine!
I followed this recipe exactly, leaving out the jalapeño. It was delicious! I made extra white rice to eat in case my 9 year old didn’t like it, but she loved it!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
I plan to make this for dinner, but I just had a quick question. I have a jar of recaito/culantro in my pantry. If I use that, am I substituting it for the cilantro, pepper, and onion since all of that is in it? And how much of it should I use for this recipe? Thanks so much for your help! I can’t wait to try this.
I would use approximately 1 cup! Enjoy!
This looks amazing! Want to try it later but question…is this spicy (looking at the cayenne in the ingredients list)? Normally what we cook we also feed to our one year old…
It’s delicious! This is not spicy in my opinion, but just to be safe I would leave out the cayenne pepper 🙂
We absolutely loved the rice! It was so good! My chicken was meh. I used chicken breasts (and they were pretty big) so that may part of the reason be why it didn’t come out so great.. I had to end up putting it in the oven because after the original cook time it was still very chewy. Flavor wise, my chicken just tasted very plain, it didn’t taste like it picked up the spices at all, I think I marinated for a couple of hours. But again, the rice, yum!
Sorry to hear that! This is a very popular recipe and with all the spices I’m surprised the chicken wouldn’t come out as flavorful as one would hope. I would suggest trying with chicken thighs as the recipe calls for. They make all the difference to juicy flavorful chicken.
Ok so if i already have adobe and sofrito from the store how much do i use
I’m not sure because this recipe calls for making your own — wish i could be more helpful, but I haven’t tested them with store-bought adobe/sofrito.
I made this tonight and it was so good! Love one-pan dinners!
So happy to hear that! You’ll have to try these one pan meals next 🙂
This recipe is fantastic! The homemade Sazon, Adobo & Sofrito recipes are the best!! Being native Floridian, we grew up on Puerto Rican & Cuban food. We live in El Paso, TX & the cuisine here is predominantly Mexican, which is yummy too, but the PR & Cuban recipes are better & healthier by far!! Thank you for the recipes for the foods we remember from living in Florida for so many years! I will try more of the recipes on your site! Great stuff!! Happy New Year!
Amazing! So happy you found this recipe. I hope you find more here that you love! Happy new year 🙂
Perfect! This is an authentic recipe, everyone loved it!
So happy to hear that!
A H- M A Z I N G !!! We all loved it. Thanks for a super easy delicious recipe.
I’m so glad!! One of my favs 🙂
If doubling the rice portion of the recipe, would you suggest adding in 2 cups of tomato sauce for 2 cups of rice? For some reason I think that would be too much tomato sauce, and 1 cup would be enough even if rice is 2 cups.
Comments? Has anyone doubled the rice part of this recipe?
Thanks
If you are doubling the rice, then I suggest to double all of the ingredients for the rice!
Question: What kind of tomato sauce do you recommend?
I like Muir Glen or 365.
This recipe is so easy to make and comes out amazing every single time. Absolutely delicious!
I’m so glad you love it!
This recipe was delicious!!! I will definitely make this over and over!! I forgot the cilantro and lime but it was still amazing (though I won’t forget them next time). Very simple make, so much flavor. Thank you!!
Hi! Does the timing change for the cauliflower rice? I have some leftover cauliflower I can pulse up to use
Hi Kelly! It should stay the same 🙂 enjoy!
I made this tonight and my husband and I both loved it! I’ve come to know that I like about half as much spice as Monique adds in her recipes, so I always adjust accordingly. I didn’t have pigeon peas, but I subbed them with black beans and they worked really well. This is for sure going into my normal rotation.
So glad you both enjoyed! And yes, these are perfect for customizing spice-wise 🙂
Great recipe! It is now on our rotation.
Glad you enjoyed! Such a great dinner.
Can’t wait to try this! What kind of green pepper goes in the sofrito? A bell pepper or a poblano?Thanks!
A green bell pepper 🙂 enjoy!
This is the most delicious recipe ever! Since discovering it, I’ve made it at least half a dozen times. Unfortunately, I always have trouble with the rice cooking unevenly; the rice on the top doesn’t cook much! The first time I used a skillet as directed, but thought it must be too wide, given the uneven cooking of the rice. Next a smaller deeper pan–same problem. Then my enameled dutch oven–no better. I recently solved a similar problem with my jambalaya by bringing it up to a boil and finishing in the oven, but it didn’t work with this dish! Any advice? I love the flavor and want to keep making this. I use Trader Joe’s basmati rice.
