Arroz Caldoso con Pollo (Spanish Brothy Chicken Rice)

About This Recipe

Arroz caldoso is a looser, brothier cousin of paella from Spain's Levante coast, meant to be eaten with a spoon rather than a fork, the rice simmering in far more liquid than a traditional dry paella. Chicken pieces are browned first to build a savory base, then simmered with a saffron-infused broth, tomato and vegetables before the rice goes in to absorb the flavorful liquid without ever fully drying out. Unlike paella, which demands precision to develop the prized socarrat crust, arroz caldoso is comfortingly forgiving — a good one simply needs a rich broth and rice cooked until tender but still holding its shape in the soupy liquid.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8bone-in chicken thighs
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1onion(diced)
• 1red bell pepper(diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2tomatoes(grated or finely diced)
• 1 pinchsaffron threads
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• 1.5 cupsshort-grain rice
• 6 cupschicken stock
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 2 tbspchopped parsley(for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the chicken

   Heat olive oil in a wide, deep pan and brown chicken thighs on both sides, about 10 minutes total; remove and set aside.

2. 2

   Build the sofrito

   Cook onion and red pepper in the same pan until softened, about 10 minutes, then add garlic, tomato, saffron and smoked paprika, cooking 5 minutes until thickened.

3. 3

   Add stock and chicken

   Pour in the chicken stock, add salt, and return the chicken to the pan; bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the rice

   Stir in the rice and simmer uncovered 18-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender but the dish remains soupy.

   Keep enough liquid in the pot throughout — arroz caldoso should stay brothy, unlike drier paella styles.

5. 5

   Rest briefly

   Let the dish rest 5 minutes off the heat before serving; the rice will continue absorbing a little liquid.

6. 6

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley.

Variations

• •

  A seafood version substitutes shrimp, mussels and squid for the chicken, adding them only in the final few minutes.

• •

  Some versions add green beans or peas for extra vegetables and color.

• •

  A rabbit version is traditional in some inland regions of Spain.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 2 days; the rice will continue absorbing liquid as it sits, so add a splash of stock when reheating to loosen it back to a soupy consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions