Cuban Arroz Con Pollo (Cuban Chicken & Rice)
Sundays were made for arroz con pollo. Growing up, my family would come over and Mami would make a huge caldero de arroz con pollo (a large pot of Cuban chicken & rice). It was the best part of the week!
Like my Cuban ropa vieja recipe, this arroz con pollo was born after cooking alongside my mom with a notebook in hand, trying to see exactly how she brings this classic rice dish to life.
You see, Mom doesn’t cook with measurements. She cooks a ojo (aka with her eyes) adding un poquito of this and un poquito of that, and her dishes come out perfect every time. Whether she’s making arroz con leche or her famous congri (moros), the measurements are already ingrained in her brain which is why she’s a legendary OG cook of the family!
Everyone has their own version of arroz con pollo but let me show you how to make Mami’s version. Let’s go!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken (thighs and drumsticks). We usually stick with chicken thighs because they are the most flavorful. You can use drumsticks too, or break apart a whole chicken into pieces. I personally would not recommend chicken breast since it is pretty dry but if that’s what you have, do you!
- Cuban sofrito. This is the holy trinity of every Cuban recipe. A combination of onions, peppers, and garlic forms the foundation of this dish along with the tomato sauce, vino seco (dry cooking wine), chopped red pimientos, and spices.
- Sazon & spices. For this recipe, we’re using Sazon Goya Con Azafran which is a blend of spices in a small packet that includes saffron, garlic, cumin, and annatto to color the rice. Aside from that, we’re using a bay leaf, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Homemade Chicken Stock. Mami and I made our own stock for this recipe by dissolving a chicken bouillon cube in water. Bouillon cubes are made from concentrated stock and they add such a rich depth of umami flavor to this classic rice dish. You can also use chicken bouillon powder if that’s what you have on hand.
- Rice. This dish is usually made with Valencia short-grain rice or medium-grain rice but we like to keep it easy over here so we use long-grain rice. Use what you have!
5 star review
“Yes, I made your arroz con pollo recipe and it was the best one I’ve ever made! My guests were left chapándose los dedos! I followed your cooking time closely and the chicken was perfectly cooked, moist and tasty. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks!”
—Idalia
Recommended For This Recipe
Dutch Oven
This large pot with a thick, heavy bottom is sturdy and will retain heat well so it won’t overcook the arroz con pollo. Highly recommend!
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the oil and chicken pieces. Turn on the heat to medium-high. You want to add the chicken to the cold oil so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot (pro tip!). Once you start hearing the oil sizzling, brown the chicken on all sides.
Reduce heat to medium. Add in the sofrito (onions, green bell peppers, and garlic) with the chicken. Carefully fold the chicken with the sofrito and cook for 1-2 minutes. Make sure the sofrito doesn’t burn, keep an eye on it.
Add the vino seco (dry cooking wine), tomato sauce, chopped red pimientos, Sazon Goya, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir gently to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Meanwhile, let’s make the homemade chicken stock. Dissolve 1 chicken bouillon cube into 1 cup of hot water. If you’re using chicken bouillon powder, use 1 tablespoon. Stir until it is completely dissolved.
Add the homemade chicken stock to the pot with the remaining cups of water and the rice. Bring to a boil, uncovered, stirring slightly so nothing gets stuck to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to LOW and cover the pot. Simmer with the lid on. No peeking!
Cooking low and slow will ensure the rice doesn’t burn or dry out.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and stir the rice so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Cover with the lid again and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
After 40 minutes, give the rice another stir and make sure it is cooked.
How do I know if the rice is cooked?
Test it out by tasting a small spoonful. The rice is cooked when it has absorbed most of the liquid and has become tender.
- If the rice is not yet cooked, turn the heat off, place the lid back on, and let it continue to cook with the residual heat for another 5-10 minutes.
- If the rice is cooked, remove from the heat. Stir in the frozen peas so they warm through with the residual heat.
PRO TIP! Remove the chicken pieces and shred them with two forks then place them back into the pot before serving. Mami does this so it is easier for guests to serve and enjoy.
Troubleshooting
Authentic Cuban arroz con pollo is all about that perfect texture: tender, moist, slightly sticky, and just a tad bit oily. It’s like the goldilocks of rice dishes – not too dry, not too moist, just right.
Rice is crunchy or dry?
Crunchy or dry rice is the result of overcooking the rice. Arroz con pollo should be more on the moist, tender side than on the dry, grainy side.