So glad you love it! Hmmm I haven’t had an issue with the rice cooking unevenly— perhaps try giving it a stir halfway through.
I altered this recipe in two ways. First I used more chicken than called for. I used 5 small thighs and three breasts. Secondly, I used an entire large can of tomato sauce.
I give it a 5 star rating out of 5. It was great! Simple to make and my family loved it. I recommend using a large pot regardless of portion size. This allows the rice more room.
So glad the whole family loved it and that the extra chicken worked out well! Perfect weeknight dinner.
I was NOT prepared for how delicious this was!! I loved how easy it was to cook and to find the ingredients. Thank you for such a flavorful and simple recipe!
Isn’t it amazing?? So glad you enjoyed!
One of the best meals I have ever had! Absolutely Amazing!
So happy to hear that! 🙂
Amazing and simple every time!
The best!!
Very easy to follow. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed!
We looove this meal! It is so flavorful, so delicious that it quickly became a family favorite! My kids request this regularly and fight over the last of the rice!
So happy to hear that! One of my favorite dinners 🙂
This recipe is 🔥. I substituted breast for thighs and left out the jalapeño and coriander as my family doesn’t like heat or the coriander spice. The dish is awesome. Will make again for sure.
Perfect! So glad you loved it!
We made this tonight and it was fantastic! Loved the green olives with it. It really is so helpful to have a resource like this for new recipe ideas. Thanks so much ( :
Delicious! So happy you’re finding recipes here that you love 🙂
My family loved this! I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect.
So happy to hear that! Such a great dinner.
LOVED. As a busy new mom to twins and a toddler, and a Caribbean mwife of a Puerto Rican husband, I NEEDED this. I have saved your website and I will be making several of your recipes; normally I try to go back and forth from blog to blog for recipes, but you have an amazing variety of the kinds of recipes my family enjoys. (So much rice!) The flavors were perfect, and you reminded me just how simple it is to make your own sofrito and how much better than Goya it is 🤣 If you have Mama’s recipe for arroz con gandules, or our absolute favorite, rellena de papa ((PLEASE!!!)) or even coquito, I would love to have them and my family would certainly enjoy them. Blessings to you and your family, and the best of health during this difficult time for us all. 🙏❤ Dios te bendiga.
Amazing!! I’m so glad you’re finding recipes here for the whole family 🙂 you’ll have to try my mom’s arroz con gandules here!
This was sooooo good!!! Thank you!!
Glad you loved it!
I keep making this once a week. I never commented on it before. It’s pretty funny to me, because i have lots of bookmarked recipes since way before this quarantine. But I keep making this dang thing. I have a case of pigeon peas from Amazon so I keep going back to this recipe. Plus it’s mostly pantry ingredients. It’s delicious and easy. Everyone loves it. In my family of four. I thought it was high time I commented on it, because I keep making it.
Amazing! I’m so glad this is a staple for you 🙂 one of my favs, too!
This was a lovely recipe, It was surprising easy to make to and one i will be making again. It is spicy, colourful and it was enjoyed by everyone in our household that i cooked it for. Thank you for sharing.
So happy everyone loved it!
This is a GREAT recipe using a lot of what was in the fridge. Perfect for the quarantine time right now. The dish was fantastic. Thank you!
Absolutely! One of my favorites, too 🙂
Not just saying this but am literally making this today. Ingredients are easy to locate, instructions easy to follow & broken down into easy steps
My grandmother use to make this in a time when any kind of Hispanic product was difficult to find so much was made simply at home … these are the type of recipes I seek. Thank you
Amazing! I’m so happy you found this one!
It looks delicious.. U think I can still make without coriander or turmeric.. If not what can I use to substitute.
Yes you can leave it out, it should still be delicious.
It was delicious. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed!
This is seriously delicious and a great way to make multiple meals at once in quarantine, especially if making enough for a whole chicken. The rice came out tasting just like one of the Puerto Rican restaurants in town as well. I’ve already made it a couple of times.
