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Arroz con Pollo

Elizabeth Anderson

Arroz con Pollo is one of many one-pot rice recipes from all over the world: biryani from South Asia, paella from Spain, jambalaya from the Southern US, risotto from Italy… and here we have the Mexican version - translated simply as Rice with Chicken. We use our Mexican blend to create a delicious, slightly spicy dish, perfect with a serving of tomato and avocado salad on the side. Don’t leave out the lime juice, which gives this a lovely tangy flavour! See Cook’s notes for how to cook this using leftover rice. serves 4-6

  • 700g chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces

  • 2 tbsp oil

  • 2 level tbsp Mexican blend (we suggest the mild one!), or 1 tbsp each ground cumin & smoked paprika

  • 1 large onion, finely sliced

  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 400g long-grain rice, rinsed several times to remove the starch

  • 2 chicken stock cubes and 2 tbsp tomato puree in 1 litre water

  • 2 peppers, any colour, diced

  • 1 small tin sweetcorn

  • limes

  • a handful of chopped coriander

  • a scattering of feta/cheshire/wensleydale cheese (optional)

  1. Mix the oil with the spices and use them to coat the chicen pieces. Leave to marinate for an hour or two.

  2. About an hour before you are ready to eat heat a wide casserole and gently fry the chicken until browned.

  3. Add the onion and fry for a couple of minutes before adding the garlic and peppers.

  4. Add the rice, sweetcorn and the stock/tomato in water mixture. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer until the rice is cooked.

  5. Give the dish a stir after about 20 minutes to ensure the rice is cooking evenly. Once you are sure it is cooked, turn off the heat and leave for a few minutes to settle.

  6. Squeeze in the juice of a lime and stir in the coriander. Serve with lime wedges and an avocado and tomato salad.

Cook’s notes:

  • We haven’t given an exact cooking time as it all depends on your hob and the size of your pan - and also whether you are using ordinary long-grain rice or basmati - so give it the occasional stir and keep an eye on it.

  • If you have leftover plain rice you can still make a version of this dish: marinate the chicken as above before frying the onions, garlic and pepper. Add the chicken to this mixture and cook for a few minutes before adding the sweetcorn and cooked rice. Stir well, then cover and heat gently for about 20 minutes until the chick is cooked. Stir in a squeeze of lime and the chopped coriander.