To fix crunchy, dry rice, you can add 1 cup of water to the pot, cover it with a lid, and let it simmer at LOW heat for 5 minutes. This will help the rice absorb more moisture and soften up.
Rice burned or stuck to the bottom of the pot?
Ugh, I’m so sorry this happened. Burnt rice happens to the best of us! Even though a little bit of ‘raspa’ never hurt anyone. ;)
First things first, don’t scrap the burnt rice. Instead, carefully transfer the unburnt parts to a serving dish, leaving the burnt layer behind. If the burnt taste has already seeped in, you might want to start fresh.
Next time, try using a Dutch oven or a large pot with a heavy bottom and a lid (like this one). A thick, heavy bottom is sturdy and will retain heat well so it won’t overcook the rice.
Also, remember to cook LOW AND SLOW and stir the rice after 30 minutes to prevent sticking.
When you’re done with this recipe, make my arroz con pollo a la chorrera (which is this arroz con pollo’s soupy cousin!).
Serving Suggestions
My favorite Cuban side dishes to serve with this classic arroz con pollo are:
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Transfer any remaining arroz con pollo to the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days.
- For longer storage, portion the cooled arroz con pollo into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Quick Reheating Instructions
When reheating rice using the skillet method, add just enough water to create steam. I do not recommend reheating in the microwave.
Start by adding the amount of chicken and rice that you’d like to reheat in a skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of water for every cup of arroz con pollo.
Turn on the heat to medium-high and let it cook for a few minutes, occasionally stirring gently to ensure even heating.
The steam will rehydrate the rice, making it moist and fluffy again. Once heated through, remove from the heat and enjoy.
Cuban Arroz Con Pollo (Cuban Chicken + Rice)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup oil
- 2 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, (use drumsticks too, if you'd like)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup vino seco, (dry cooking wine)
- 7 ounces whole red pimientos, chopped
- 1 packet Sazon Goya con Azafran, (or 1 tsp Bijol or annatto powder)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 cups water, divided
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 3 cups uncooked long-grain white rice, rinsed and washed
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the oil and chicken pieces. Turn on the heat to medium-high. You want to add the chicken to the cold oil so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot (pro tip!). Once you start hearing the oil sizzling, brown the chicken on all sides.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add in the sofrito (onions, green bell peppers, and garlic) with the chicken. Carefully fold the chicken with the sofrito and cook for 1-2 minutes. Make sure the sofrito doesn't burn, keep an eye on it. Make sure the sofrito doesn't burn, keep an eye on it.
- Add the vino seco (dry cooking wine), tomato sauce, chopped red pimientos, Sazon Goya, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir gently to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, let's make the homemade chicken stock. Dissolve 1 chicken bouillon cube into 1 cup of hot water. If you're using chicken bouillon powder, use 1 tablespoon. Stir until it is completely dissolved.
- Add the homemade chicken stock to the pot with the remaining cups of water and the rice. Bring to a boil, uncovered, stirring slightly so nothing gets stuck to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to LOW and cover the pot. Simmer with the lid on. No peeking! Cooking LOW and SLOW will ensure the rice doesn't burn or dry out.
- After 30 minutes, remove the lid and stir the rice so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Cover with the lid again and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, give the rice another stir and make sure it is cooked. The rice is cooked when it has absorbed most of the liquid and has become tender. Test it out by tasting a small spoonful.
- If the rice is not yet cooked, turn the heat off, place the lid back on, and let it continue to cook with the residual heat for another 5-10 minutes. If the rice is cooked, remove from the heat. Stir in the frozen peas so they warm through with the residual heat. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Enjoy!
- Optional: Remove the chicken pieces and shred them with two forks then place them back into the pot before serving. Mami does this so it is easier for guests to serve and eat.
- Final thoughts: Authentic Cuban arroz con pollo is all about that perfect texture: tender, moist, slightly sticky, and just a tad bit oily. It's like the goldilocks of rice dishes – not too dry, not too moist, just right. That moisture? It's all thanks to the juicy chicken and the flavorful broth that gets soaked up by the rice as it cooks. When it comes to arroz con pollo, a little stickiness is actually a good thing!
