• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes
1 hour 5 minutes
4.73 from 11 votes
25 Comments

Arroz Con Pollo

Jump to RecipePrint RecipeJump to Video
  • 222
by: Joanna Cismaru

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.


This is the best Arroz Con Pollo recipe! Featuring chicken, loads of veggies, beer and white wine, all made in one pot. Dinner doesn’t get any better than this.

Arroz Con Pollo in a skillet

First of all, I can’t resist a good chicken and rice dish, seriously. It’s one of my weaknesses. I’ll tell you what takes this recipe to a whole other level. This rice dish, are you ready for this… wait for it… has both beer and white wine! BAM!

What Is Arroz Con Pollo?

For those who don’t know what arroz con pollo means, it simply translates to rice with chicken. It’s traditionally a dish from Spain or Latin America closely related to paella.

There are different version of arroz con pollo, but this is my absolute favorite! I’m pretty sure every culture has their own version of chicken with rice. This dish is delicious, full of flavor, loaded with chicken, an assortment of veggies, plus the flavor from the beer and wine is unmatched.

process shots for making Arroz Con Pollo

How to Make Arroz Con Pollo

This really is a simple recipe to throw together! Start by heating olive oil in a large braiser. Add the chicken thighs, season with salt and pepper, and let them brown up. Don’t worry about cooking the chicken all the way through- they will be perfect after the whole dish comes out of the oven. I used bone-in chicken thighs with the skin to really bump up the flavor, but you can use any cut of chicken that you prefer!

After the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the pan. You’ll be left with extra oil from the skin and lots of delicious brown bits in the pan. Add the onion, and let it cook for a few minutes in that delicious chicken flavored oil. Then, add the peppers, garlic, the spices, remaining salt and pepper, and the tomato paste. Give everything a good stir until well combined.

Now you can deglaze the pan with the white wine. Let it cook down for a minute or so before adding the rice, bay leaves, peas, and corn. Now it’s time for a full bottle of beer (you can save yourself a few sips if you want) and the chicken broth. Stir everything together, add the chicken back to the braiser, and bake for 30 minutes. The hardest part of this recipe truly is waiting!

Arroz Con Pollo in a skillet

What Type of Beer Should I Use?

Any light mild flavored beer will work for this recipe. Your typical cheap lager will be best, as it won’t overpower the flavor of this dish. If you want to use a beer that you can taste more in this dish give an ale, pilsner, blonde, or wheat beer a try!

What Type of Wine Is Best?

For this dish I used a Chardonnay. I always use dry white wines for cooking, so the dish doesn’t become sweet. Other varieties that would be great for this recipe would be a Sauvignon Blanc or Pino Grigio.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can also store it in the freezer and it could last up to 2 months.

Arroz Con Pollo in a white plate

Try These Rice and Chicken Dishes:

  • Lemon Chicken Rice Bake
  • Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
  • One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
  • Mexican Chicken and Rice Salad
  • One Pot Spanish Chicken and Rice

Looking for more recipes? Follow on... My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

side view shot of a serving spoon taking a scoop of arroz con pollo

Arroz Con Pollo

4.73 from 11 votes
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 1 hr 5 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 8
Print Pin Rate
This is the best Arroz Con Pollo recipe! Featuring chicken, loads of veggies, beer and white wine, all made in one pot. Dinner doesn't get any better than this.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 pound chicken thighs with skin and bone in (about 8)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 bell pepper chopped (I used 1/2 green and 1/2 red)
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup white wine I used Chardonay
  • 2 cups rice long grain, uncooked
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 12 ounce beer (1 bottle)
  • 3 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • 1/4 cup cilantro chopped for garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Brown chicken: Add olive oil to a large oven safe skillet, preferably one with a cover and heat over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook on each side just enough so that the chicken browns a bit. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
  • Saute veggies: Add onion to skillet and cook for a couple minutes until onion is translucent. Add bell peppers, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and tomato paste to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften, stirring occasionally.
  • Deglaze pan and add rice: Deglaze the pan with the white wine and cook for about 1 minute until most of the wine has evaporated. Add rice and bay leaves to the skillet and stir and brown the rice for about a minute. 
  • Add remaining ingredients: Stir in the frozen peas and corn. Add the beer, chicken broth and stir. Add the chicken back to skillet by placing it over the rice.
  • Bake: Cover the skillet with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes until the rice is cooked through.
  • Garnish: Garnish with cilantro or parsley and serve.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. Use a long grain rice such as basmati or jasmine rice.
  2. Any light mild flavored beer will work for this recipe. Your typical cheap lager will be best, as it won’t over power the flavor of this dish.
  3. I used a Chardonnay white wine. Other varieties that would be great for this recipe would be a Sauvignon Blanc or Pino Grigio.
 

