One Pot Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice (2024)

One-Pot Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice – This incredible chicken dinner will excite your taste buds. Tender chicken, flavorful rice, and the famous sofrito come together quickly and easily.

Not long ago, I shared a recipe for one-pot jerk chicken and rice. Since then, it has become my go-to ricerecipe. And to put it mildly, the family, including me, is obsessed with it!

As usual, I decided to switch things up and create something similar but with different flavors and ingredients. However, the same unfailing concept delivers goodness every time—the ratio of rice to liquid and searing the chicken with spices first. Then sit back and let the stove do its magic.

What Makes Chicken and Rice a Classic Puerto Rican Dish

While this isn’t as authentic as Abuelita’s, it does have classic Puerto Rican ingredients. And most of those ingredients are probably in your fridge and pantry at this very moment.

What makes it so tasty is the chicken juices releasing into the rice. It flavors the rice while the chicken slowly cooks in all those delectable seasonings for pure heaven. It’s an incredibly flavorful meal.

Ingredient List

1. Chicken – Chicken thighs give you the juiciest dinner, but you can cut up a whole chicken or use other parts. Seasoning it with salt before cooking makes it juicier.
2. Seasonings – Adobo and sazon seasoning provide authenticity and beautiful flavors.
3. Sofrito – Saute garlic, onion, bell peppers, and tomato sauce in a little oil to let their flavors bloom. Bay leaves, cumin, and cilantro add more deliciousness. You’ll have even more authentic flavors if you can get culantro and aji dulce (they look like habaneros but are sweet instead of spicy).
4. Rice – Any long-grain rice will work, but my fave is basmati.
5. Add-Ins – Pigeon peas are a classic ingredient in arroz con gandules, but it’s also a welcome addition to arroz con pollo. Feel free to replace it with another bean or leave it out. Pitted green olives (sliced or not) add a pleasant saltiness and a pop of color.
6. Liquids – Season the chicken broth with white pepper, sazon, paprika, and salt to taste for pure, soul-satisfying goodness.

How to Make One-Pot Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice

Chicken

• Prep Chicken – Wash chicken thighs. For faster cooking, make a ½” slit into the meat on either side of the thigh and pat them dry with a paper towel—season with salt (about 1½ teaspoons).
• Season – Rub both sides with a generous amount of the adobo seasoning or your favorite spice mixture.
• Sear – Place chicken (skin-side up) in a skillet, Dutch oven, or oven-safe pan for about 3 minutes. Flip and sear for another 3 minutes, being careful not to burn it. Remove from the pan and set aside. (Photo 1)

Rice

• Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃).
• Wash Rice – Meanwhile, cover the rice with cold water in a large bowl. Wash the grains with your hands, tip the water out, and repeat twice or until the water runs clear.
• Wipe out the pan in which the chicken was seared with a paper towel or napkin to remove any burns from the pan.
• Sofrito – Add a tablespoon or two of oil, followed by onions, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaf, cilantro, and cumin. Sauté until soft but not browned, 2-3 minutes. Then add tomato sauce and rice. Stir for another minute to coat the rice. (Photos 2-4)
• Assembly – Add the remaining ingredients: chicken stock, pigeon peas, paprika, white pepper, olives, salt, and sazon or bouillon. Add the chicken and bring to a boil. (Photos 5-6)
• Bake – Place uncovered in the preheated oven. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
• Serve – Remove, cool for 5-10 minutes, and serve. Enjoy!!

Recipe Notes and Tips

1. I used my trusted 12-inch cast iron skillet because it works so well. But an oven-safe Dutch oven also works great.
2. Washing the rice well before cooking gives you fluffier rice.
3. Get creative with bacon, ham, turkey, etc. You can even add more vegetables for a healthier one-pot meal.

What Pairs With One-Pot Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice

This hearty goodness goes great with tostones or fried plantains. Finish it off with arroz con leche or flan for a complete meal.

More Delectable One-Pot Recipes to Try

1. Caribbean Jerk Chicken and Rice
2. Slow Cooker Beef Stew
3. Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice
4. Thieboudienne
5. Chicken Pasta Bake

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”sVe2ykzI” upload-date=”2019-04-25T13:11:26.000Z” name=”One Pot Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice” description=”One Pot Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice – An incredible chicken meal that would excite your taste buds. Flavored with sofrito sauce, spices, peas and olives. So easy to make and comes together quickly.”]