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 rice recipe. 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
- 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.
- Seasonings – Adobo and sazon seasoning provide authenticity and beautiful flavors.
- 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).
- Rice – Any long-grain rice will work, but my fave is basmati.
- 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.
- 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
- I used my trusted 12-inch cast iron skillet because it works so well. But an oven-safe Dutch oven also works great.
- Washing the rice well before cooking gives you fluffier rice.
- 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
- Caribbean Jerk Chicken and Rice
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice
- Thieboudienne
- 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.”]
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.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Caribbean
Servings 6
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2-2½ pounds (900-1,200g) chicken thighs (5-6 thighs)
- 1½ teaspoon (7g) salt
- ½ teaspoon (2g) sazon seasoning (homemade sazon, Goya sazon, or chicken bouillon)
- 2 tablespoons (20g) adobo seasoning or your favorite chicken seasoning
Rice
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) canola oil
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 2 small bay leaves
- 1 large bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup (120g) tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon (3g) cumin
- 2-3 tablespoons (8-12g) fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 cups (440g) uncooked long-grain rice
- 1 15.5-ounce can pigeon peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon (3g) white pepper
- 1 cup (120g) pitted olives
- 4 cups (950ml) chicken broth
- 1 packet (40g) Goya Sazon (or homemade sazon)
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) paprika (optional)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- 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).
- Rub both sides with a generous amount of the adobo seasoning or your favorite spice mixture.
- 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.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃).
- 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.
- 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.
- Next, 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.
- Place uncovered in the preheated oven. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
- Remove, let it cool, and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- I used my trusted 12-inch cast iron skillet because it works so well. But an oven-safe Dutch oven also works great.
- Washing the rice well before cooking gives you fluffier rice.
- Get creative with bacon, ham, turkey, etc. You can even add more vegetables for a healthier one-pot meal.
- I used whole olives, but sliced works just as well.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 240g| Calories: 854kcal (43%)| Carbohydrates: 75g (25%)| Protein: 40g (80%)| Fat: 44g (68%)| Saturated Fat: 10g (63%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g| Monounsaturated Fat: 21g| Trans Fat: 0.2g| Cholesterol: 188mg (63%)| Sodium: 2175mg (95%)| Potassium: 769mg (22%)| Fiber: 4g (17%)| Sugar: 3g (3%)| Vitamin A: 1242IU (25%)| Vitamin C: 26mg (32%)| Calcium: 94mg (9%)| Iron: 4mg (22%)
Naomi says
Made this tonight and it was a hit with the family! Thanks for sharing. Side note, the prep time read 10 minutes- haha it took me about an hour! Lol overall, this dish was flavorful and hearty! Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback!
Jenny Grambor says
I made this twice and love it so much, thank you for sharing
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to let me know .
Shelly says
This recipe is amazing! My family ate this recipe up. Thank you so much for sharing. I can’t wait to try another one of your recipes.
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you so much! Glad it worked out well for you.
Wmom23 says
Made this last night almost 100% to recipe (I’ll describe changes below). We really liked it, my husband asked for seconds. I was expecting more flavor or even some heat, but I realize the flavors are more subtle. I didn’t add any salt, so it may have been that I should have – I used low sodium chicken broth and no salt added tomato sauce, but I still thought that the seasonings and olives would have made it salty. I loved the fact that the cooking times were perfect! Our rice was mushy, but we like it that way, so it was fine.
I had questions about the recipe. 1) Do you put oil in the pan before browning chicken? 2) Do you mean that you brown the chicken 3 minutes on each side (that is what I did). 3) You don’t say when to add the olives, I added them in step 8 with adding all the remaining ingredients, but they are not listed. 4) You list 2-3 T of cilantro, assumption is fresh chopped?
Changes made (slight):
1. I used 2T of oil to brown the chicken, and then I did not clean the pan, nor did I add more oil to cook the vegetables, I had enough oil left in the pan to cook vegetables.
2. I used 1 green and 1 red pepper
3. I used one whole smallish onion (I hate having leftover onion)
4. All the pitted olives at the store where stuffed with pimentos or garlic, etc. I finally found some that weren’t stuffed, but had pimento and capers in with them. I used green – you don’t specify, but I assumed from the photos.