I’m known for modifying recipes (my mom’s a stickler for following recipes more closely, so we’re not sure where I got it). I followed a trick from a Mexican home cook I know and, instead of adding salt to the rice, I added some Knorr chicken bouillon. I also had great results essentially stewing the meat in the spices and cooking it into shredded chicken. I also added a couple spices to the adobo seasonings. A little bit of thyme also pairs very nicely with the coriander and cumin, and I’ve become quite fond of using a mix of black and white pepper for a slightly earthy taste.
Perfect! I’m glad those little adjustments worked out well 🙂 such a great dinner to meal prep!
This sounds AMAZING, and I can’t wait to try it tonight!!
I just had a couple questions:
1. I have recently gotten into brining (since my chicken always seemed to come out dry). Is this something that would be beneficial, detrimental, or would it not make a difference in your opinion?
2. Also, I have a half-full jar of marinara sauce that I would hate to waste. Do you think that could be substituted for the tomato sauce or would it change the flavor too much? If it would work, would you recommend the same quantity?
Thank you SO much for this recipe!!
Hi Elizabeth! I don’t think brining would make a difference in this recipe since we use boneless skinless chicken thighs, which tend to be very tough to dry out. Also for the marinara sauce I think it would be okay to use if you want to use it up! And yes, use the same quantity as the tomato sauce.
Love this recipe… I add andouille sausage to spice it up! One of my favorite recipes of all time! Crowd pleaser!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
I made this , it was absolutely delicious! Only tweaks I made was I used chicken broth instead of water and I used canned pink peas . Sometimes I just make the rice and beans and its an awesome staple.
This was so so flavorful! I absolutely loved it! My husband hates peas and even he had 3 servings, couldn’t stop eating it! It definitely had a spicy kick to it, I love spicy but I’d probably just take down the chili powder just a smidge but I also might have just had a really spicy jalapeño haha so I don’t know! Either way it was fantastic, I used my cast iron pan and it was perfect. Can’t wait to make this again! … oh and I love all your one pan recipes, it’s so easy to make and clean up!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂 and yes different jalapeño can tend to be mild or spicy, but feel free to adjust the seasonings if you’d like (I use McCormick chili powder, which is super mild). I’m glad you’re loving the one pan meals here, too!
Made this dish last night. So delicious!!I made it with frozen peas, but I have access to both canned and dried pigeon peas. Which one is recommended for this recipe?
So glad you loved it! Canned pigeon peas are what’s called for in the recipe 🙂
We loved this chicken dinner. I had fresh bone in/skin on chicken thighs to use, I baked the chicken at first at 425 for 18 mins. I wanted crispy chicken skin. I put four pieces into pan to simmer lid on but wish I hadn’t since the skin got soggy but I saved 4 more in oven.
Over all flavorful and a great change!
Shoot – sorry that happened to the simmered chicken! I’m glad you liked the flavor regardless 🙂
I followed the recipe to a t and it smacked! My kids, husband and mother all loved it!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
This was absolutely superb! the spice combinations absolutely made this dish. I used two pans and divided the chicken and sauce mixture between the two–in one pan I put the whole amount of Basmati rice and in the other, I used a 12-oz package of frozen cauliflower rice that I’d simmered down a little to keep it from being too watery. I covered the pan with the Basmati, but left the cauli-rice pan with the chicken and sauce uncovered to steam off the extra liquid. I did add a little more tomato sauce (homemade from my garden with chunks of tomatoes) to make up for the lesser amount of liquid between the two pans. This was really, really good, and the cauliflower rice worked perfectly.
I commented on this recipe earlier but forgot to leave a rating. I’ve made wonderful versions of arroz con Pollo for years, but this is the best I’ve ever had. Five stars!
So happy to hear that! I’m glad the cauliflower rice worked out well, too!
I love cooking, i’m from Jakarta, Indonesia. when I see and read your story is very interesting. And I want learn more recipes from you. I already try poerto mama chicken hhmhmhm soo yummy and all my family like it. Thank you dear
Amazing! So glad the whole family loved it!
I can’t stop making this. It has become our new Sunday family dinner.
So happy to her that! The perfect family dinner 🙂
Awesome recipe! I made sure just to wash and soak the rice ahead of time and it came out perfect and fluffy after 25 minutes. The only problem is there isn’t enough for leftovers! Hopefully if I were to double everything up, it will still turn out the same. Let me know if anyone has any tips/suggestions for making larger quantities.
