Easy Cuban Arroz Imperial (Imperial Rice)
Arroz Imperial is a classic Cuban comfort food dish made with layers of yellow rice, shredded chicken, mayonnaise, and melted cheese. Perfect for parties, large crowds, and any time of year!
This post is sponsored by Riceland. All opinions are my own.
Have you ever heard of Arroz Imperial? IT’S SO GOOD! This is one of those recipes that always reminds me of my childhood. Not only is it the best comfort food dish, but it’s also the perfect recipe to make for a large crowd. We still enjoy it all the time at house parties to this day!
Think of this rice dish as a Cuban lasagna. You have layers of delicious chicken, yellow rice, mayo, and melty cheese. YUM! With the help of my friends at Riceland, I’ve recreated this Cuban classic just for you!
Growing up, Riceland rice was always a versatile and delicious staple in my house. It was my mom’s go-to brand of long grain rice! Riceland rice is wholesome, non-GMO and nutritious, and works with so many specialized diets (it’s even gluten-free!).
Here’s how to bring this dish to life!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Before we make this rice dish, we need to prepare all the layers for the dish.
- Mayonnaise. This will prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the baking dish, helps bind all the ingredients together and will provide delicious flavor since it compliments the rest of the ingredients.
- Yellow rice. Super flavorful and easy to make! We’re using Bijol to color the rice. You can also use annatto powder or turmeric powder. In a Dutch oven or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add sliced pimentos and tomato sauce. Sauté for 1 minute. Add long-grain rice, water, bouillon cube, Bijol, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes but DO NOT OPEN THE LID. The steam is what cooks the rice. After 15 minutes, remove from heat but keep the lid on for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- Chicken. You can either make plain chicken in a large pot and shred it OR you can buy a rotisserie chicken to save time and shred it up. Up to you! Once you’ve shredded the chicken, we’re going to flavor it up. In a skillet, add olive oil, onions, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Sauté onions with spices for 5 minutes at medium-high heat. Add garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock to deglaze the pan then add the shredded chicken and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Cheese. Any melty shredded cheese will work here. I like cheddar but gouda also works.
5 star review
“I made this for my Cuban husband who claims he does not like imperial rice and this recipe he loves. I use a mix of mozzarella and muenster cheese. I’ve also made it with mozzarella and havarti. Both combinations were excellent. This is definitely my go-to recipe from now on. Everything I have made from your site has been excellent.”
—Jennay
Now comes the fun part!
Recommended For This Recipe
8×8 Baking Dish
This is one of my favorite non-stick baking dishes! It is so easy to clean and cooks super evenly.
How To Layer the Arroz Imperial
First things first, make sure to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Next, make sure all your ingredients are ready to go – mayo, shredded chicken, yellow rice, and the shredded cheese. It’ll make this part go smoothly.
- Mayo. To start the process, spread a thin layer of mayonnaise at the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish.
- Rice. Next, add a layer of rice making sure it is evenly distributed.
- Chicken. Add the shredded chicken on top of the rice, making sure it is evenly disturbed in the baking dish.
- Shredded cheese. Again, add an even layer of the shredded cheese on top of the shredded chicken.
- Rice. Now, keep going with the rest of the layers. Add another layer of rice on top of the shredded cheese.
- Mayo. Add a thicker layer of mayonnaise on top of the cheese. This not only provides more flavor but it also helps to bind all the ingredients together.
- Chicken. Layer with the remaining amount of shredded chicken.
- Shredded cheese. Top it off the entire dish with a thick layer of shredded cheese to finish off.
- Bake the arroz imperial. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes to melt the cheese. Garnish with sliced olives and pimentos, if desired. That’s all folks!
You can serve this with a side of sweet plantains or by itself.
How good does that look!
Can’t wait for you to make this recipe! I know it will become a favorite just like it is in mine! :)
You may also like:
- Sweet Plantains (Platanos Maduros)
- Classic Cuban-Style Arroz Con Pollo
- Arroz Con Pollo A La Chorrera (Cuban Chicken + Rice)
Easy Cuban Arroz Imperial (Imperial Rice!)
