Arroz con Pollo
with olives / peas and carrots
It's surprisingly simple to make this classic Spanish dish that goes straight from stovetop to oven. This meal was last featured in 2019 and we've only updated it by adding lemon juice and chives at the end of cooking.
Smarts: Cook time will vary slightly 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.
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
- Peas and carrots, frozen - 1 1/2 cups
- Chives (opt) - 2 tsp, chopped
- Lemons - 1, wedges
- 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
- Olives, green and pitted - 1 cup
- Olive brine (opt) - 2 tsp (from a jar of olives)
- Salsa (opt) - for serving
- Yogurt, plain or Greek (opt) - for serving
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)
- Peas and carrots - Defrost.
- Chives / Lemons - Prep as directed.
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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, peas and carrots, olives, and olive brine and bring to a simmer. Nestle chicken in 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.
- Squeeze half the lemon wedges over the finished dish. Top with chives.
- Serve chicken and rice with salsa and yogurt and extra lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
Most Helpful
Loved this! Going into our regular rotation. Cooked 10 minutes longer in order for rice to cook through all the way. I thought the extra time might dry out the chicken, but it was great! Made kids plain white rice, but they liked the chicken. Use smaller olives next time and maybe try paleo version since kids won't eat the rice anyway.
1 Helpful39 reviews
I love olives so I ended up putting in more than was necessary. I really loved the flavors here.
0 HelpfulDefinitely needed the extra time - our rice was a little hard, but we couldn't wait that much later to eat since it was a school night. The flavor was really good (we doubled the spices). If we make this again, I'll add extra time for the rice.
0 HelpfulAdded 1/4 cup more water. Followed others’ advice and cooked it 10 mins longer. I agree that it could use a stir halfway through.
0 HelpfulLiked it, but not a favorite. Of course, I left out the olives (yuck), so that might have been it.
0 Helpful