Notes
Troubleshooting
Authentic Cuban arroz con pollo is all about that perfect texture: tender, moist, slightly sticky, and just a tad bit oily. It’s like the goldilocks of rice dishes – not too dry, not too moist, just right. Rice is crunchy or dry? Crunchy or dry rice is the result of overcooking the rice. Arroz con pollo should be more on the moist, tender side than on the dry, grainy side. To fix crunchy, dry rice, add 1 cup of water to the pot, cover it with a lid, and let it simmer at LOW heat for 5 minutes. This will help the rice absorb more moisture and soften up. Rice burned or stuck to the bottom of the pot? Ugh, I’m so sorry this happened. Burnt rice happens to the best of us! Even though a little bit of ‘raspa’ never hurt anyone. ;) First things first, don’t scrap the burnt rice. Instead, carefully transfer the unburnt parts to a serving dish, leaving the burnt layer behind. If the burnt taste has already seeped in, you might want to start fresh. Next time, try using a Dutch oven or a large pot with a heavy bottom and a lid (like this one). A thick, heavy bottom is sturdy and will retain heat well so it won’t overcook the rice. Also, remember to cook LOW AND SLOW and stir the rice after 30 minutes to prevent sticking.Serving Suggestions
My favorite Cuban side dishes to serve with this classic arroz con pollo are:- Sweet Plantains (Maduros)
- Tostones (Twice-Fried Plantains)
- Ensalada de Aguacate (Avocado Onion Salad)
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Transfer any remaining arroz con pollo to the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days.
- For longer storage, portion the cooled arroz con pollo into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Quick Reheating Instructions
When reheating rice using the skillet method, add just enough water to create steam. I do not recommend reheating in the microwave. Start by adding the amount of chicken and rice that you’d like to reheat in a skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of water for every cup of arroz con pollo. Turn on the heat to medium-high and let it cook for a few minutes, occasionally stirring gently to ensure even heating. The steam will rehydrate the rice, making it moist and fluffy again. Once heated through, remove from the heat and enjoy.I was not compensated for this post however I was provided with the Staub cast-iron cocotte pictured above. All opinions are my own.
This was excellent. Just like what I grew up with in Florida. I would recommend upping the chicken for this amount of rice. Probably suggest 3 lbs minimum, but 4 lbs to make sure every serving has some chicken. It’s like 12 cups of rice when you’re done and 2 lbs of thighs is like 4 decent thighs.
I made this for my husband who loves Cuban cuisine. He said it was delicious!I made it exactly as described and it came out perfectly.
Made this tonight, used medium grain, so it came out mushier, but still absolutely delicious and one of the easier arroz con pollo recipes I have come across. Alas, my mima was a great cook, but my mother, not so much, so I have no handed down recipes.
Beautiful recipe. I used additional chicken stock from a box instead of the wine but followed the rest of your instructions. I used 6 chicken thighs and removed the meat from the bones after cooking for easier eating. Yum, yummy yum. I enjoyed the bit about it being the perfect combination of textures on the tongue. Will make again.
So happy you enjoyed it, Pam! Thank you for sharing! :)
Delicious!! I used chicken breasts and shredded it. Other than that , I followed the recipe. My family said this is one of the best dishes I have ever made. Definitely saving the recipe and making it again. It’s also good with a little hot sauce and crushed red pepper when re-heating leftovers.
I followed your recipe and it was delicious. I have my grandma’s recipe and she made it like this but used less water, beer instead of white wine and she added green Spanish olives. No green peppers. It’s really tasty too!
Jamie, I loved my grandmother’s Arroz Con Pollo and your recipe seems close. She always used saffron. Have you made this with saffron instead of Annato or Bijol? Looking forward to making it soon.
Yes, I made your arroz con pollo recipe and it was the best one I’ve ever made! My guests were left chapándose los dedos ! I followed your cooking time closely and the chicken was perfectly cooked, moist and tasty . This recipe is a keeper! Thanks!
Love to hear it! Thank you, Idalia!
The ingredients mention Sofrito, which I make homemade, but it doesn’t say how much, or when to add it in the directions.
I’ve tried making this many times and although the flavor always turns out amazing my rice never seems actually to turn out yellow, any tips?
I am Cuban and be in the US for over 60 years. I love to cook and tried this recipe. I love it. I will try it again.
Albert Lopez
Hi, I saw CHEF (2014) on Netflix and he was serving Arroz con pollo cuban style out of his food truck and that inspired me to make this recipe.
It is really great, what a wonderful taste, thank you so much for this. I am going to try more of your recipes!
Question: why is the pan called a Dutch oven? Here in Holland we call it an enameled pan, never heard of Duct oven ;-)
Just like my Tia’s! Delicious. Thanks so much!
Awesome, being from Florida, I miss the great Cuban food, I made this for my family, and we loved it. I haven’t looked at the rest of your recipes, but I look forward other great recipes. I did not make your Sofrito, as I had some in the fridge, but I will use yours next time.
