Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole (Arroz con Pollo Bake)

About This Recipe

Arroz con pollo is one of the most common home dinners across Mexico and Latin America, and this version bakes it in the oven rather than the traditional stovetop method, letting the chicken skin crisp while the rice below soaks up all the rendered fat and spice. It is closer to a casserole in method, but the flavor base — sofrito, warm cumin and oregano, and a good bloom of achiote or paprika for color — stays true to the original. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are seared first to render fat and develop color before going into the oven, since chicken added raw straight to a casserole dish never develops the same crisp skin. The rice cooks directly beneath the chicken in the same pan, absorbing all those drippings along with tomato and stock. It is a genuinely hands-off way to make a full one-pan family dinner: sear, layer, and let the oven do the rest while the whole kitchen fills with warm spice.

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 6bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 cupslong-grain white rice
• 1onion(diced)
• 1red bell pepper(diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2tomatoes(diced)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 3.5 cupschicken stock(hot)
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• 0.5 tspdried oregano
• 1 tspfine sea salt(plus more for the chicken)
• 0.5 cupfrozen peas
• 2 tbspfresh cilantro(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Sear the chicken

   Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Season chicken thighs generously with salt. Heat oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin-side down 6-7 minutes until deeply golden, then flip and sear 3 minutes more. Remove and set aside.

2. 2

   Build the sofrito

   In the same pan with the rendered fat, add onion and bell pepper. Cook 5-6 minutes until softened, then add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

3. 3

   Add spices and tomato

   Stir in cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano, toasting 20 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook 3-4 minutes until they break down slightly.

4. 4

   Add rice and stock

   Stir in rice, coating it in the sofrito. Pour in hot chicken stock and salt, stirring once to combine.

5. 5

   Layer and bake

   Nestle the seared chicken thighs, skin-side up, on top of the rice. Cover with a lid or foil and bake 30 minutes.

6. 6

   Finish uncovered

   Remove the cover and bake 10-15 minutes more until the chicken skin re-crisps and the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Stir peas into the rice around the edges in the last 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

Variations

• •

  Add pitted green olives and a handful of raisins for a Cuban-influenced version.

• •

  Use chicken drumsticks instead of thighs for a more kid-friendly presentation.

• •

  Stir in a diced chorizo sausage with the sofrito for extra smokiness.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven to keep the chicken skin from turning soggy; the microwave works but softens the skin.

Frequently Asked Questions