Glad you loved it! I think that should work but you’d have to use a pretty big pot / pan 🙂
Made this for my wife tonight as she is from PR. I am however not so I didn’t know what I was doing. This recipe was not only incredibly easy to follow, she said it was as authentic and delicious as her puerto rican grandmother makes. I did add the jalapeno for spice because I like spicy food, she said it was nice and albeit different, she had seconds! This recipe is a keeper for dinner for sure! Thank you so very much for this very flavorful yet delicious comida!
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Scott. I’m glad she loved it!
THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. PERFECT AMOUNT OF SPICE AND THE FLAVOR PROFILE WAS COMPLEX. DEFINITELY MAKING THIS AGAIN.
So happy you loved it!
AMAZING! We reduced the cayenne to ~1/8tsp and didn’t do the jalapeno since we were feeding my toddler as well as us. We finished this entire dish in one sitting – SO GOOD! Thank you for sharing such amazing recipes!
So happy to hear that! The perfect dinner 🙂
Help… I increased the recipe servings from 4 to 5 and I don’t know how to measure the ingredients. How do i correctly measure 0.31 teaspoons of oregano or 1.56 cups of water?
Instead of increasing from 4 to 5, I recommend simply doubling the recipe so it’s less complicated. Also don’t forget to use a bigger pot/pan.
I made my sazón seasoning as well as adobo seasoning ahead of time. How much of each should be used in the recipe, e.g., 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon?
It comes out to about 1 1/2 tablespoons adobo and 1 3/4 teaspoons sazon!
Made this tonight and the husband and I both loved it. Has great heat. Not a cilantro fan so I left it out. My rice burned a little on the bottom after simmering on low for 20 min but it wasn’t really bad to add a little crunch. I’ll watch more carefully next time though. Thanks for the recipe. Love one pan dinners.
I’m glad you both loved it (even with a little bit of burnt rice!) One of my favorite dinners, too 🙂
This was absolutely the best Arroz con Pollo recipe I’ve tried. The only thing I changed was doubling the recipe and it was perfect.
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
This was so dang delicious! My friend discovered this recipe and loved it, so when I visited her, she and I made two separate batches (she followed the recipe to a T, and I was a bit more adventurous with the spices). Both turned out superb but I preferred my friend’s version aka the original. I have never cooked with chicken thighs, and would never think to cook a one pot meal like this but holy moly! It was SO flavorful in the most unexpected ways. And now I crave it weekly. Thank you for this easy but delicious recipe!!
So happy you both loved this one! The perfect dinner 🙂
Love this recipe! I usually double it using two skillets.
Perfect! One of my favorites, too 🙂
Amazing!! Need to perfect the rice, mine was sticky, but all the flavor was there!! Love
Glad you enjoyed regardless! 🙂
So delicious! My family loves it! Thank you for the great recipe 🙂
I’m so glad! You’re welcome 🙂
Holy smokes that was good! Best version of arroz con pollo I’ve ever had. Thanks for the recipe
Amazing! So happy you loved it!
Absolutely wonderful recipe!
So glad you liked it!
If we have sazon seasoning available, can we use that for the chicken instead? If that’s an OK sub, what measurements should we use? TIA! Love your recipes!
Yes! It ends up being about 1 3/4 teaspoons sazon 🙂
This recipe is absolutely amazing!! I made it for my husband who requested authentic Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo, and he said it’s perfect! I, myself am vegan, so I didn’t have any of his, however, I did make just the rice and pigeon peas portion and thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend that everyone try this phenomenal recipe! Thank you so much for sharing!
Amazing! So happy to hear that. Try out my mom’s rice and beans recipe for yourself, too (it’s vegan!)
This is a question, not a rating. I already have sofrito prepared. So when it says add o tomato sauce and 1 1/4 cup water, what should I do?
You can use 1/2 cup sofrito!
You say to put spices on chicken before cooking then say to Also add to rice but there’s no measurement. Please proof your recipe. I’m ready to make this and have no idea how much I should use
Hi! All of the measurements are listed in the ingredients, which is how recipes are typically written. You’ll add specific amounts for the adobo seasoning (all amounts listed under “for the adobo seasoning” in the ingredients) and then different spices for the sofrito & rice (all amounts listed under “for the sofrito & rice” in the ingredients). Enjoy!
