Easy Puerto Rican Cooking: Puerto Rican Rice with Chicken (Arroz con Pollo)

Arroz con pollo (rice with chicken in Spanish) is a traditional dish that is common throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, especially in Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. Common ingredients include rice, beer, stock, sofrito (a mix of vegetables and fresh herbs), chicken, and saffron or more authentic and commonly annatto.

Puerto Rican Rice with Chicken (Arroz con Pollo)

(serves 4)

A) ½ lb chicken cutlets – chopped

½ cup chopped Serrano ham

B) 2-3 cloves garlic

½ small onion

½ bell pepper

1 small tomato

3 fresh culantro leaves (I didn't have any in the house and if you cannot find it, it's okay to omit)

1 tomatillo or 2-3 sweet peppers

C) 6 olives

1 tablespoon capers

1 Con Cilantro y Achiote Sazon Seasoning pack

1 can green pigeon peas (gandules verde) drained
1 cup of Chicken Stock (optional)

D) 2 cups of rice

1) Cook the chopped ham in olive oil until brown. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink;

2) Add all of sofrito (B) into a blender with 1/2 cup of water;

3) Add the sofrito to the pot with 1 cup of water or 1 cup of chicken stock. Cook until meat is tender – for about 15 minutes. Add the sazon seasoning pack;

4) Add the olives, capers and the green gandules. Make sure to rinse the gandules prior to adding to the pot. Salt to taste;

5) Rinse the rice and add to the pot. Cook on medium heat until the water starts to reduce significantly until it is almost gone. Cover the pot and put on low until the rice is done;