Arroz Con Pollo combines seasoned rice, tender shredded chicken, and a rich cream-and-cheese sauce, finished with crispy pan-fried chicken quarters on top. This version layers Spanish rice, soft meat, and a savory Italian four-cheese topping for depth.
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Start out by hooking that chicken up. I cooked about 5 pounds of chicken thighs in my Dutch oven at 350° for an hour.
While that is cooking, go ahead and chop up a green bell pepper and 1 sweet onion. Then sauté them in a cast iron skillet drizzled with a little olive oil until tender. When they're done, place them in a sealed container until later.
When the chicken is all done, go ahead and shred it up nicely. Make sure you don't have any bones in there. Place that in a sealed bowl for later also.
Go ahead and mix the Spanish rice ingredients, bring to a light boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes. When it's done, fluff it with a fork and leave it set to the side covered.
In a medium sauce pot mix 16 ounces of half and half (or heavy cream), 4 ounces of diced green chiles, 1 tbsp of butter, and 2 cups of shredded cheese. I use an Italian four cheese blend. It really comes down to your taste, but I like to use white cheese.
Mix everything together over medium low heat. You wanna take your time with this so it doesn't burn the bottom. It should slowly melt down. Whisk it occasionally to keep everything mixed as it melts. When everything is melted and smooth, turn off the heat and leave it covered on the burner to keep warm. Whisk again before serving.
Now it's time to crisp up that chicken. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and drizzle a little olive oil in there. In a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1 tbsp of Sazón, 1 tspn garlic powder, and a little sea salt and cracked black pepper.
When your skillet is heated up, toss your chicken in the flour mix until evenly coated and place in your skillet. Don't be scared to add a little olive oil as need to keep your chicken from drying out. Cook until everything is nicely crisped.
Now all you gotta do is assemble your plate, and enjoy this amazing ACP!!!
Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat the assembled dish gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally; crisp fresh chicken and warm the cheese sauce just before serving.
Dutch oven · cast iron skillet · medium sauce pot
Yes, but thighs and quarters stay more moist. If using breasts, reduce the 350°F baking time to 45 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165°F.
Substitute with 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, or plain diced tomatoes plus 1 tsp cayenne or hot sauce to taste.
Yes. Assemble the rice and shredded chicken mixture, cover, and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat gently on stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Crisp the chicken and make the cheese sauce fresh when serving.
Use medium-low heat, whisk frequently as the cheese melts, and do not walk away. The sauce should melt slowly and smoothly without bubbling aggressively.
Yes. Heavy cream will make the sauce richer; you may want to use slightly less (14–15 oz) since it's thicker than half and half.
