Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice

4.67 from 3 votes

Puerto Rican chicken and rice is the ultimate one-pot meal. The ingredients are simmered together with sofrito and traditional Puerto Rican seasonings, resulting in a tender and incredibly flavorful dish.

Prep Time20

Cook Time55

Total Time1 15

Course: Pasta and Rice

Cuisine: Puerto Rico

Servings: people

Calories: 531kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot

Ingredients

Adobo seasoning for the chicken:

1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Sazon seasoning for the rice:

½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon turmeric

Sofrito ingredients:

¼ cup green bell pepper finely diced about ½ a small pepper
¼ cup onion finely chopped about ½ a small onion
2 garlic cloves finely minced
¼ cup cilantro or culantro finely chopped
1 small jalapeno finely chopped

Chicken and rice:

2 tablespoons canola oil
4 chicken thighs Note 1
4 chicken legs
¼ cup green olives sliced 50 g
2 tablespoons capers
1 ½ cups tomato sauce 350 g
1½ cups long grain white rice 350 g, Note 2
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock 950 ml Note 3
½ cup frozen peas 75 g
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
cilantro to serve, optional

Instructions

Adobo seasoning: Mix all the spices in a small bowl. Set aside.
1 teaspoon fine sea salt + 1 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon cumin + 1 teaspoon oregano + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika + ¼ teaspoon turmeric + ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sazon seasoning: Mix all the spices in a small bowl. Set aside.
½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + ½ teaspoon onion powder + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika + ½ teaspoon oregano + ¼ teaspoon coriander + ¼ teaspoon cumin + ¼ teaspoon turmeric
Sofrito: Finely chop all the ingredients. Set aside.
¼ cup green bell pepper + ¼ cup onion + 2 garlic cloves + ¼ cup cilantro + 1 small jalapeno
Season chicken: Dry the chicken with paper towels. Rub it well with the adobo seasoning.
4 chicken thighs + 4 chicken legs
Sear chicken in the hot oil until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove it from the pot. Pour most of the rendered fat away, leaving only about 2 tablespoons in the pot.
2 tablespoons canola oil
Cook sofrito in the same pot for 3 minutes.
Add tomato sauce, capers, and sliced olives to the pot and cook gently for about 3 minutes.
1 ½ cups tomato sauce / 350 g + 2 tablespoons capers + ¼ cup green olives / 50 g
Add rice and sazon seasoning and stir well. Add chicken stock, salt, and pepper, and stir again.
1½ cups long grain white rice / 350 g + 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock/ 950 ml + ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Simmer: Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes until some of the liquid has cooked off. Add the peas, cover the pot, and cook for another 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
½ cup frozen peas / 75 g
Check: The chicken should have an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C. You can also cut one thigh near the bone. The flesh should be white without red or pink traces.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top the chicken and rice with fresh cilantro if desired.
cilantro

Notes

Chicken: You can use only thighs if you like, but I can’t fit 8 thighs into my largest pot. It works with 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks.
Medium-grain rice, like the one used in Puerto Rico, would be ideal. However, as that is hard to find, you can use long-grain white rice.
Stock: Ensure the stock is low-sodium; otherwise, the dish will be too salty. If you don’t have low-sodium, thin it 1:1 with water or use only water.

Nutrition