Arroz con Pollo Peruano (Peruvian Green Rice with Chicken)

About This Recipe

Arroz con pollo peruano gets its distinctive green color from a generous amount of cilantro blended into the cooking liquid, a technique that sets the Peruvian version apart from the many other Latin American rice-and-chicken dishes sharing the same name. Chicken pieces braise directly in the cilantro-infused stock alongside beer and aji amarillo paste, the Peruvian yellow chile that gives the dish its subtle fruity heat, before rice is added to cook in the same flavorful liquid. The rice ends up tinted a deep green, studded with peas and carrots, absorbing all the herbal, slightly spicy flavor of the broth, traditionally served with a wedge of lime and a scoop of salsa criolla on the side.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1onion(diced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspaji amarillo paste
• 2 cupsfresh cilantro(packed)
• 1 cupbeer or chicken stock(for blending)
• 2 cupslong-grain rice(rinsed)
• 2.5 cupschicken stock
• 1 cupfrozen peas
• 1carrot(diced)
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 1lime(cut into wedges, for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Blend the cilantro

   Blend cilantro with beer or stock until smooth.

2. 2

   Brown the chicken

   Heat oil in a heavy pot and brown chicken thighs on both sides, about 8 minutes total; remove.

3. 3

   Cook the aromatics

   Cook onion in the same pot until soft, add garlic and aji amarillo paste, cooking 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Add liquid

   Stir in the blended cilantro mixture, return the chicken to the pot, and simmer covered 20 minutes.

5. 5

   Add rice

   Add rinsed rice, chicken stock, carrot and salt; bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 18-20 minutes until the rice is tender.

   Keep the pot covered and resist stirring too often while the rice simmers, or it can turn gummy instead of fluffy.

6. 6

   Add peas

   Stir in the frozen peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

7. 7

   Serve

   Fluff and serve hot with lime wedges.

Variations

• •

  A vegetarian version replaces chicken with extra vegetables and mushrooms.

• •

  Some households add a splash of dark beer for extra depth in the braising liquid.

• •

  Adding diced red bell pepper along with the peas gives extra color and sweetness.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently with a splash of stock to loosen the rice.

Frequently Asked Questions