Chicken With Spanish Rice Recipe. Rice is an easy dish to make and can be used as the backbone of a meal. There are thousands of different rice recipes you can try.
Chicken and rice just belong together. And with a few tricks up your sleeve, you can make chicken and rice come together in the best way possible. Whether you decide to call it Spanish Chicken and Rice or Mexican Chicken and Rice. This is sure one of the best chicken recipes out there.
Easy Spanish Chicken And Rice Dinner
This easy Spanish chicken and rice dinner recipe is a simple one pan meal that the whole family will enjoy. The tender and juicy chicken thighs are rubbed with a tasty spice blend and then mixed with a rice and vegetable blend. It’s easy and tasty and a very family friendly weeknight meal.
I used to make something similar to this chicken and Spanish rice dish a long time ago. After my mother passed away, I used to cook for my father, as did my sister in law and sisters.
This was an easy dish that he liked and one that I could make with my limited cooking skills at the time.
I just remembered it the other day and thought that my hubby and son would like it as well. I love one pan dinners like this that don’t involve the oven and it always helps when my family loves them too.
INGREDIENTS I USED.
The ingredients I used in this chicken and rice dinner were chicken thighs, olive oil, yellow onion, bell peppers, peas, white rice, chicken stock or broth, garlic and tomato sauce.
The spice blend was a mixture of garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, paprika, salt and turmeric.
Turmeric is a spice that makes the rice yellow. It’s something that my family has always add to rice and turmeric is a even good for you!
SHOULD I USE CHICKEN THIGHS OR BREASTS?
I am using skinless, boneless chicken thighs again. I like them because they are inexpensive and they don’t dry out as easily as breasts so I buy them just about every week.
However if you prefer you could use skinless chicken breasts and they would work too. Because they are cooking in the liquids and spices they shouldn’t be too dry.
Also Spanish chorizo sausage would work well too in this dish.
HOW TO MAKE THIS SPANISH CHICKEN AND RICE RECIPE.
This is a rather simple recipe. That’s what makes it such a nice weekday dinner.
- Mix the spice blend of salt, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne and paprika.
- Rub the spices on both sides of your skinless chicken thighs.
- Heat up your skillet to a medium high heat and add the olive oil. Then brown the chicken pieces for about 3-4 minutes on both sides.
- Take them out and add a little water to deglaze the the brown bits.
- Place in the peppers, onion and garlic in the pan and sauce them until they soften a little.
- Mix the broth, turmeric and tomato sauce together.
- Then add it to the pan with the rice.
- Mix well and return chicken back to the pan and sprinkle your frozen peas over top.
- Cover and lower the heat to medium low. Cook for about 25-30 minutes until everything is cooked through.
Easy and Flavorful Arroz con Pollo (Spanish-Style Chicken & Rice)
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This Easy and Flavorful Arroz con Pollo recipe comes together in a flash and requires only one pot. A perfect all-in-one meal that the whole family will love. It’s a burst of mouthwatering flavors with each bite! Recipe includes a how-to video
My Family’s Recipe for Arroz Con Pollo
Arroz con Pollo is a classic of Latin American cuisine. It is a Spanish/Latin-style Chicken & Rice dish made with white rice, chicken, vegetable, and seasonings. It has many versions depending on the country, and even every family in the same region has their own way of cooking it. For example, in my family, we cook it with chicken breasts cut into small pieces instead of bone-in chicken. This is just a personal preference.
I love this recipe because it is very easy to make, and it comes together in one pot.
If you think about it, all the yummy ingredients are already mixed and ready to go in your mouth; the chicken, the rice, veggies, and the seasonings are perfectly married together when you sit down to eat.
In my opinion, this one-pot meal is perfect!!! You can have a completely balanced meal in just one bowl. You have protein, carbs, and veggies; 3 in 1. And so delicious.
Arroz con Pollo Recipe Highlights!
- It’s a one-pot recipe, which means less clean-up.
- It’s a meal-in-one: You have protein, carbs, and veggies; 3 in 1.
- It’s packed with flavor.
- Super easy to make.
- Picky eaters approved.
- Make ahead and freezer friendly.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Oil: I like to use olive oil but feel free to use any oil of your liking.
- Chicken: To reduce cooking time, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces, are ideal. You can also use boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
- Salt and black pepper: To season the chicken.
- Onion
- Bell Peppers: To make my dish colorful, I like to use a combination of green and red pepper.
- Garlic: Add in 3 extra garlic cloves if you’d like to infuse the garlic flavor more. I add 6 garlic cloves.
- Green onion: Also known as scallions.
- White rice: Make sure to use long-grain white rice for this recipe.
- Chicken broth: Store-bought or homemade will work fine. I usually dissolve 2 chicken bouillons in 3 cups of hot water.
- Tomato sauce: Regular tomato sauce (no kepchup).