This meal is delicious and easy to make. My husband loves it! I have added chick peas a couple times but it tastes better without!
This recipe is amazing. I made it exactly as instructed and it came out delicious. The flavors were off the charts. My only suggestion is that you might want to double the recipe so you have leftovers. It is so addicting. I will be making this on a regular basis for dinner. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe
So happy to hear that! One of my all time favorites 🙂
Could you please tell the equivalent of tomato sauce for Australia. Tomato sauce is ketchup here. Is it tomatoes puree. Thanks
Hi! Yes it’s a tomato puree 🙂
This was absolutely incredible. I’m from the US and my husband is Colombian, and during quarantine I’ve made a point to try making a lot of different countries’ chicken and rice dishes (every country has one). This might be my favorite! It is heavily spiced without being spicy, which great because Colombians can’t handle heat, haha. I scaled up everything by about half so that we’d have lots of leftovers, and everything worked perfectly. I get nervous about one-pot rice dishes because sometimes the liguid to rice/veggie measurments are off, but this rice came out perfectly. I didn’t think mine would look like the picture but it looked exactly the same! Will definitely be making this again.
Amazing! So happy you found this one and that it was a hit 🙂 Perfect dinner!
My friends mom from elementary school used to make something similar but I lost the recipe. She was from Cuba. However I remember she used white wine instead of water. Have you tried it with wine?
I haven’t! This is just the way my mom has always made it 🙂
Wow!!! I made this dish for my family and they LOVED IT!!! Thanks so much!!!
I will definitely be making this recipe for Arroz con Pollo again!!!
So happy to hear that! My absolute fav 🙂
This dish is amazing and will be a regular in my meal rotation from now on. I made changes to accommodate what ingredients I had on hand, no jalapeño, no olives, no coriander. I used extra bell peppers and onion and paella rice (which looked similar to risotto). I doubled the recipe to feed my family, and I have a disproportionate amount of (amazingly delicious) rice leftover as compared to chicken, so next time I’ll double the chicken and only do 50% more rice.
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed. Let me know how it goes with more chicken 🙂
AMAZING!! Literally so full of flavor and it’s so easy. 100000% making this a regular in our home
So happy you loved it!
I just made this recipe for a virtual cooking class last night and it was awesome! So much flavor…and a lot faster and healthier than other Arroz con Pollo recipes. I made it with quinoa instead of rice — so good! Thanks for the tip!
Amazing! So glad you loved it!
Delicious recipe, easy and very satisfying. I did add the chopped jalapeños to spice up but probably delicious either way. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed!
Made this tonight- WOW, SO SO GOOD!!We will definitely be making this again!!
So happy to hear that!
Almost felt like I was back home in NYC
Glad you enjoyed!
This is a staple in the weeknight dinner rotation! It’s my husband’s go to suggestion when we’re meal planning for the week and is one he loves to cook for us. I’ve added some red bell pepper on occasion and found it works well. Such a filling and balanced meal and oh so quick and good. Love that it’s one-pot.
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
This recipe is delicious! I followed the instructions exactly except I halved the cayenne. I always get requests for the recipe. Try it!
Love it! So happy to hear that 🙂
I have used this recipe on multiple occasion now and it always turn out fantastic. Probably the best Arroz con Pollo I have had.
I tried to give this 5 stars but it would only go up to 4 for some reason
So glad you loved it! Can you let me know what device & browser you’re using? That will help me troubleshoot the star issue 🙂 thank so much!
Amazing flavor and delish!!!! This is being added to our rotation!! So easy yet such deep flavors!!
Absolutely! So glad you loved this one!
Delicious, easy, and affordable.
Absolutely!
This is incredible and so easy and flavorful! It’s one of my boyfriends favorite things that I make and yea always requesting it. Thank you for this!
Love it! So happy to hear that 🙂
This dish is absolutely delicious. I did the prep in the morning and cooking of the dish at dinnertime was so quick and easy. I made it exactly as written with the jalapenos, I didn’t have pigeon peas (will look for them to use next time) so used the green peas. I like to cook different ethnic foods, first time with Puerto Rican. Because I will be making this again, perhaps for company, what would you suggest as a side dish ? Thanks so much for the recipe … love it!
