This post is in partnership with Mahatma® Rice. As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.
Growing up in a Hispanic home, there are a few dishes that we had on repeat. My mom had to feed four growing teenagers and she always found ways of making her scrumptious food last! She was a master at this. She could turn any ordinary dish into something completely decadent; full of flavor and she always knew how to feed a crowd. My mom’s arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) does just that.
It’s a complete dish in one pot and her secret ingredient has always been great quality rice. Mahatma® Extra-long Enriched Rice has been her go-to for over a decade and to this day, it’s the key ingredient that holds most of her dishes together.
Mom would always tell me that if you’re able to master the basics and find great quality ingredients, then the rest would just fall into place. She’s an amazing cook and one day I hope to perfect her recipe. Today I thought I would share her Arroz con Pollo (Spanish Chicken and Rice) with you guys, including Mahatma® Extra-long Enriched Rice. The rice is fluffy in its consistency and it’s never sticky. It’s also non-GMO project verified and free of preservatives and MSG. It takes about 20 minutes to cook and it is the backdrop of this incredible dish.
Mom’s Arroz con Pollo
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ red pepper chopped
- ¼ red onion chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of oregano
- ¼ teaspoon of cumin
- ¼ teaspoon of turmeric
- ¼ cup of Spanish cooking wine (or chicken stock)
- 2 cups of Mahatma® Extra-long Enriched Rice
- 4 cups of water
- ¼ cup of green olives Chopped
- cherry tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
In a large pot or large Dutch oven with a lid, heat the butter on medium-high heat and brown the chicken pieces. Make sure not to overcrowd the pot (you can do this in batches) Once the chicken is browned, remove the chicken from the pot and sauté the garlic, onion, pepper, and tomato to make the “sofrito” for 1 minute. Add the cooking wine (or chicken stock) and with a wooden spoon, scrape up any bits of chicken that are stuck to the pot. Stir and sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Bring up the heat to high and add the water, green olives, cumin, oregano, salt, and stir. Add the chicken to the pot, bring everything to a simmer, and allow the chicken to finish cooking in the pot (about 10 minutes). Add the rice, lower the heat to low, and cover. Let the rice cook for 20 minutes covered. After 15 minutes, check the rice for doneness. If all of the water is evaporated, use a fork to fluff up the rice and it’s done! If not, let it cook covered for another 5 minutes.
Top with chopped cherry tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro.
This recipe reminds me of my mom and my childhood home. I love making it on the regular and my kids love eating it so it’s a win for me! Here’s to family recipes and great quality rice!
