Arroz con Pollo (Peruvian Green Rice with Chicken)

About This Recipe

Arroz con pollo is a one-pot rice and chicken dish found throughout Latin America, but the Peruvian version is definitively its own creation — distinguished by the addition of a purée of fresh cilantro and spinach (chicha verde or recado verde) that turns the rice a vivid emerald green and gives it a fresh, herbal flavor found nowhere else in the dish's Latin American variations. The chicken is seared until deeply golden, then braised directly in the rice with aji amarillo paste, garlic, cumin, beer (often Cusqueña, Peru's national beer) and chicken broth, producing a dish where the rice absorbs every layer of flavor from the braising liquid. The Peruvian arroz con pollo emerged from the creole (criolla) kitchen tradition of Lima, which blends indigenous Andean ingredients (aji amarillo, cilantro used in abundance) with Spanish-origin rice-and-meat cooking methods. The addition of beer to the braise is a Peruvian signature — the carbonation tenderizes the chicken and adds a slight malty depth to the braising liquid. The cilantro-spinach purée is added to the rice partway through cooking so that its color stays bright and its herbal freshness is preserved. Arroz con pollo is everyday home food in Peru — not festive or elaborate, but deeply satisfying and nearly impossible to make badly. The dish is always accompanied by salsa criolla — a quick Peruvian relish of thinly sliced red onion, rocoto or aji amarillo, tomato and lime juice — which provides a sharp, acidic contrast to the rich, herbal rice.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.2 kgbone-in chicken pieces(legs and thighs)
• 300 glong-grain white rice(rinsed until the water runs clear)
• 3 tbspaji amarillo paste
• 1 largewhite onion(finely diced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspsalt
• 330 mllight beer(Cusqueña or any lager)
• 500 mlchicken broth
• 1 large bunchfresh cilantro(about 60g, leaves and tender stems)
• 1 handfulfresh spinach leaves(about 30g; for color)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 100 gfrozen peas(for color and sweetness)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 1 smallred onion(thinly sliced, for salsa criolla)
• 1lime(juice, for salsa criolla)

Instructions

1. 1

   Season and sear the chicken

   Season chicken pieces generously with salt, black pepper and half the cumin. Heat oil in a large wide pot over high heat. Sear chicken skin-side down 5 minutes until deep golden brown. Turn and sear 3 minutes on the other side. Remove from pot and set aside.

   Do not crowd the chicken — sear in two batches if necessary. A proper sear (deep golden, not pale) is essential for flavor in the finished dish.

2. 2

   Sauté the aromatics

   In the same pot over medium heat, add onion and cook 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, aji amarillo paste and remaining cumin. Cook 2 minutes until very fragrant and the paste darkens slightly.

3. 3

   Make the green purée

   Blend the cilantro and spinach with 100ml of the chicken broth until completely smooth and bright green. Set aside.

4. 4

   Add the chicken and liquids

   Return the seared chicken pieces to the pot. Pour in the beer and bring to a boil — let it bubble vigorously for 2 minutes. Add the remaining chicken broth. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes until the chicken is almost fully cooked.

5. 5

   Add rice and green purée

   Remove the chicken pieces temporarily. Add the rinsed rice to the broth in the pot and stir in the green cilantro-spinach purée. Taste and adjust salt. Nestle the chicken pieces back into the rice. The liquid should just cover the rice — add a splash of broth if needed.

   Adding the green purée at this stage (rather than at the start) keeps its color vivid and herbal freshness alive in the finished dish.

6. 6

   Cook the rice

   Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest possible setting. Cover tightly and cook 18–20 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is cooked through. Add frozen peas in the last 5 minutes. Remove from heat and rest covered 5 minutes.

7. 7

   Make the salsa criolla and serve

   While the rice rests, make the salsa criolla: soak thinly sliced red onion in cold water 5 minutes, drain, and toss with lime juice, a pinch of salt, and a minced aji amarillo if available. Serve the arroz con pollo directly from the pot, with salsa criolla on the side.

Variations

• •

  Arroz con pato (duck rice): replace the chicken with duck legs — the Peruvian northern coastal version, particularly associated with the Lambayeque region, cooked with dark beer and chicha de jora (fermented corn beer) for a gamier, deeper flavor.

Storage

Arroz con pollo keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of water or broth added to the pot, over low heat with the lid on, stirring gently to loosen. The rice tends to stick when cold — reheat slowly.

Frequently Asked Questions