Arroz con Pollo (Colombian One‑Pot Chicken and Rice)

Name: Arroz con Pollo (Colombian One‑Pot Chicken and Rice)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 4 piece chicken thighs (bone‑in, skin‑on); 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp achiote (annatto) powder; 1 medium yellow onion; 1 piece red bell pepper; 3 clove garlic; 1 cup long‑grain white rice; 1.75 cup chicken broth; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 cup frozen peas and diced carrots mix; 0.5 tsp ground cumin; 2 piece bay leaves; 0.33 cup fresh cilantro; 2 stalk scallions (green onions); 1 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp fresh lime juice; 4 piece lime wedges

A classic Colombian one‑pot arroz con pollo — chicken seared for color, a cilantro‑scallion sofrito, annatto for authentic color, and rice cooked in the same pan so cleanup is minimal. Good for weeknight family dinners or easy meal‑prep.

50 min

start to finish

15 min

hands on

Easy

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

Roughly, per serving

620 kcal34g protein68g carbs20g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy‑bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium‑high heat until shimmering.
Sear the chicken thighs skin‑side down, pressing lightly so the skin makes contact; cook until deeply golden, 6–8 minutes.
Don't move the chicken too soon—good color develops when it's left undisturbed.
Flip the thighs and brown the other side 3–4 minutes more; transfer chicken to a plate (it will finish cooking with the rice).
Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan and stir in the achiote powder; cook 20–30 seconds until it colors the oil.
Add the chopped onion, white parts of the scallions and diced red pepper; sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, 4–5 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic, tomato paste and ground cumin; cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
Add the rinsed rice to the pan and toast, stirring, for 1–2 minutes so the grains are coated and slightly glossy.
Pour in the chicken broth, add the bay leaves, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, and scrape any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Nestle the seared chicken thighs back into the rice so they sit partially submerged; bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Cover the pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently until the rice has absorbed the liquid and the chicken is cooked through, 20–22 minutes.
Avoid lifting the lid during this time — steam cooks the rice and chicken.
Remove from heat, stir in the frozen peas and carrots, chopped cilantro and the green parts of the scallions, then cover and let rest 5 minutes so the peas heat through and flavors meld.
Remove bay leaves, squeeze lime juice over the pot if using, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve family‑style straight from the pot with lime wedges.

Worth knowing

Use bone‑in thighs for best flavor; if using boneless thighs reduce the covered simmer to 15–18 minutes and check for doneness.
If you don't have achiote powder, substitute 1 tsp turmeric + 1 tsp sweet paprika (color without strong annatto flavor).
To make this ahead: cool completely, refrigerate up to 3 days, reheat gently with a splash of broth and a lid to prevent drying.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

Gluten-freeDairy-freeOne panMeal prepKid friendly

More Colombian cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Colombian cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be gluten-free and dairy-free as listed.