Ingredients
YELLOW RICE
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can sliced pimentos, 4 oz, drained (plus more for garnish, optional)
- 1 can tomato sauce, 8 oz
- 2 cups uncooked Riceland Long Grain Rice, washed and drained
- 3 cups water
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- Pinch of Bijol, annatto or turmeric powder to color the rice
- 1 bay leaf
SHREDDED CHICKEN
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken breast, (you can use a rotisserie chicken to save time)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup chicken stock to deglaze the pan
FOR THE LAYERS
- 2 cups shredded cheese, Gouda, Cheddar, any melty cheese will work!
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, or sour cream
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add sliced pimentos and tomato sauce. Sauté for 1 minute. Add rice, water, bouillon cube, Bijol and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID. The steam is what cooks the rice. After 15 minutes, remove from heat. Keep the lid on for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- In a skillet, add olive oil, onions, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Sauté onions with spices for 5 minutes at medium-high heat. Add garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock to deglaze the pan then add the shredded chicken and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In an 8×8 baking dish, you will begin layering your ingredients. First, start by spreading a thin layer of mayonnaise at the bottom. This will prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the dish.
- Next, add a layer of rice, then a layer of shredded chicken, then a layer of shredded cheese, another layer of rice, a thicker layer of mayonnaise, a layer of shredded chicken, and top it off with a thick layer of shredded cheese.
- Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes to melt the cheese. Garnish with sliced olives and pimentos, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Thank you Riceland for sponsoring this post and a HUGE thank you to all the readers of this blog for all your support! xo
I made this recipe but a little different, used bell peppers as a garnish instead. Still came out delicious. This recipe was very easy to follow but came out perfect. I’m making this again and again!!!
So happy to hear, Paxton! Thank you for your comment!
Nice recipe and I’m Cuban too. I add peas to the rice because that’s how we like it. I also decorate the top with sweet pimentos from a jar. It’s a nice party recipe too since you can make it all ahead.
So happy to hear, Anamari! Peas are a great addition; thank you for your comment.
I like arroz imperial but I don’t like mayonnaise. I usually end up scrapping off the top before I eat it. I would love an alternative. I know I could use butter on the bottom to keep it from sticking, What could I use for the top?
I’ve never used anything but mayo for Arroz Imperial before. The only thing that comes to mind is substituting mayo for Greek yogurt or sour cream. It may alter the flavor of the dish a bit but give it a shot and see if it works out!
i made this today for the first time. Today. It is very delicious. My son who does not love rice ate and asked for more. Really delicious!
can you make this and serve it the next day after reheating/
Yes!
After trying this dish at a Cuban restaurant, I went on a search for a similar recipe to enjoy at home. This recipe (using cheddar) tastes exactly like the restaurant. The only difference was they added a small amount of green peas, which I just serve as a side dish. Everyone in my family loves it! It has officially been added to our regular rotation of dinners.
I made this for my Cuban husband who claims he does not like imperial rice and this recipe he loves. I use a mix of mozzarella and muenster cheese. I’ve also made it with mozzarella and havarti. Both combinations were excellent. This is definitely my go-to recipe from now on. Everything I have made from your site has been excellent.
Delicioso platillo!
It was delicious!
Canadian-Cuban ancestry here, but was unfamiliar with this dish. Thank you so much for sharing this deliciousness, this dish really made our day. Easy to make and very hearty! Adding this to the recipe stash and will monkey with it like crazy, I already see us subbing picadillo for the chicken periodically. Or heck, why not make a Mexican version of it ha!? Note: we used a 2 year cheddar and while we LOVED it we felt the aged cheese was a bit bossy, we will likely roll with something lighter like a provolone or monterey next time (or as you suggest a gouda). We’ll def. rotate on the cheese option : )
Ps. love your page!
Thank you, Arnold! You made my day! :)
Made it for the first time ever and it was really really good! Cuban hubby loved it and said “even better then the restaurant last time”.
So happy you loved it, Claudia!!
I added some olives for extra flavor. Left out the pimentos. Didn’t have Gouda cheese so I used mozzarella and white cheddar on top. Hubby approved!