These delicious sounding recipes are so tempting and wonderful to contemplate. I’ll be trying them soon. They are like very inviting.
Very good!! My rice was mushy, so I think I need to wash and rinse several more times before adding to the pot. Definitely will make it again!
Great to hear! If the rice is moist, that’s exactly what you want. :)
As a fellow Cuban I approve this recipe- so yummy – only thing different is that I add a can of beer – I like ensopao :)
Love this recipe. I added a bit of crushed red pepper and a Serano chili cut in half for a little heat. Perfect. My family ate everything. Sadly no leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
I want to make this! Sounds delicious! Seems like I’ve had it with some sort of sour cream topping. Is that a completely different recipe?
Yes, it is. I think you’re thinking of Arroz Imperial which is made with mayo & cheese. Here’s the recipe for that: https://asassyspoon.com/cuban-arroz-imperial/
Hi! I would love to make this recipe but wondering if it would be freezer friendly? Please let me know what you would recommend!?
Yes, once completely cooled, place the leftovers in a freezer bag in the freezer then place in the fridge to thaw once you’re ready to serve.
Great recipe !
Deliciosa….Muy Buena Receta !!
Um so I googled this recipe based of an American TV show reference. This blog was the one I settled on.
100% recommend.
Im from a country town in Australia so I get spices by delivery and Latin food isn’t a thing here outside capital cities. (And even then).
This was amazing and actually easy as and delicious.
5 stars plus.
Hi,
This sounds like the authentic idsh I grew up with – so will try it soon. How would I make thisfor about 50 people? Would this be doen in the oven?
This comment is from an old cuban guy that grew up in Havana in a house with two excellent cooks (mother and grandmother) and a bunch of kids (sister, brother, cousins), The thing I remember the most, beside the great flavor of the dish, is the resulting lightly burnt rice on the bottom of the pan: how we kids ( and some of the adults) used to fight over the RASPA . Thanks to my mother, my american wife learned to cook a decent arroz con pollo (with a little raspa in the bottom.
I absolutely agree, Ralph. The raspa is sometimes the best surprise at the bottom of the pot!
Thank you for the recipe; it was delicious. I am not much of a chef, but even still my first attempt at it was quite good, although the rice was a bit too soggy. For my second attempt, after consulting with a friend from Mexico, I used less chicken stock so that the chicken stock and the tomato sauce doubled the rice which was just about perfect. Recently, a local Cuban restaurant that I used to frequent sadly closed its doors, but now at least I do not have to miss their arroz con pollo quite as much. Hopefully, after making it a few more times, I’ll get my prep time down more in line with the 15 minutes!
Recipe was a big hit !! I made a couple adjustments due to what I had at home, instead of chicken stock I used chicken broth (same ratio as recipe calls for) and I used Sazon Goya with Culantro and Achiote and it still turned out amazing. The only thing is my rice wasn’t yellow it was orange because of the Sazon I used but that didn’t bother me lol it was still delicious and we all went for 2nds or 3rds hahaha thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
So happy you loved it! For less orange rice (lol), you can maybe add a little less Sazon next time. Thank you for sharing your experience with us! :)
I love the recipe. I did make a few minor changes.
1. I use 1 cup of the chicken stock and 1 cup of beer
2. I used breast instead of thighs. My husband won’t eat thighs
3. I used Sazón Goya con azafrán for the color
4. Valencia rice
It was perfect!!!
Hello neighbor! I’m in Naples & will be making this for College football games today.
My two cents….
I don’t think the rice burning is a ratio or heat issue. I have a love hate relationship with my Dutch oven. I love to cook sauces and soups in it but anything else I burn the crap out of it, ugh!
I love your site & recipes! I usually will just click “jump to recipe” link because some sites go on & on. I REALLY enjoy reading what you have to say & appreciate the short & simple! Also, in my head, I have the perfect Cuban accent while reading😬 but that’s ONLY in my head!
Yes! I definitely make it a point to include helpful info within my posts. Thank you for your kind words!
Delicious recipe of arroz con pollo thank you, the only thing I added extra was beer to the requested fluid and cilantro!
Hola soy de Havana. I also added olives, did beer & chicken broth & Jasmine rice. On stove top 40ish minutes. Delicioso! We were raised eating this dish!
Excellent recipe. Perfect spices. Easy to make and well worth it
So happy to hear, Ginger!
