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Mom’s Spanish Chicken and Rice

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Mom’s Spanish chicken and rice, otherwise known as arroz con pollo is a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love.

Mom's Spanish chicken and rice, otherwise known as arroz con pollo is a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love.

Mom’s Spanish Chicken and Rice

Arroz con pollo can be made so many different ways and also varies from country to country. In fact, I don’t use a recipe when I make this, I just use whatever I have on hand so it may never turn out the same twice. This is my Mom’s version, which I’ve lightened up and recently altered slightly. For more one-pot rice dishes, you might also enjoy this Seafood Paella.

Mom's Spanish chicken and rice, otherwise known as arroz con pollo is a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love.

Mom makes her arroz con pollo with beer, green olives and some of the brine. She also adds frozen mixed vegetables to it for more flavor. Typically, she uses whole chicken pieces on the bone (skin and all) which gives it great flavor, but for this recipe I used boneless, skinless thighs.

What is Sazon seasoning made of?

Some of my Latin recipes you’ll see “sazon” listed in the ingredients. I buy Badia’s sazon because it has no msg. You can also just make it yourself if it’s not available near you. Sazon basically means seasoning in Spanish; it typically includes salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, dried ground coriander seed, cumin, ground oregano and ground achiote (annatto) seeds. The achiote (annatto) is what gives the sazon the reddish color and makes the rice yellow. You could sub paprika for the achiote, if this isn’t available to you. Some varieties contain azafrán (saffron), a pinch is all you’ll need if you want to add it. When you make your own, a good ratio is one tbsp of each spice. Mix well and store it someplace dry. When a recipe calls for a packet, simply use 1 1/2 tsp in place of the sazon. Best part, no msg. Here is the full homemade Sazon recipe.

It’s perfectly fine to use the chicken on the bone. And yes, you can use white meat if you prefer however, I personally find white meat too dry in this dish for my taste. I love this served with a little hot sauce on top and a simple salad on the side. If you would like to try my version which is made slightly different, and has no beer, click on Arroz Con Pollo, Lightened Up or make them both and let me know which you like best!

Mom's Spanish chicken and rice, otherwise known as arroz con pollo is a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love.
Mom's Spanish chicken and rice, otherwise known as arroz con pollo is a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love.

Mom's Spanish chicken and rice, otherwise known as arroz con pollo is a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love.

Mom's Spanish chicken and rice, otherwise known as arroz con pollo is a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love.

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Mom's Spanish Chicken and Rice

4.78 from 18 votes
7
Cals:319
Protein:18.3
Carbs:46.3
Fat:5.2
Mom's Spanish chicken and rice, otherwise known as arroz con pollo is a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Mom's Spanish chicken and rice, otherwise known as arroz con pollo is a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 medium bell pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 3/4 cups water
  • 3/4 cups light beer
  • 2 oz tomato sauce
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 1 packet Badia sazon, or make your own, see above
  • 6 oz frozen mixed vegetables
  • 2 tbsp 30 g alcaparrado (or pitted green olives, capers and pimentos)
  • 2 1/4 cups uncooked long grain white rice
  • 2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  • Place onion, bell pepper, garlic, and cilantro in a chopper or food processor to chop fine.
  • In a large heavy pot with a good fitting lid such as a Dutch oven; heat 1 tsp of oil over medium heat.
  • Season chicken pieces with salt and sauté until browned, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Remove chicken and set aside.
  • Heat remaining oil in skillet, then add onions, peppers, garlic and cilantro.
  • Sauté, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
  • Add water, beer, tomato sauce, chicken bouillon, sazon, chicken and salt.
  • Cook 10-12 minutes on medium heat.
  • Add frozen mixed vegetables, alcaparrado (or pimientos) with a little of the brine (liquid) from the olive jar, and rice.
  • Stir and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until water boils down and barely skims the top.
  • Once the water level reaches the top of the rice, cover with a tight fitting lid so no steam escapes and cook 25-30 minutes. (Tip: if your lid doesn't have a good tight fit, place a paper towel over the pot then cover as pictured below)
  • Shut heat off and let the pot sit wit the cover on an additional 10 minutes.
  • Remove lid and fluff with a fork.

