Jump to Recipe· 4.9 from 15 reviews

My mom’s classic Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo! This flavorful one-pot dish is made with rice, veggies, and chicken. An authentic Puerto Rican arroz con pollo recipe with simple, easy-to-follow instructions and mouthwatering, traditional Puerto Rican flavor. Tips included for how to season the dish and achieve perfectly crispy Pagao rice at the bottom of the pot.

a plate of arroz con pollo

It’s an authentic Puerto Rican arroz con pollo recipe with simple, easy-to-follow instructions and mouthwatering, traditional Puerto Rican flavor.

Keep reading for tips on how to season the dish and achieve perfectly crispy Pagao rice at the bottom of the pot.

a pot of arroz con pollo

The OG of Puerto Rican Cuisine

If you’ve ever ate at a Puerto Rican restaurant or household, you probably tried some version of this Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo.

It’s a classic chicken and rice dish with olives, veggies and lots of spices. Cooking the rice with the chicken and veggies and broth creates some of the most flavorful rice I’ve ever had and makes this the ultimate comfort food.

Similar to many of the Puerto Rican recipes on my site, this dish is one of those that every family has their own version of. Some families may use white rice, while others use brown.

My mom likes to cook the rice and chicken together, other Puerto Ricans like to cook the chicken first, remove it, cook the rice, then add the chicken back in.

In my opinion, there’s no right or wrong way to make Arroz con Pollo. As long as the flavor is there, I think all of these methods have their time and place.

That said, my mom’s technique is definitely the best (I’m not biased at all.)

Ingredients

bowls of onion, garlic, sofrito, and more

How to Make Arroz con Pollo

chicken drumsticks in a bag with spices
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before combining with seasonings in a large bowl. Mix to coat the chicken evenly with spices.
a pot of chicken with spices
Heat the oil in a caldero or dutch oven over medium heat. Start with the chicken skin side down, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer to to a plate and preheat the oven to 350°F.
a pot of chicken, peppers, and herbs
Toss sofrito and diced onion into the pot and sauté until the onions are translucent. Next add garlic, bell peppers, cilantro, salt and pepper, and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant. 
a pot of chicken, rice, and veggies
Add in the tomato sauce, olives and rice, and stir to ensure each grain of rice gets coated with the seasonings in the pot. 
a pot of chicken with broth and veggies
Pour in the 3 ½ cups of broth and turn the heat up to high to bring everything to a boil. Boil for a few minutes before arranging the chicken pieces on top of the rice and covering. Transfer the pot into the preheated oven and cook for about 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. 
a pot of chicken with broth and veggies
Check on the chicken and rice towards the end of the 30 minutes to make sure everything is fully cooked. If the rice looks dry, add the remaining 1/2 cup broth, cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Once everything is cooked, fluff in the peas. 
a pot of arroz con pollo
If you want the rice at the bottom of your pot to be crispy, pegao style, drizzle some oil around the edges of the pot, and set the pot back on the stovetop over medium heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes (watching closely to make sure it doesn’t burn).
a pot of arroz con pollo
Serve your rice with a squeeze of lime juice and sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Tips from my Boriqua Mom

But seriously, how adorable is my mom? Here are some of her top tips when making Puerto Rican chicken and rice:

  • Season in layers. Adding flavor in this recipe starts with the spice rub for the chicken and doesn’t stop until the very last step. Seasoning in layers means a super flavorful end result.
  • Use a good quality pot. Using a good quality heavy bottomed dutch oven or caldero helps the rice to cook evenly and absorb all the liquid evenly.
  • If you’ve ever had the crispy, almost but not quite burnt, rice at the bottom of a pot of Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo (also known as Pagao), you know how good it is. That said, it’s easy to burn if you’re not paying attention so keep reading for more tips on how to make Pegao.
My mom holding a pot of arroz con pollo.

Tasty toppings for flavor & presentation

Not only do garnishes add a great deal of eye appeal, they can really amp up the flavor and enhance the other ingredients in the dish.

Here are some of my favorite toppings for this Puerto Rican arroz con pollo:

achiote oil in a pot

Pegao (crispy rice)

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to try Pegao, the crispy and delicious rice at the bottom of some versions of Puerto Rican chicken and rice, you know how special the texture is.

While it’s a magical element of this dish, it’s not always the easiest thing to achieve, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it on the first try.

Here are my top tips for developing a tasty layer of Pegao under your arroz con pollo:

  • add a tablespoon of extra oil (you could use the achiote oil or olive oil) to your rice while toasting with the veggies to help the rice crisp up and prevent burning.
  • cook until the rice is done, then cook for another 5-10 minutes, checking to make sure the rice doesn’t burn, but gets nice and crispy.
  • it’s important to be patient when trying to achieve the perfect pegao as it’s a challenge for even seasoned Puerto Rican cooks!
a plate of arroz con pollo

More Puerto Rican Rice Dishes

Puerto Rican Rice & Beans with Sofrito (Arroz con Gandules)

Puerto Rican Arroz con Camarones (Rice with Shrimp)

30 Minute Arroz con Salchichas (Yellow Rice with Sausage)

Arroz con Dulce (Coconut Rice Pudding)

Buen Provecho,

Salima written in cursive
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a plate of arroz con pollo

Authentic Puerto Rican Arroz Con Pollo

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 15 reviews
  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
  • Category: Entree, Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

My mom’s classic Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo! This flavorful one-pot dish is made with rice, veggies, and chicken. An authentic Puerto Rican arroz con pollo recipe with simple, easy-to-follow instructions and mouthwatering, traditional Puerto Rican flavor. Tips included for how to season the dish and achieve perfectly crispy Pagao rice at the bottom of the pot.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Chicken:

For the Rice:

  • 2 tbsp achiote (annatto) oil or olive oil
  • 2 tbsp sofrito
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup green olives stuffed with pimento and sliced in half
  • 2 cups short or medium grain white rice
  • 3 1/2 – 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

  1. Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Combine seasonings and chicken in a large bowl. Mix to coat the chicken evenly.
  2. Brown the chicken and preheat the oven. Warm the achiote oil in a caldero or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken skin side down, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Set the oven to 350°F.
  3. Cook the veggies. Add sofrito and diced onion to the pot and sauté until the onions become translucent. Add garlic, bell peppers, cilantro, salt and pepper, and cook until the garlic is fragrant. 
  4. Add tomato sauce, olives and rice, stirring to ensure each grain is coated with seasoning and veggies. 
  5. Add the broth and bake. Add 3 ½ cups of broth and bring everything to a boil. Boil for a few minutes before arranging the chicken pieces on top of the rice and covering. Transfer the pot into the preheated oven and cook for about 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. 
  6. Finish the rice. Check on the rice towards the end of the 30 minutes to make sure it’s fully cooked through. If dry, add the remaining 1/2 cup broth, cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Once everything is cooked, fluff in the peas. 
  7. (Optional) For crispy rice. If you want the rice at the bottom of your pot to be crispy (pegao style), drizzle a tablespoon of oil around the edges, and add the pot to the stovetop again over medium heat. Cook for another 5-10 minutes (watching closely to make sure it doesn’t burn).
  8. Serve with a squeeze of lime juice and sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Equipment

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