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 579kcal (29%)Carbohydrates: 52g (17%)Protein: 26g (52%)Fat: 26g (40%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Cholesterol: 111mg (37%)Sodium: 486mg (21%)Potassium: 575mg (16%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 1215IU (24%)Vitamin C: 25.6mg (31%)Calcium: 48mg (5%)Iron: 2.4mg (13%)
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:Spanish
Keyword:arroz con pollo, chicken and rice, one pot chicken and rice
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 222

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

overhead shot of coq au vin
Previous Post
Coq Au Vin
side view shot of chopsticks taking a bite of pad see ew from a bowl
Next Post
Pad See Ew

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Christine Holland says

    July 15, 2021 at 11:43 am

    4 stars
    This was delicious!! I used medium-grain rice because I like it a lot better for arroz con pollo, but otherwise I didn’t alter anything. I’m giving it 4 stars only because it was too much for my 12″ cast iron frying pan so by the time I had it all put together and ready to go in the oven, I had to move it to a dutch oven. Otherwise, it’s really really good, just start with a REALLY big pan or else cut the recipe in half because it makes a LOT.

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team AMJ says

      July 16, 2021 at 9:16 am

      That’s a great tip, thanks for sharing Christine!

      Reply
  2. George Baker says

    February 21, 2019 at 8:49 am

    5 stars
    Hi. Do you think I can adapt to replace the rice with quinoa? What changes would you recommend?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      February 21, 2019 at 10:18 am

      You won’t need to change anything- 2 cups of quinoa will work well in this recipe.

      Reply
      • George Baker says

        February 21, 2019 at 10:22 am

        5 stars
        Thanks Nicole! We’ll give it a try tonight. Recently discovered quinoa as a high in protein starch stand in for rice, and we love it! G.

  3. Colleen says

    February 20, 2019 at 4:09 pm

    Hi Jo…I am not a beer lover. Don’t like the taste or smell…does it have to be in there? Can you taste it? The wine would be ok…do I just sub more broth?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      February 20, 2019 at 4:38 pm

      You can’t taste, yeah more wine or broth should be just fine!

      Reply
  4. Vernice says

    February 20, 2019 at 4:07 pm

    Can I use skinless chicken thighs?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      February 20, 2019 at 4:38 pm

      For sure!

      Reply
  5. Bruce Erickson says

    February 20, 2019 at 12:36 pm

    Could I adapt to an InstaPot?.

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      February 20, 2019 at 2:50 pm

      Yes you can! Follow the first 5 instructions all on the saute setting of your Instant Pot. Reduce the beer and chicken broth by half, so only use 6 oz of beer and 1 1/2 cups broth. Cook for 12 minutes on high pressure.

      Reply
  6. dinner4seven says

    February 20, 2019 at 12:32 pm

    do you think i could safely 1-1/2 or double this recipe?

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      February 20, 2019 at 2:11 pm

      Yes you can, as long as you have a big enough braiser!

      Reply
  7. Angela says

    November 4, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Jo! Great site & I love this recipe – any suggestions on how to adapt it to for a slow cooker? I’m trying very hard to use mine more! Much appreciated!

