Weekend Cooking

Baked Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo

by:
May  1, 2024
5
1 Ratings
Baked Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo
Photo by Elvin Abril
  • Prep time 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Serves 8
Author Notes

If I had to identify one unifying culinary tradition between the Iberian Peninsula and all the nations of Latin America, aside from our shared languages, it would undoubtedly be Arroz con Pollo (known as Galinhada in Portugal and Brazil). This seemingly simple dish of chicken and rice, which everyone claims as their original creation and boasts as the best version, actually demands considerable technique and finesse. Variations abound: some countries prefer it soupy, others drier; some use the whole bird, skin included, while others opt for boneless or skinless cuts. My rendition of Arroz con Pollo is inspired by the Puerto Rican version I grew up with. It features a distinctive sofrito rich in sweet peppers and culantro, enhanced with small dices of smoked ham for an umami touch, and olives and capers that add a briny depth—a nod to Spanish influences. In true Caribbean style, a banana leaf imparts a fragrant aroma as the dish steams. I prefer to begin cooking on the stove and finish in the oven, ensuring the rice and chicken cook evenly without the need for stirring. If an oven-safe Dutch oven or braiser isn’t available, a traditional aluminum caldero will suffice—just be sure to stir it once halfway through cooking.
—César Pérez

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • FOR THE CHICKEN:
  • 3 pounds skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 sour orange or 1 orange and 1 additional lime, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons annatto oil (or 1 packet of Sazón with Annatto/Sazón con Achiote)
  • —
  • FOR THE SOFRITO:
  • 1 yellow or white onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cubanelle pepper, diced
  • 3 ají dulce peppers or 3 mini sweet peppers, roughly chopped
  • 3 sprigs culantro (recao, sawtooth coriander, chadon beni), chopped
  • 3 sprigs cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons alcaparrado or 1 tablespoon pimento stuffed olives + 1 teaspoon capers
  • 1/4 cup smoked ham steak (jamón de cocinar), diced
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 3 bay leaves
  • —
  • FOR THE RICE:
  • 3 cups medium grain rice, rinsed and drained until water runs clear
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup beer, Pilsner or another light beer
  • 3 tablespoons annatto oil, divided (or 1 packet of Sazón with Annatto/Sazón con Achiote, divided)
  • 1 banana leaf, thawed and cleaned, or aluminum foil
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, season chicken with salt, pepper, adobo, garlic, oregano, lime juice, sour orange juice, and annatto oil. Toss well to combine. Cover and set aside for one hour.
  2. Pulse all of the sofrito ingredients in a food processor until chunky or process them in a mortar and pestle.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a 12-inch oven-safe skillet or braiser with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of annatto oil or extra virgin olive oil and Sazón packet, if using, and heat until it begins to shimmer.
  4. Add your last 1 tablespoon of annatto oil and and all sofrito ingredients. Sautée sofrito for two minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add washed rice and sautée for 3 minutes, only giving it a quick stir once a minute. The trick to good rice is not moving it too much.
  6. Add ½ cup beer and 2 cups chicken broth. At this point, taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary. You want the broth to be very well seasoned.
  7. Give the rice one last good stir, stirring from the bottom of the pot upwards. Nestle your chicken pieces halfway back into the bubbling rice. Allow liquid to reduce until the surface of the rice is visible, about 5 minutes. Cover with a banana leaf or a piece of aluminum foil followed by your tight-fitting lid. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to rest (no peeking) for an additional 10 minutes.
  8. Uncover and finish arroz con pollo with thawed peas—the residual heat will warm them through perfectly—a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and freshly chopped cilantro.
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