Last Step:

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Notes

Makes about 12 1/2 cups.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 1/2 cups, Calories: 319 kcal, Carbohydrates: 46.3 g, Protein: 18.3 g, Fat: 5.2 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 28.5 mg, Sodium: 844 mg, Fiber: 1.7 g, Sugar: 0.4 g

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171 comments on “Mom’s Spanish Chicken and Rice”

  1. Such a delicious and hearty one-pot meal! The chicken was very tender, and the 1.5 cup servings were really satisfying. Thumbs up at our house; it’s going on regular rotation.

  2. One of our favorite recipes in our house! I’ve made it so many times and realized I’ve never reviewed it. So good!

  3. This may be my new Skinnytaste favorite, which is high praise because there are so many dishes I adore! Packed with flavor and super comforting. I will put this on regular rotation from now on. Excellent! 

  4. This is one of our new favourites! I halved the recipe the first time and was kicking myself, I know for next time I’ll want lots of leftovers! I did add a bit more olives and capers, otherwise followed exactly and it was perfect! The rice was so perfectly cooked, my husband already wants me to make it again next week!

  5. Twice I have made this and both times it was delicious.  Only problem was the rice got overcooked.  I’m sure I have done something wrong but I will make it again and master this because it is so delicious.

  6. Looking forward to making this over the weekend! To clarify: in the text leading up to the recipe here, it says when making the homemade Sazon mix that you can substitute paprika for achiote, but in the actual homemade Sazon recipe, it says to use turmeric in place of achiote. Those two spices (paprika and turmeric) are going to produce different flavors and colors, so which is the better option to substitute with? Thanks!

  7. Hi Gina,
    Is there any way that I could substitute brown rice for the long grain white rice? My mother is diabetic, and brown rice does not affect the blood sugar as drastically. My experience has been that brown rice needs to be cooked quite a bit longer than white rice. Any suggestions? Thank you

    1. Avatar photo
      Sharon Gombeda

      I just saw this and my husband was type 2 diabetic (thankfully, he brought everything down with diet), but I still like to use Brown rice when I can. I was going through Gina’s other recipes and saw this one. In the notes about the recipe on the bottom, she says To make with brown rice, you can use quick cooking parboiled rice…here is the recipe of her’s that I use…hope this helps
      https://www.skinnytaste.com/arroz-con-pollo-lightened-up/

  8. Made this Saturday night and oh. my. gosh.   It is absolutely delicious!!   Soooo flavorful.  I made my own Sazon seasoning from the link provided I keep it in my spice cabinet.  We’ve tried the instant pot version of this too, and like it, but this was a fun Saturday-night-get-in-the-kitchen-and-cook kind of recipe.  Now we’re wrestling for the leftovers, haha.  We will definitely make it again!!  

  9. this was so awesome! I veganized it – then I made TJ sriracha tofu and added that to the rice. It was comforting, filling and I will make again. I made the sazon recipe and did 3 tsps to the recipes – yum!!!!! thank you so much!

  10. Really tasty dish, family loved it. I agree with comments below that for this amount of rice and chicken, 2 Sazon packets are needed. That’s what I did. I also seasoned the liquid with salt to taste before I added the chicken back in. Not sure if it was only 2 teaspoons but in this type of recipe, realize your rice will taste like the liquid so if the liquid is bland, your dish will be too. I also seasoned my chicken with more than just salt because I love flavor! Garlic, onion powder, adobo and black pepper!

  11. I have been looking for a recipe for Arroz Con Pollo. I had it at a restaurant in Washington State and just loved it. I haven’t made it yet, but your Mom’s recipe looks close to what I had. Theirs had a white cheese, maybe Mozzerella? I am not sure…

      1. I have never heard of cheese in Puerto Rican arroz con pollo and I’ve been making it since I was a teenager.

  12. I think she’s said down below that you could, but I made this and the beer added a great flavour, that didn’t taste beer-y since the alcohol cooks sway.

  13. Yum! OK I made this 2 nights ago and here are my suggestions: 1. a little less water.. I cut it back to 3 1/2 but I still feel like it could have had less, the rice was a big porridge-y. 2. Easily double the seasoning packet. I put one (Goya brand) and it was just ok, bordering on bland. I added an extra sprinkle to my leftovers today and it was great! So definitely 2 , maybe even 3. Other than that it was pretty easy prep, the addition of beer was tasty and clever and it made BUCKETS of leftovers.

