Arroz con Pollo

I saw arroz con pollo recipes on Stacey Snacks and then again on Karen Cooks, so I had to try making my own version of Mexican rice and chicken. This dish was fairly simple to make, and it tasted FANTASTIC. I really liked the depth of flavor and the variety of textures of this meal. The chicken turned out very moist, and the rice was perfectly cooked. My husband and I really, really loved this dish, and my kids thought it was good too. This tasty arroz con pollo paired nicely with a Southwestern salad and some spicy pinto beans.

 Arroz con Pollo

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
• ½ tsp paprika, to taste
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp coriander
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 5 baby bell peppers, diced (I used yellow, red, and orange)
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 (15-) oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 1 cup of rice
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (divided)
• 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed

How to Make Arroz con Pollo:

Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned & crispy. Once the bacon is cooked, drain it on a paper towel. Crumble, set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the Dutch oven.

Combine the seasonings and sprinkle them evenly over both sides of the chicken thighs.

Cook the chicken by heating the same Dutch oven (with bacon grease) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and set it aside on a plate.

Arroz con Pollo

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Course: Main

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 4

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

• Large Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 4 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
• 4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
• ½ tsp paprika to taste
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp coriander
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 5 baby bell peppers diced (I used yellow, red, and orange)
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 15- oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 1 cup of rice
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped (divided)
• 1 cup of frozen peas thawed

Instructions

• Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned & crispy. Once the bacon is cooked, drain it on a paper towel. Crumble, set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the Dutch oven.
• Combine the seasonings and sprinkle them evenly over both sides of the chicken thighs.
• Cook the chicken by heating the same Dutch oven (with bacon grease) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side.
• Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and set it aside on a plate.
• Cook the veggies by pouring olive oil into the same Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and bell peppers, and season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, then cook, stirring constantly, for 60 seconds.
• Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, saffron, rice, crumbled bacon, and half of the cilantro. Stir until well mixed.
• Finish cooking by nestling the chicken in an even layer and simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, for 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked through.  Side Note: Stir occasionally so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the Dutch oven.
• To serve, sprinkle the finished dish with the thawed peas and the remaining cilantro. Serve and enjoy!

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