This arroz con pollo recipe is my take on the classic dish. It is made with chicken breast, white rice, saffron, and green peas, and it has grown to be a favorite with my family.
I’m a huge I Love Lucy fan.
The hubs bought me the entire DVD collection, which I proclaimed his best gift ever!
Jade got so into the show, that she wanted to Google all things Lucy. Her middle name, how she looked with different hair colors, what her real kids looked like. I thought it was adorable and precocious.
Upon re-watching many of my favorite Lucy episodes, I became interested in a recipe called arroz con pollo. This is something Lucy makes for her Cuban husband, Ricky. Given my intense love for chicken and rice, I knew I needed to investigate this recipe immediately.
Turns out, there are myriad versions of this recipe, including variations from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Spain.
The general idea is chicken, white rice, and spices, and since I wasn’t overly concerned with being super-duper authentic, I took a few different recipes and molded them to my family’s liking.
What resulted has become a meal that is now a staple!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil and butter
- Yellow onion
- Red and green bell peppers
- Garlic
- Chicken breast – Thighs can also be used.
- Saffron, cumin, salt, and pepper
- White rice
- Frozen green peas
Recipe notes
Feel free to use another tablespoon of olive oil in place of the butter, if needed/desired. I like the taste of the combination in this recipe.
To find a good deal on saffron (which can be pricey!), check Trader Joe’s. I also found it at a good price at TJ Maxx, though their food selection isn’t as reliable.
Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter (see Notes)
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- ½ green bell pepper chopped
- ½ red bell pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ teaspoon saffron
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ cups uncooked white rice
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup green peas
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil and butter in a large pot.
- Add in the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and a good sprinkle of salt.
- Saute for five minutes until veggies have softened.
- Add in the chicken.
- Stir and cook for another five minutes.
- Add in the spices. Pinch the saffron threads between your fingers to break it up as much as possible.
- Stir in the rice and cook for about one minute.
- Pour in water and stir the pot.
- Bring it all to a low boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and cover the pot.
- Let it cook for 15-20 minutes, checking for done-ness at 15 minutes.
- Once everything has cooked through, turn off the heat.
- Add the peas to the top of mix (don’t stir them yet).
- Cover the pot and allow the peas 3-5 minutes to heat through.
- Gently stir the entire dish, adding salt to taste.
- Serve with a good grind of black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
I LOVE this recipe!!! You are the most interesting food blogger. I love reading your view on your family and life.
Do you cook the rice before adding it? Or does it go in raw?
It goes in raw. 🙂