Arroz con Pollo Boricua (Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice)
Chicken pieces browned and simmered with sofrito, olives and capers, then cooked with rice coloured gold by achiote. A one-pot Puerto Rican Sunday classic, with crispy pegao at the bottom.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Season and brown the chicken
Rub the chicken all over with the . Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven or ) and brown the chicken about 4 minutes per side.
- 1.2 kg chicken
- 2 tsp
- 3 tbsp oil
✅ Done when: chicken is golden on both sides but not fully cooked through
Add the sofrito
Add the , tomato sauce and to the pot and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and slightly darker. Pour in 250 ml of the chicken stock, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- 4 tbsp
- 100 g tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp
- 250 ml chicken stock
✅ Done when: sauce smells fragrant and chicken is almost fully cooked
Add the rice
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Cook covered
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Serve
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Season and brown the chicken
Rub the chicken all over with the . Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven or ) and brown the chicken about 4 minutes per side.
- 1.2 kg chicken
- 2 tsp
- 3 tbsp oil
✅ Done when: chicken is golden on both sides but not fully cooked through
Add the sofrito
Add the , tomato sauce and to the pot and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and slightly darker. Pour in 250 ml of the chicken stock, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- 4 tbsp
- 100 g tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp
- 250 ml chicken stock
✅ Done when: sauce smells fragrant and chicken is almost fully cooked
Add the rice
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Cook covered
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Arroz con pollo is cooked across the Spanish-speaking world, but the Puerto Rican version is defined by sofrito, alcaparrado and the golden colour of achiote oil.
It's a staple of Sunday lunches, birthday parties and family gatherings.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Juicy chicken and savoury golden rice in one pot, with crispy pegao as a bonus.
💡 Fun Fact
Alcaparrado, a jarred mix of olives, capers and pimientos, is a pantry staple in almost every Puerto Rican kitchen.
All over Puerto Rico
18.47°N, -66.11°W
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