    Reply
    • jo says

      November 5, 2013 at 1:26 am

      Hi Angela,
      I’ve never tried rice in the slow cooker yet. I think I would still brown the chicken first and then throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker, and cook it for about 3 to 4 hours on high. It’s worth a try. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Abbe @ Abbe's Cooking Antics says

    November 2, 2013 at 9:34 pm

    I’m not always keen on Diners Drive-ins and Dives – Guy does my nut – though the food usually leaves me with drool everywhere… a bit like this dish. I just want to bury my face in it 😉

    Reply
    • jo says

      November 2, 2013 at 9:36 pm

      Lol, come on over, still have some left. 🙂

      Reply
      • Abbe @ Abbe's Cooking Antics says

        November 3, 2013 at 9:56 am

        I’ll bring wine 😉

      • jo says

        November 3, 2013 at 2:31 pm

        Deal! 🙂

  9. Judy says

    November 2, 2013 at 12:09 pm

    Ooh ooh! Do you know what rice is in Hebrew? No of course you don’t. Silly question. Well it’s OREZ. What do you think about that then huh?

    Reply
    • jo says

      November 2, 2013 at 1:37 pm

      Well do you know what rice is in Romanian? It’s OREZ as well. Interesting, eh?

      Reply
  10. Judy says

    November 2, 2013 at 12:07 pm

    Oh dear. I don’t use wine in cooking as I don’t drink so I don’t buy. Is there an instead-of?

    Reply
    • jo says

      November 2, 2013 at 1:37 pm

      Judy, I would just use some extra chicken broth, it should be fine.

      Reply
  11. Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons says

    November 1, 2013 at 5:11 pm

    5 stars
    I hear about Triple D. Oh god, I can’t believe I just called it Triple D. I don’t even like Guy Fieri, but some of the food on that show looks AMAZING! This dish is exactly the kind of thing I would be drooling over on that show. I like that you used both beer and wine in it. A+ 🙂

    Reply
    • jo says

      November 1, 2013 at 6:55 pm

      Yeah I don’t know how I feel about Guy. He annoys me but at the same time I can’t stop watching him, it’s the food! Yes beer and wine, gotta love it. 🙂

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Favorites

black pepper chicken on a bed of rice on a black plate.

Black Pepper Chicken

a slice of pastitsio on a black plate.

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

side view shot of a piece of eggplant parmesan with marinara sauce in a white plate garnished with parsley and a piece cut out and held by a fork

Eggplant Parmesan

side view shot chicken souvlaki skewers with a little tzatziki on a plate

Chicken Souvlaki

yakisoba noodles with chicken and vegetables in a large serving platter.

Yakisoba

pouring lemon sauce over fried chicken.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

a chicken gyro wrapped in paper and topped with lots of tzatziki sauce with another gyro in the background

Chicken Gyros

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

Air Fryer Recipes

a roasted chicken on a serving platter along some roasted root veggies.

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

apple pie bombs on a white plate with the top one cut in half.

Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs

3 cooked chicken breasts on a cutting board.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

air fried chicken drumsticks in a basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

cooked chicken thighs in the basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

eggs inside an air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

lobster tails on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Lobster Tails

hands pulling apart a mozzarella stick with the rest in the background

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

freshly made bread in air fryer on a cutting board cut into slices.

Air Fryer No Knead Bread

bacon wrapped water chestnuts on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
chow mein in a white asian bowl.

Asian

caprese gnocchi in a sheet pan.

Italian

chicken fajita taquitos with sour cream and salsa on a white platter.

Mexican

chicken and mushroom in creamy dill sauce over a bed of rice in a blue bowl.

Romanian

freshly made lamb korma in a beige braiser.

Indian

freshly made hummus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with tomatoes cucumbers and olives.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

roast chicken with roast potatoes on a roaster.

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
lifehack logo.
buzzfeed logo.
mashable logo.
woman's day logo.
health logo.
better homes & gardens logo.
delish logo.
healthline logo.
nbc news logo.
blogloving logo.
university of washington logo.
shape logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2022 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!