Arroz con Pollo
with olives / peas and carrots
We are excited to introduce our take on this one-pan Spanish rice dish that was requested by several of our community members. Giving the chicken thighs a good sear on the stove before adding the other ingredients will help build flavor.
Smarts: Cook time will vary a bit depending on the thickness of the chicken thighs and the age of the rice you use. Just be sure to check the chicken for doneness and taste to make sure the rice is tender before pulling the pan out of the oven.
Smarts: This recipe could be made in the Instant Pot. For tips, join the Cook Smarts Instant Pot Facebook Group.
Ingredients
- Onions, medium - 1, diced
- Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
- Coriander, ground - 1 1/2 tsp
- Cumin - 1 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
- Oregano, dried - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless - 4
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
- Tomato paste - 2 Tbsp
- Vinegar, apple cider - 2 tsp
- Rice, uncooked white - 1 cup (preferably long grain)
- Stock, any type - 2 cups
- Peas and carrots, frozen - 1 1/2 cups
- Olives, green and pitted - 1 cup
- Olive brine (opt) - 2 tsp (from a jar of olives)
- Salsa - for serving
- Sour cream - for serving (sub plain or Greek yogurt)
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Onions / Garlic - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating before continuing with prep.) - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Spice mix - Combine coriander, cumin, turmeric, oregano, black pepper, and salt. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Chicken - Tenderize with a fork and season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Make
- Heat oven to 400F / 204C.
- Heat a Dutch oven with a lid over medium-high heat. Add first part of oil and then chicken to heated oil. Sear chicken on both sides until golden brown but not cooked through. Set chicken aside and return pan to heat.
- Add second part of oil and then onions. Saute until soft, ~3 minutes. Add garlic and spice mix and saute 1 minute. Add tomato paste and saute 1 minute more.
- Add vinegar to pan and saute for 1 minute, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add rice and stir until coated in spices.
- Stir in stock, frozen peas and carrots (no need to defrost them first), olives, and olive brine and bring to a simmer. Place chicken on top of the rice. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake, covered, until rice absorbs liquid and chicken is cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes.
- Serve chicken and rice with salsa and sour cream. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
61 reviews
Second time making this one and we love it. I do omit the olives but do add the brine. My one year old ate this like a champ!
0 HelpfulVery tasty. I freaking love olives, so 1 cup was fine for me. If you're 'meh' on olives, go with 1/2 - 3/4 cup. This recipe was ingredient intensive, so prepping/measuring stuff ahead of time goes a long way to cut down on the cooking time. But the end result is very good and reheats for lunch like a champ! This will go in my favorites category.
0 HelpfulI would probably reduce the pepper next time. I also put a little more than half the olives the recipe called for, and even as an olive lover, it was plenty. Very flavorful.
0 HelpfulThis was tasty and reheated well for lunch. I only put it about half the olives called for and thought that was a good amount, but otherwise made as written.
0 Helpful