Arroz Con Pollo A La Chorrera (Cuban Chicken + Rice)
Arroz Con Pollo A La Chorrera! A soupier version of the classic Cuban arroz con pollo recipe made with beer, wine, and chicken broth. Tons of flavor and the best Sunday dinner meal!
As I’m sure you know, arroz con pollo is a classic Cuban dish made with rice (arroz) and chicken (pollo). Today, however, we’re making a different version of this classic. Arroz con pollo a la Chorrera is more of a soupier version of the usual Cuban rice and chicken dish.
The rice for typical arroz con pollo is more fluffy while arroz con pollo a la chorrera is much wetter. And by wet, I mean like WET wet. Think of it as a soupy rice dish. Here’s what I mean. This is what it traditionally looks like. I personally like it less soupy but it still tastes amazing!
Ok so how do you bring this to life? Well, similar to making risotto, you pretty much add tons of liquid to the rice so it gets that soupy consistency. We’re talking chicken stock, wine, and beer! Yes, BEER. It gives the rice an incredible flavor.
Aside from that, you also cook the rice with spices, tomato sauce, and juicy, moist chicken thighs which you can later shred into the rice if you prefer. *heart eyes*
You could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs too. It’s up to you! I prefer bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs because it’s what I’m used to. The whole dish is made on the stove and it’s pretty hands-off.
Let’s get right into it. I cannot wait for you to make this dish!
How To Make Arroz Con Pollo A La Chorrera
- Marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, marinate the chicken thighs with the mojo marinade for 30 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge. The longer, the better.
- Brown the chicken thighs. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Over medium-high heat, brown chicken thighs on both sides. You’re not cooking it all the way through; just searing it. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Simmer the veggies and sauce. Now, add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté onion, garlic, and green peppers, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add chicken stock, wine, tomato sauce, annatto powder, bay leaf, granulated bouillon, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken back into the pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Make the rice. Stir in the rice, beer, and frozen peas. Cook for another 20-25 minutes or until the liquid is almost completely absorbed.
- Ready to serve! This dish is supposed to be a bit soupy so don’t worry about making sure all the liquid is absorbed; just make sure the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. The liquid will continue to be absorbed by the rice so you want to make sure to enjoy it as soon as it’s ready. Taste and adjust seasonings. Enjoy!
You may also like:
- Easy Cuban Arroz Imperial (Imperial Rice)
- Classic Cuban-Style Arroz Con Pollo
- Cuban Mojo Marinade Recipe
Arroz Con Pollo A La Chorrera
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup mojo marinade
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup dry sherry wine or any dry white wine
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon annatto powder, bijol, or turmeric, to color the rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt + pepper to taste
- 2 1/2 cups uncooked Valencia rice or short-grain rice, rinsed
- 1 cup dark lager beer
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- In a large bowl, marinate the chicken with the mojo marinade for 30 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge.
- In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Over medium-high heat, brown chicken thighs on both sides. You’re not cooking it all the way through; just searing it. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Now, add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté onion, garlic, and green peppers, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add chicken stock, wine, tomato sauce, annatto powder, bay leaf, granulated bouillon, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken back into the pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Stir in the rice, beer, and frozen peas. Cook for another 20-25 minutes or until the liquid is almost completely absorbed. This dish is supposed to be a bit soupy so don’t worry about making sure all the liquid is absorbed; just make sure the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. The liquid will continue to be absorbed by the rice so you want to make sure to enjoy it as soon as it’s ready. Taste and adjust seasonings. Enjoy!
This was my mom’s and my aunt’s specialty dish. I tried to make it many times, but it would never be just right. I had the same issue with the little bit of this and little bit of that on the ingredients and unfortunately neither my mom nor my aunt are well enough to cook and model. I made it this past summer following the recipe and I hit the nail on the head. Everyone finally loved it. Thanks!
So much flavor! I love it!
Excellent arroz con pollo recipe!!!
This was great. It reminds me of a time long ago when the quiet maintenance man in our building one day brought in a big wide pot of chicken and rice. It was the best I’d ever tasted and when I asked him why it was so good he said it’s the “bee-a”. I finally figured out he was saying beer! He said that was how his mother taught him to make arroz con pollo, no wine just beer & it wasn’t soupy though. I was hooked and still can’t get get it to taste as good as his, but it’s still pretty great :)
Love this story, Roxy lol “bee-a”. Glad you loved the recipe!
Excellent recipe! I added my room temperature beer after the rice was just about finished placed the cover back on and let it sit for 15 mins. Thanks again, Jamie!
So happy you enjoyed it, Louis!
Came back from Miami craving allllll the Cuban food. This dish was perfect for our first cold MN night.
Can we make arroz CON pollo without the bones?
Sure!
Do you cover again after adding rice?
Yes