Perfect! So glad you loved it. These roasted vegetables or this roasted asparagus would be great!
Delicious!
Glad you loved it!
I swear by this recipe! It’s easy, affordable, and delicious, and it meal preps so well. Also, if you’re cooking for one, I’ve had a lot of success halving the recipe, and separating into exactly 2 meals. Makes for an easy weeknight dinner, with minimal dishes, ingredients you always have lying around, and leftovers for the next day! Just add extra water and sauce, and don’t cook it quite as long. I’ve even had success subbing in corn, beans, or other veggies depending on what I have, but the original recipe is the best. Thank you Monique! <3
Absolutely! Such a great weeknight dinner. Glad you love this one!
I don’t add oil to my recipe, And I also use fresh diced garlic. I brown chicken thighs or cut up
whole chicken. The fat from the sauteed meat is sufficient , and the rice turns much less greasy. I also don’t add tomato sauce, but I add cut up mushrooms. Healthy and delicious. I put the green peas on the side.
I’m glad that worked out well for you!
My entire family loved this recipe. My 11 year made me promise I’d make it again! The tsste of this dish just gives pure joy. Wow!!! Thank you for sharing.
So happy to hear that! Perfect dinner 🙂
Delicious!! Used the olives, as well as the jalapeño. My husband and I will add this to our collection of favorite recipes. The next night we shredded the leftover chicken (because I made 6 thighs) and made tacos and served the rice on the side. Loved the seasonings–and also the delicious leftovers.
Love it! Great idea to make tacos, too 🙂
Very good dinner.
I used a whole onion and would add mushrooms to this use the the whole tin tomatoe sauce with another 1/4 cup of rice.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
This is one of my favorite Ambitious Kitchen recipes. I absolutely loved the flavors of this dish – so different than the flavor profiles of other dinners we make, comforting and delicious. Everyone in my family liked this one.
I’m so glad! Such a great dinner 🙂
This is an amazing recipe! I’m south Asian so just assume everything is bland but this has so much flavor and texture. The flavors magically come together to make a cozy but still nourishing meal.
LOVE this meal. I rarely cook the same thing spaced out less than a month or two apart and this dish is on an almost weekly rotation.I amp up the veggie amount substantially using any veggies on hand and sometimes use more chicken but to the same ratio of rice. May just supplement with a little more water towards the end of cooking if required.
so so yummy and easy! Regular staple in my house with 3 little girls all excited to see it hit the table. I use 2 packets Goya sazon seasoning to flavor the rice rather than the spice blend.
Love it! Such a great dinner 🙂
Loving all these recipes! Exactly what I’ve been looking for.
So happy to hear that!
Such a tasty recipe!! I’ve made some arroz con pollo before but this recipe is especially flavorful. I really loved the homemade sofrito and adobo seasoning..will definitely be making on the regular and applying this adobo mix to other dishes. Thank you!
Yet another AK recipe that has earned its spot on the dinner rotation. Loved the authenticity of the flavors and can’t wait to make again soon!
So happy to hear that!
Hi! I have some Goya sazon that I’d like to use, is there an amount you would recommend if using instead of the homemade blend of spices? Thanks so much!
Hi! It should be about 1 3/4 teaspoons sazon 🙂
I have been looking for a recipe for arroz con pollo and this one looks very tasty! However, I am curious about whether saffron is commonly used for this dish? Would adding safron take away from the other spices?
We normally don’t add saffron, but feel free to if you’d like!
We love this recipe! I make it exactly as it’s written and it’s perfection.
I’m so glad!!
Very good meal. I didnt have cilantro when I maid this recipe for your seasoning but had all else so I threw in a big pinch a Cajun seasoning, Tasted great to me . Thank you
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Absolutely delicious. Husband can’t stop talking about. Definitely make again and again.
I’m so glad!!
Love this recipe so much! I love that it’s all done in one pan. I return to this one very often 🙂
So happy to hear that! One of our all time favs, too 🙂
I have made this recipe twice so far and I have loved it both times! I used jasmine rice instead but I really enjoyed it!
Perfect! So glad you loved it!
Absolutely delicious. I substituted a few things, I’m not a cilantro fan and added in poblano peppers into the sofrito. So much flavor!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!