Excellent recipe! I grew up in Tampa and have since moved away. One of the things I miss most is the delicious Cuban food! As such, I’ve been trying to learn the art of Cuban cooking. One of my favorite comfort foods is chicken and rice, and this recipe did not disappoint! I’ve now made it more than once and it’s absolutely delicious.
For those of you asking if you can use other cuts of meat, don’t! Bone in, skin on chicken thighs are very flavorful and really sets this dish apart.
Yay! So happy you loved this recipe, Marissa! I, too, love me some chicken thighs, yum!
My mom always used a can/bottle of beer with the chicken broth.. It really made it taste great!
Delicioso!
Is it possible to make this with chicken breasts?
Yes, you can! You may however need to add a bit more liquid to avoid the chicken breasts from drying out. About 1/2 cup or so more. The result will still be moist and delicious!
Comfort food for sure! This has become a favorite of my 3 boys and husband. Whenever I need to cook a dish for an event, my sons request this. It is reminiscent of my father’s version. This is my “mom” dish my kids will remember as they grow up.
Jackie, this warms my heart – thank you for sharing!
This recipe was delicious! So easy to cook. Everyone loved it! I added olives to the recipe. Thanks for posting!
Plenty of leftovers if cooking for two. Followed the recipe and it worked out well. yes, there was a thin layer of burnt rice stuck to the bottom of my dutch oven, but the dish turned out great.
Great flavor, wonderful taste, easy to follow instructions. No leftovers. Very easy to prepare 👌 .
Thank You 😊
I am making this for the second time. It’s very good. This time I added a can of drained and rinsed black beans and I use a can of fire-roasted tomatoes because I do not like tomato sauce. I also added carrots, celery, and a poblano! I just do my own thing but I used this as a guide. It is cooking now. Hopefully, the rice cooks well. I am a little nervous as I added so many extra things but I reduced the amount of stock because the last time I made it the rice was overcooked. It was still delicious though.
The flavor was excellent but my rice came out too dense and sticky (I’m sure I did something wrong). Any tips? If I can get the texture correct it will be perfect!
Hi Marissa! Hard to say what went wrong without being present in the kitchen with you but I’d assume either the rice wasn’t thoroughly rinsed/washed or it was made with too much liquid. Glad the flavor was on point! :)
My family and I love this recipe but why do I keep burning the bottom of my dutch oven? the food doesn’t burn and I make sure to stir well before closing the lid and reducing the heat to low-med.
Thank You,
Ashley
Hi! It could be that the heat was too high. Make sure to reduce the heat to low as you are simmering. I’ve made a note of it on the recipe. So glad you and your family love the recipe! :)
Wow! This recipe is on point and right on. Totally loved it, followed recipe almost to a T. Eyed balled my spices and tasted but other than that I truly loved it! Thank you so much for sharing Jamie and now that I found you will be trying other recipes you have blogged or posted about. I’m a fan :)
So happy you loved it, Chris! :)
Ive made this in the past and it’s amazing! My husband has developed a tomato allergy. What would you recommend in place of the tomato sauce or just omit that step completely? Thank you!
Hi Bailey, I’d probably just omit it altogether since I can’t think of any tomato substitutes. Just note, it will probably taste a bit different than when you originally made it.
Hi Jamie,
I’m planning this for dinner tomorrow night, but I live in Japan and only have access to traditional Japanese rice which tends to be pretty sticky when cooked. Do you think Japanese rice will still work in your recipe?
Hmm, hard to say since I’ve never tried it before but maybe if you can add a bit less liquid, it will work! Try it out and let me know. :)
I made this last night, and it was delicious! The house still smells great from the cooking aromas. Next time, however, I think I’ll scale down the amount of rice; the amount of cooked rice in the dutch oven overwhelmed the four chicken thighs. Now I have a buttload of leftover rice that I have to think of a use for. Keeping the rice:liquid ratio the same, I’ll try 2 cups of uncooked rice to 3 cups of chicken stock.
My son is autistic and for some reason, adding cooking to a subject helps him remember what he’s been taught. Believe it or not, his economics teacher is having us make recipes to represent different economic systems, which I appreciate. So, he picked this recipe to represent Cuba from what I understand. While I would love to give your recipe a try, we also have a very picky eater that absolutely won’t eat rice! I’m really tempted to make the recipe anyway because it really looks delicious! But, to keep a war from happening, do you have a suggestion for another Cuban recipe we could make instead? Hopefully, the teacher will understand. If not, do I have to use bone-in chicken with skin? We have dogs in our area that get into the trash, so I prefer to cook with boneless chicken since chicken bones aren’t good for dogs.