  14. Made this last night and it was a huge hit! Super easy and delicious. My five-year-old gave it two thumbs up. I substituted roasted red pepper for fresh because that’s what I had on hand, and used capers and kalamata olives for the alcapparado.  I will definitely be making this again.

  15. Avatar photo
    Lisa Ferguson-Sanford

    This is one of my families favorites!!! Wandering if you have did this in your Instant pot??? Please post if you do! Love that your part of the IP group on FB also!

  16. Hi there! Would love to try this recipe! Looked up Badia seasoning on Amazon and it looks like it does indeed contain MSG. Can you link to the version of this seasoning you reference that does not contain MSG? Thank you!

  17. Pingback: Back of the Stove Chicken

  18. I made this and my husband and I love it! So much flavor and I used brown rice but only 2 cups and it came out perfect!

  19. I love this dish! I had never had Arroz con Pollo with beer before and it is genius! Thanks for all your recipes!

  20. Awesome recipe!! I used chicken broth for the water and omitted the bouillon. (Some of the ingredients in the boullion causes headaches like msg. For example disodium guanylate and natural flavor.).  I also made the homemade sazon. My husband went back for seconds and asked to pack some for lunch. Thanks Gina for your amazing flavorful recipes!!!!!

  21. Just wondering if anyone has ever tried this with leftover thanksgiving turkey? I’m always looking for new recipes to use it up and this sounds really great!

  22. Avatar photo
    Kristine Lajoie

    Hi Gina! Can you tell why your "lightened" up version is so much more in SmartPoints than your moms? Also, what are those cute little pots your serve this in called? I can't wait for your second cookbook to come out!!

  23. I made this last night and the rice was cooked perfectly! The taste was decent but not amazing. I was looking for a recipe that makes me want to eat the entire pot myself and this wasn't it.

  24. Can I make this without the chicken and frozen vegetables? I would like to make it as a side dish to go with my jerk chicken. I am not a fan on frozen vegetables so is there anything different I should do if I leave those ingredients out?

    Thank you for all the great recipes I cook from this site all the time.

  25. Gina! I just completed your mom's recipe and my family really enjoyed it! I plan to try your version as well and compare.:-) Your mom is awesome! Thank you for sharing.

  26. Made this last night – I think I just found a family favorite. I've been looking for a good arroz con pollo recipe, and this one is the best!

  27. OMG!! This is the best arroz con pollo that I've ever had. I followed your instructions exactly (no substitutions) and made my own sazon, adding paprika and fresh saffron (we're Persian so we always have some on hand). This is phenomenal. Thanks for yet another tasty dish. Eat yummy food and lose weight! Doesn't get any better than that.

  28. I just made this for dinner and it was AMAZING!!! I used chicken legs and cut them up at the end, subsituted green pepper for red, water for beer and sofrito for alcaparrado. Its just what I had on hand and it was still awesome.!!!

  29. I made this tonight for dinner. It turned out wonderful! I wasn't able to find your brand of sazon and had to use the Goya brand one. Of course the first ingredients are msg and salt. :/ Thank you AGAIN for the trick of putting a towel or paper towel to prevent the steam from escaping. I have perfect rice every time now. Will be making the skinny tikka masala again tomorrow.

    1. While I was making it, my boyfriend was watching Jeopardy and "arroz con pollo" was the answer to one of the questions. Weird coincidence.

  30. p.s. I don't know if the olives added anything (they may have, and I didn't notice) but I'm not the biggest fan of olives so I was probably conservative with my amount. I liked the addition of tomato sauce. I also added a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Yum!

  31. This was awesome! Used green pepper, halved the recipe (but kept the veggies almost the same amount), no beer (just used extra chicken buillon/water) and served with your Aji Picante sauce. Also, added potatoes. Was so flavorful and it was great to have a dish that the whole family could eat but yet I could easily make spicier with the picante sauce. Thank you!!! p.s. I have learned that the trick for rice dishes like these is to make sure you like the taste of the liquid the rice will be cooked in. Taste and adjust before putting in the rice (liquid should be salty (but not too salty) and flavorful!

  32. I LOVED this! It was great to cook it all in one pot, and it's delish and full of flavor. My family loved it too. I had a tough time finding alcaparrado, so I just used capers, and chopped pimento-stuffed olives. Turned out wonderful, and my family loved it too. This is going to be regular in our home. Thanks for all the great, and low WW PointsPlus recipes. Keep them coming. 🙂

  33. Hey Gina, I absolutely love this recipe and want to make it for my community group tonight, so we'll have about 13 people. Should I double the recipe? Thanks:)

  34. Just curious what kind of veggies people used? All i have in my freezer is carrot/broccoli/cauliflower mix, would that work? If not i can get a different type, just wanted to see!

