A one-pot Argentine chicken and rice dinner built on a slow sofrito base, simmered until the rice soaks up every drop of broth.
Arroz con pollo is the everyday one-pot dinner found across Latin America, and the Argentine home version leans on a sofrito of onion, bell pepper and garlic cooked down until sweet, plus a hit of sweet paprika for color instead of the achiote used farther north. Chicken thighs are browned first to render fat and build a base, then the rice cooks directly in that same pot, absorbing the chicken drippings and stock. The technique that decides whether this dish turns out right is resisting the urge to stir once the lid goes on — the rice needs to steam undisturbed so it cooks evenly and doesn't turn gummy. A handful of peas and diced carrots folded in near the end keeps it a genuine one-pot meal rather than requiring a side dish. This is weeknight cooking at its most practical: one pot, pantry vegetables, and a Sunday-dinner flavor squeezed into forty-five minutes.
Serves 4
Season chicken thighs with salt. Heat oil in a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the thighs skin-side down 6-7 minutes, then flip and brown 3-4 minutes more. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, cook onion and bell pepper in the rendered fat for 8 minutes until soft, then add garlic, paprika and cumin and cook 1 minute more.
Stir in the rice and cook 2 minutes, coating every grain in the fat and spices.
Pour in the stock, nestle the chicken thighs back into the pot, and bring to a boil.
Do not stir once the lid goes on — undisturbed steaming keeps the rice grains separate instead of gummy.
Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid.
Scatter peas and carrot over the top, re-cover, and cook 5 more minutes until the rice is tender and vegetables are warmed through.
Let the pot rest off heat for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and scatter parsley over the top before serving.
Brown the chicken skin well before adding liquid — that fond on the bottom of the pot is most of the dish's flavor.
Keep the lid on the whole simmer; every peek lets steam escape and can leave the rice underdone.
Use bone-in, skin-on thighs rather than breasts — the extra fat keeps the rice moist and flavorful.
Add sliced chorizo along with the chicken for a heartier, smokier version.
Stir in a pinch of saffron or a spoon of achiote paste for a deeper golden color.
Swap peas and carrot for diced zucchini and corn depending on what's in the fridge.
Refrigerate up to 4 days in a sealed container. Reheat in a covered skillet with a splash of stock or water over low heat to loosen the rice without drying it out.
Arroz con pollo has roots in Spanish colonial-era rice dishes brought to Latin America, adapted across the region with local vegetables and spices; the Argentine home version typically favors a simple pepper-and-onion sofrito over the achiote-heavy versions found in the Caribbean and northern South America.
Yes, but reduce the simmer time slightly and check for doneness earlier since breast meat dries out faster than thigh meat.
Water with a bouillon cube or even just water and a bit of extra salt works fine — the sofrito and paprika carry most of the flavor.
It's usually from stirring during the covered simmer or using too much liquid — stick to the 2:1 stock-to-rice ratio and leave the lid on.
Per serving (400g / 14.1 oz) · 4 servings total
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