This recipe is fabulous! A staple in our house because it comes together so easily & makes the house smell amazing! It’s a real soul-warming dish. Highly recommend giving this a try!!
So happy you loved it, Ashley!!
What kind of pot do you use? Trying to double the serving size for 8 people.
I use a Dutch oven. Any large pot will work!
Can I use chicken breast?
Sure!
Flavor is great, but some of the rice is crunchy, not consistent all the way through, I even added more liquid & tried to cook a little longer. Still some harder grains. Maybe it’s me??? I’ve had this with other arroz con pollo recipes
Hmm, could be maybe the pot you used? Not sure, it’s hard to tell when you’re not present when making the recipe. Glad you enjoyed it though! :)
Hello, what type/brand of tomato sauce do you use?
I made this for dinner last night and it was a hit!! Definitely will be added to the dinner rotation
Same here!! I’m going to trust it this time! I hope it’s not a waste! It looks so good!
Both of my parents are Cuban so I grew up eating this and later cooking it for my family. My recipe is almost identical to yours except I’ve never used annato powder. I season with paprika, along with the other spices, and the paprika together with the tomato sauce color the rice yellow. I think it’s time to make some since it’s been a while :) Thanks for sharing
Hope you love it! :)
How low do you reduce the heat to? Low or medium?
I made this tonight. It tuned out amazing. My family loved it. Even my 5 and 7 year old. I found Anatto Powder in the Asian and Spanish aisle at Walmart. It was where all the Goya brand stuff was.
One question, my rice came out a bit mushy. Maybe overcooked. I cooked it for 3”45 minutes exactly. Rinsed it first. Could my heat have been too high? Or is the rice supposed to be like this? Still, even with the rice texture seemingly a bit off, the flavors were incredible.
Oh and I was about a teaspoon short of Cumin but substituted it with Coliander.
Hi Nate! Yes, the rice should be more on the moist side than the dry side. If it were over cooked, it would’ve been crunchy/dry. No bueno. Either way, I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank you so much!
I made this last night and it was fantastic. The flavor was outstanding and my wife loved it as well. This is definitely a dish that is on our permanent recipe rotation. I looked over your site and saved it to my cooking folder as there are quite a few more recipes to try. Thanks for sharing…..since it’s starting to warm up, the margarita cocktail recipe looks pretty tasty!!
So happy to hear, Tasdebil! :)
I have some questions . Can I add beans? Where can I find Annato powder? And do I wash the rice first?
Jamie, Your recipe was a success! I had forgotten my mom’s recipe. I did substitute the thighs for chicken breast and added 1/2 cup of beer (mom’s secret) to the rice. To keep the meat moist, I cooked the chicken in butter and covered with a moist paper towel until it was time to add with the rice. My Cuban mom would have been so proud. Everyone had 2nds!!
Hi Jamie,
Can I use long grain parboiled rice instead of plain white rice? If yes, do I need to change the cooking time?
Thanks,
Joise
Nope, the cooking time stays the same!
How important is leaving the skin on? I have a pound of frozen skinless bone -in thighs that I’d like to use for this recipe. Thoughts?
It would just be added flavor. It’s not absolutely vital for the skin to be on.
Jamie,
The first time I made this, the rice at the bottom of the pan burned pretty badly. Most of it was salvageable. Is there any way to avoid this?
Can this be baked in the oven?
No, I’d highly recommend to make this on the stove.
The recipe has been tested many times so don’t worry. Let me know how it goes, Simon!
Are the chicken thighs bone-in/skin-on? Or boneless/skinless?
bone in, skin on :)
What is annatto powder? What can be substituted for it?
Annatto powder is what gives the rice it’s color. You can substitute it for Sazon or Bijol.
To add to Jamie’s comment: outside of Florida and maybe New York, annatto powder is often found in the Mexican food section of your grocery store as “Achiote molido” (I live in California and always scratched my head about “Bijol” in Cuban recipes– then someone told me “it’s achiote!” and the light went on).
This recipe looks great. I have made a similar recipe using saffron instead of achiote and throwing it in the Instant Pot. Expensive thanks to all the saffron, but o Dios mío, ¡qué rico estuvo! For those who worry about the low amount of liquid– don’t forget about the tomato sauce and all the liquid in the sofrito. The cook who threw in a little beer probably had a slightly more stew-ish preparation, but I bet it was delicious! Once you have the technique down, you can go nuts!