This arroz con pollo dish is made with chicken breast, white rice, saffron, and green peas. It has quickly become a family favorite!
I'm a huge I Love Lucy fan.
The hubs recently bought me the entire DVD collection, which I proclaimed his best gift ever! Jade, Nat, and I have been enjoying the famous redhead all summer.
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.
Growing up, I was always into older movies and shows. My mom and I would sit and watch Doris Day movies at night, and I often opted for The Dick van Dyke Show at lunchtime.
Upon re-watching many of my favorite Lucy episodes, I became interested in a recipe called arroz con pollo. This is something Lucy often makes for her Cuban husband, Ricky. Given my intense love for chicken and rice, I knew I needed to investigate this recipe stat!
Turns out, there are myriad versions, which is the case with every recipe these days. The general idea is chicken, white rice, and spices.
I wasn't overly concerned with being super-duper authentic, so I took a few different recipes and molded them to my family's liking.
What resulted has become a meal that is now a weekly staple!
Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter (see Notes)
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- ½ green bell pepper chopped
- ½ red bell pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 12 ounces chicken breast (about two small breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes)
- ¼ tsp saffron
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 ½ cup white rice
- 3 cup 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
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.
Beth
Do you cook the rice before adding it? Or does it go in raw?
Lauren
It goes in raw. 🙂
Kurt
I LOVE this recipe!!! You are the most interesting food blogger. I love reading your view on your family and life.