Arroz con Pollo (Mexican-style chicken and rice)
One-pan Mexican arroz con pollo — juicy spiced chicken simmered with tomatoes, peppers and peas for a comforting weeknight feast.
Arroz con pollo is the ultimate cosy one-pan supper — a perfect midweek showstopper that smells like a fiesta and eats like a hug. This Mexican-style version leans on smoky paprika and cumin for warmth and uses tomatoes, peppers and peas for colour and sweetness.
It’s forgiving to cook: brown the chicken well, resist peeking while the rice simmers, and you’ll have tender chicken and fluffy, flavour-packed rice with minimal washing up. Serve with lime wedges and a simple salad if you like.
Ingredients
- 700 g chicken thighs — boneless, skinless
- 350 g long-grain rice
- 800 ml chicken stock — hot
- 45 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — medium, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves — crushed
- 1 red pepper — deseeded and diced
- 1 green pepper — deseeded and diced
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 150 g frozen peas — no need to thaw
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
- 1 lime — cut into wedges to serve
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml turmeric — for colour
- 10 ml sea salt — divided
- 5 ml black pepper
Equipment
- measuring jug
- tongs
- large frying pan with tight-fitting lid or 28 cm casserole
Instructions
Put the chicken thighs in a bowl. Add smoked paprika, ground cumin, turmeric, 1 tsp sea salt, black pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil; rub everything into the meat so it's evenly coated.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium–high hob and add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. When hot, add the chicken (shake off excess marinade) and brown for about 6 minutes on the first side until deep golden, then flip and brown the other side for a further 6 minutes. Work in batches if your pan is crowded.
Remove the browned chicken to a plate and set aside. Leave any browned bits and oil in the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the brown onion, garlic cloves, red pepper and green pepper to the pan and sweat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Stir the long-grain rice into the softened veg and toast for 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the grains are coated and slightly translucent at the edges.
Pour in the tinned chopped tomatoes and the hot chicken stock, add the bay leaf and the remaining 1 tsp sea salt, stir once to combine. Return the browned chicken to the pan, nestling the pieces into the rice.
Bring to a gentle simmer uncovered, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook without lifting the lid for 25 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and the chicken is cooked through.
Scatter the frozen peas over the rice, replace the lid and cook for a further 3 minutes so the peas heat through.
Remove from the heat, sprinkle over the fresh coriander, cover and leave to rest for 5 minutes. This final rest lets the rice finish steaming and flavours settle.
Serve the arroz con pollo straight from the pan with lime wedges to squeeze over at the table.
Tips
- Brown chicken in batches so each piece crisps properly — that fond is the base of the sauce.
- Measure stock by weight/volume rather than guessing; if rice looks dry before cooking time is up add a splash (50–100 ml) of extra hot stock and continue.
- If you prefer more colour, stir a spoonful of tomato purée with the tomatoes before adding the stock.
- Make-ahead: the dish keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days — reheat gently on the hob with a little stock to loosen the rice.
- For an extra smoky note, finish with a pinch more smoked paprika or a small drizzle of good olive oil just before serving.
Substitutions
chicken thighs → chicken breasts, 700 g, sliced into large pieces
Noticeably differentfresh coriander → flat-leaf parsley, same quantity
Stays closelong-grain rice → jasmine rice, same weight (may be slightly stickier)
Stays closesmoked paprika → sweet paprika, same quantity
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 750
- Calories
- 47 g
- Protein
- 81 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 650 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this in the oven?
Yes — after step 6 cover the pan and transfer to a 180°C fan/200°C conventional oven for 25 minutes, then continue with the peas and rest.
My rice is still hard after 25 minutes — what went wrong?
Likely not enough liquid or the heat was too low. Add 50–100 ml hot stock, cover and cook for a further 5–8 minutes. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking.
Can I use bone-in chicken?
Yes — bone-in will give extra flavour but will need a little longer to cook (add 8–10 minutes to the covered cooking time).
Is this suitable for freezing?
You can freeze portions, but texture suffers slightly. Freeze cooled portions for up to 2 months; defrost overnight and reheat gently with a splash of stock.
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