    1. Melissa, you might want to get the little bag with green peas and carrots that's what's on the original arroz con pollo. I get the one that also comes with corn.

  35. Finally found that olive and caper mix and made this recipe I printed out a while ago. Holy Moly, delicious! Please thank your mom too. Love your directions. I feel like I am learning to cook from you. I am so thankful for the time, attention, care and passion you put into sharing your recipes. Such a gift. Can't wait to bring some in for my workmates tomorrow. I didn't have beer so just used the broth from chicken and a little veggie stock. Added extra olive mix too as that makes it super yummy to me. Thank you!

  36. This was very good. I loved the flavor. I'm not an olive fan, so I put very little in, but the beer added a nice twist. (I don't like the taste of beer, but I liked it in this) My kids even liked it.

  37. This was really delicious! My husband ate another helping at breakfast this morning. Thanks so much for your recipes and beautiful blog, Gina.

  38. I don't drink beer or even have it in my home, let alone buy it. What can I use instead of the beer?

  39. I made this tonight and liked it. I didn't have the sazon, and didn't want to buy goya's b/c of the msg. So I found a recipe online for sazon and used that. My rice needed a little more salt though. My husband loves chicken and rice and I am not a fan, but this chicken rice I can go for. I just realized while typing this that I forgot to add the veggies. So, I bet if I added them it woulud be even better 🙂

  40. i can't have gluten, and therefore the light beer is off limits. do you think i could substitute a different liquid or even a hard apple cider which is my own substitution for beer?
    thanks

  41. And again, delicious!!! I've made dozens of your recipes, and not one has disappointed.
    -Sarah
    Hungry in Austin

  42. Wow it smells wonderful can not wait until finished. I tell everyone about your site. I use it almost everyday. Thanks again for your time and effort.

  43. Avatar photo
    Lottie Watts

    Thanks for the paper towel tip! I had no idea how much steam was escaping from my tightest-fitting lid! Delicious recipe. Thanks much!

  44. Just finished making/eating this for the first time: Wonderful! I used brown rice and increased the liquids by a cup. Cooked for only 10 minutes uncovered and then 45 minutes covered as tightly as I could (foil still let some steam escape). The brown rice was perfectly cooked. Thanks!

  45. Gina…I love all your recipes too. Have followed your blog the last few years, and have kept at my optimal weight – thanks to your great recipes! BUT, I must know – where did you buy those bowls – they are beautiful!!

  46. I made this Tuesday night and it was just as easy and delicious as I thought it would be. The best part was the leftovers for lunch the next day!

    I've never posted before, but I just want you to know that I have been cooking fresh healthy meals almost every night, mostly with your recipes, and exercising regularly since mid-January and have so far lost about 35 lbs (and quit smoking after a decade). I've still got a long way to go to make up for the 80 lbs I gained in grad school, but I wouldn't have made it this far without these delicious, low calorie recipes that don't leave me feeling deprived.

    Thanks again!

  47. Gina! I have used many of your recipes and LOVE your blog. I have to give you a shout out today this is what I packed for my day (foodwise):

    Gina's skinny overnight oatmeal. YUMM! YUMM! YUMM!!
    Gina's Mom's chicken and rice – I put a tablespoon of greek yogurt in it after it was heated and a half of an avocado. DEELISH!
    and for my afternoon snack:
    Gina's chia seed with mango and coconut

    I feel so proud of myself for packing such a healthy day of food and feel so grateful that you offer such fantastic and healthy recipes for all of us to enjoy!

    Thank you!!!! And by the way, I'd TOTALLY buy your cookbook. =)

  48. My daughter sent me this recipe last week asking that I make it for her, which I did tonight. It's great, and I will definitely be making it again, though probably on a weekend instead of a work day, since it did take some time to prep and cook.

  49. Gina, you have saved us all from eating bland diet food and I personally wanted to thank you! Negative people should only boost your confidence- your food rocks and they need to dig hard to find something to complain about…and even then it's usually meaningless lol keep up the amazing work 🙂

  50. Hi Gina-I made this last night and it was fabulous! I've never made anything 'Spanish' before and was thrilled with the taste. Have you ever made it for a large crowd…like 12 or more people? Could it be made ahead? I will be having a dinner party soon for about 12 people and would love to 'wow' everyone with this dish.

