Arroz con Pollo — Print Recipe

Nicaraguan-style chicken and rice cooked together with vegetables, achiote for color, and fresh herbs in a single pot.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
3 cups long grain rice
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp achiote paste
2 carrots, diced
1 cup peas
Fresh cilantro
4 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions

1 Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and garlic. Brown in oil in a large pot, then remove and set aside.
2 In the same pot, sauté onion, peppers, and tomatoes until soft. Dissolve achiote paste in a little broth and add.
3 Add rice and stir to coat in the vegetable mixture and achiote. Toast for 2 minutes.
4 Return chicken to the pot. Add broth, carrots, and peas. Bring to a boil.
5 Cover tightly, reduce heat to very low, and cook 20 minutes without lifting the lid.
6 Fluff rice with a fork, garnish with cilantro. The rice should be golden from the achiote and flavored with chicken.

Did You Know?

Nicaraguan arroz con pollo gets its distinctive golden color from achiote (annatto), unlike versions in other Latin American countries that use saffron.