- Seasoning with saffron: Goya seasoning with saffron is my go-to. It adds a great flavor to the rice, it’s easy to find in all groceries store (international aisle) and it’s budget-friendly. You can substitute with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 2 large pinches of saffron.
- Frozen mixed vegetables: Corn, carrots, and green peas.
Expert Tips
I highly recommend increasing the garlic to six cloves. It adds an incredible amount of flavor.
To achieve the maximum flavor, dissolve two chicken bouillon in 3 cups of hot water and use that instead of store-broth.
Toast the rice until it looks opaque, about 2-3 minutes.
After adding the frozen veggies, mix to distribute them evenly. Then avoid mixing the rice. Instead, let the liquid evaporate undisturbed.
Do NOT cover the pot until most of the liquid has evaporated. Often, when this happens, you will notice small holes on top of the rice (see photo above).
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Arroz Con Pollo?
Arroz con Pollo is a classic of Latin American cuisine. It is made with white rice, chicken, vegetable, and spices. It has many versions depending on the country, and even every family in the same region has their own way of cooking it.
What Is the Best Rice to Make Arroz Con Pollo?
Extra Long Grain Parboiled Rice is the best to make Arroz con Pollo. The cooked grains are drier and more separate, so it cooks light and fluffy.
What Is Parboiled Rice?
Parboiled rice is rice that has been partially boiled in the husk. It can be found in most grocery stores.
Can I Use Regular Rice Instead of Parboiled?
Yes, you can. Use a 2:1 water to rice ratio, just as you would other long-grain rice.
What Goes Well with Arroz Con Pollo?
Arroz con Pollo is a one-pot dinner that we like to serve with a side of plantains.
Why My Arroz Con Pollo Is Mushy?
Probably, you added too much water or overcooked it.
Can I use Brown Rice?
Yes, you can, but the texture of the final dish will be dense and stickier. If you use brown rice, make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Do I need to rinse the rice?
Since I always use parboiled rice, I skip that step. However, if you are using more starchy rice, I recommend you do.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Transfer to a freezer-friendly bag or container and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warm. You’ll want to add a splash of water or broth to moisten it again.
ONE PAN SPANISH CHICKEN AND RICE
This One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice is one of our favorite easy dinner recipes! It combines chicken, rice, tomatoes, onions and peppers into a delicious Mexican inspired skillet meal that is ready in just 30 minutes!
Who doesn’t love quick and easy dinner recipes that are ready in 30 minutes? They’re kind of every mom’s top pick, right? I know they definitely are mine!
This One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice is a regular on frugal menus and I really don’t know why it’s taken me so long to share the recipe here!
I tend to fall back on this Spanish chicken with rice recipe a lot partly because it’s delicious, partly because it’s budget-friendly, partly because it’s so simple to make and partly because it cooks in one pan, making cleanup very minimal!
Oh and the kids all gobble it down without complaint too. So in my mind, it’s a win all around!
One of my most loved meal prep hacks is to cook up a big batch of chicken and then freeze it in 1 to 2 cup portions. This saves me so much time and makes recipes like this Mexican inspired rice and chicken, super simple!
Obviously, when you make this One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice you can wait to cook up your chicken until you are ready to make the recipe. But it’s going to take more than 30 minutes total to make.
And on busy days, I much prefer the convenience of just pulling a Ziploc bag of already cooked chicken out of the freezer!
In fact, there have even been days where I’ve actually forgotten to get the meat out of the freezer ahead of time (am I the only one that has a hard time remembering that?!) and just added it frozen.
Hopefully, you are more organized and have a better memory than I do! But if you happen to be like me and want to make dinner but realize that you’re chicken is still frozen, I’ve got you covered!
Simply add the chicken as the directions state, then turn the heat to low. You’ll also need to stir the pan frequently and if it starts looking a bit dry, add in a little water or chicken broth to keep it from sticking to the pan. Once the chicken is heated through, you’re good to go!
One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice
This One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice is one of our favorite easy dinner recipes! It uses simple ingredients and is ready in just 30 minutes!
ONE PAN SPANISH CHICKEN AND RICE
30 Minute Spanish Chicken and Rice
A favorite of ours that combines chicken, rice, tomatoes, onions and peppers into a delicious Mexican inspired skillet meal that is ready in just 30 minutes!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 5 people
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes, drained or 4 c. diced fresh tomatoes
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 cup dry long-grain rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
- 1 tbsp chopped olives (optional)
Instructions
- In skillet, melt butter, then add tomatoes, onion, pepper, salt and garlic powder. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add rice and broth. Cook on low heat until rice is done and broth absorbed.
- Add chicken and and olives, if adding, and heat through.
Notes
If you want to make this recipe with fresh boneless chicken breast or thighs, you will need about ¾ lb. of raw meat to get the 1 ½ c. cooked, diced meat. Obviously, you will also need to cook the chicken, but I think that’s a given! 🙂