5. I cook the vegetables in stages – first the peppers for 2-3 minutes, then add the onion and cook for another 1-2 minutes, and then add the garlic.
6. I removed the skin from my chicken thighs – I didn’t miss it at all. I also used 7 thighs, and while the pan was very full, it did work ok and the chicken was cooked perfectly.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Wmom23! Thank you for such the detailed feedback! I have make it with both oil and without oil and it works. Yes, I brown the chicken 3 minutes on each side and add the olives with remaining ingredients just like you did. Will update the recipe to make it clearer.Thanks again
Cp says
This was a great dish. My husband absolutely loved it. Said it tasted like new York island cooking…which was great. I didn’t follow exactly because im always missing a couple of small things in my cupboards (I am ALWAYS substituting things lol) and I hate measuring ingredients (unless I’m doing a new baked pastry dish). Your recipes are extremely tasty, well organized, and are def a blessing when it comes to feeding my husband and helping others cook. I am truly thankful for you sharing your talents.
Angel says
Hi, just a few questions, where does the Goya Sazon come into place? Also does the chicken go into the skillet before the boiling or after?
ImmaculateBites says
You add it with the rest of ingredients , together with the chicken, before bringing to a boil. I have updated recipe to make it clearer .Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Natasha says
One word. Delicious! Will definitely make again and again! Thanks for this amazing recipe!
ImmaculateBites says
My Pleasure! Glad to know it’s going to be on the menu.
Alisa says
Made this tonight for me and my boyfriend. This recipe was amazing. Thank you for posting !
ImmaculateBites says
My pleasure Alisa! Thanks for taking the time to me know!
Laurie says
We are not fans of dark meat think we could use split chicken breast
ImmaculateBites says
You sure can. Chicken breast works as well.
Nicole says
I’m amazed at your site all the types of dishes I love. Trying this out now I had boneless thighs and just hoping the rice is good hard to get the consistency haven’t mastered rice . Smells good so far will update
ImmaculateBites says
Glad to hear Nicole. Can’t wait to hear this recipe worked out for you. Thanks !
vivian says
Pls can I make this without the oven
ImmaculateBites says
I have not tried it before. If you make it you have to cook the chicken longer before adding to the rice.
Kelli says
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I made a few changes from the original recipe and it turned out perfect. First, used a 10 inch cast iron skillet, therefore had to decrease the amount of rice to accommodate (1 cup long grain brown rice and 1.5 cups chicken broth). Then I browned my skinless thighs for 3 minutes per side since i planned to cook it covered and therefore wouldn’t have browning effect in the oven. I cooked it covered in the oven for 70 minutes because the long grain rice takes longer to cook. Perfect!!! Looking forward to using this recipe as a basis for other variations in flavors and ingredients. I don’t think it would if cooked properly if it was uncovered. It would require the addition of a lot more chicken broth or other fluid through evaporation. Great flavor. Thanks again!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Kelli!
Thanks for taking the time to leave such a detailed feedback. Am sure other readers would benefit from this. So glad to hear it worked out well for you.
Michelle says
Hi Imma,
Do you think I could just transfer everything to a large rice cooker instead of baking it? That’s how I usually make byriani so I’m wondering this could work the same way.
Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Michelle! I haven’t tried it this way. But I don’t see why not- I do something similar without the chicken. Do let me know how if works out for you , if you give it a try. Thanks!!
Golden State of Mind says
Thank you for posting this recipe! I ended up making this for dinner last night and I just fell in love with it. Paired it with an organic salad, lime-garlic dressing, fried plantains, and a mango iced tea. This chicken and rice was perfect and I will be making it again!
ImmaculateBites says
OH My! There is nothing in there that I don’t like. Especially Love the Mango Iced Tea. Thanks for sharing!!!!
Patty says
What is goya sazon and where can I find/buy it? Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Sazon is seasoned salt(cumin, achiote, coriander and more depending on the brand) ,found in Spanish and Mexican markets – sold in sachets.