  51. I made this last night and it was AMAZING!!!! Thanks in part to your recipes i am down 19lbs in 2 months.

  52. The more popular Gina gets the more bizarre some of the comments get on here. I personally do not know what I would do without her recipes and have been cooking from her blog weekly for 2 years now. I have never been disappointed by anything she posts and can trust that it will turn out better than my expectations. She is more trustworthy recipe wise than most of the major light cooking publications or"celebrity chefs" out there. Other popular Light "Cooks" like Hungry Girl, who uses tons of pre-cooked or processed ingredients are inferior to skinnytaste. Gina uses FRESH ingredients and gives you a dependable and tested light recipe with points included. I appreciate everything she does. I have seen so many rude comments on here and unsolicited and unwarranted lectures on sodium content, lack of vegan recipes etc. If you need to watch your sodium then common sense would tell you to tailor the recipe to your dietary needs. Or find a low sodium , vegetarian, vegan, whatever blog. Jeez! Bottom line is that Skinnytaste delivers every single time. Thank you Gina for all that you do.

    Shannon
    Brooklyn NY

    1. Here Here! Gina is the best! I don't know how I'd get a great tasting HEALTHY dinner (or desserts for parties) without Gina!! Her recipes that I've made are the only ones that have gotten me hugs from people!

  53. Hi Gina- When cooking the chicken will it be completely cooked before the rice is added? I see you saute and brown it for 5-7 minutes, then add it back for 10-12? I don't want to eat raw chicken, so just clarifying that its okay to remove it initially before its cooked through? Making this tomorrow night after work…. Also, don't have a food processor, would it be okay to finely dice the onion, pepper, etc as well as I can with a knife?

    1. Thank you! Does the chicken fall into pieces like your photo shows? Or did you cut it? I'm a newlywed and learning to be savvy in the kitchen- so I have lots of questions, thanks!

  54. Ok every time I make this the rice does not cook through. I have no clue as to why. The only time I have made it right was when I made it the way my mom made her regular Spanish rice and that is to fry the rice a little bit. I can't ever get this one right for the life of me…lol. I also tried it another way and used less rice and it cooked. But again tried it your way per your directions and again it did not work. The bottom was to mushy and the top was still not cooked through just do not get it. I get so frustrated. 🙁
    The flavor is there though…lol. I do love your recipes and have made about 90% of them and have loved them.

    1. Forgive me if I'm asking something you may have already tried/noticed/done – but two or three possibilities:

      1. Could be that you're not stirring enough while it's simmering with the lid off. Or, 2. Perhaps you're letting too much steam escape, either before adding the lid ("simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until water boils down and **barely skims the top**" <–asterisks mine), or afterwards – perhaps your lid needs the paper towel suggestion (frankly, I use a lightweight kitchen towel/flour-sack kind). I found when using an older pot that my aluminum foil lid was not enough, lol!

      Lastly, we all visualize 'simmer' a little differently and each stovetop is different in it's temperature (plus I've learned my newly gifted tri-ply bottom pots hold the heat a lot longer, so it's less holding time for me at the end).

      Again, apologies if you've already thought of those! 🙂

    2. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      Really important, you cannot lift the lid while it's simmering. Any steam that escapes with ruin the rice, so make sure the lid stays on. And when you shut it off and let it sit 10 minutes, the steam is finishing the cooking, so don't lift the lid.

      A heavy pot, a good fitting lid, very low flame, and no steam escaping should yield good results.

      Another trick I learned from mom when she makes a lot, she puts the pot in the oven instead of simmering on the stove which prevents the bottom from burning.

    3. Thanks for the tips! My rice has been coming out mushy and it is super frustrating! Definitely going to save these tips. I normally just let it come to a boil and then put the cover on. I use a cast iron dutch oven, so I don't think steam escaping is an issue.

  55. What type of vegetables were in your frozen veggies? There are so many kinds! Thanks for the great recipe.

  56. Hi Gina! I've made several of your recipes….WE LOVE THEM IN OUR HOUSE!! 🙂 Thanks! Wondering, what do you think if I used brown rice instead? Do you think it would work out?

    1. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      I've tried it and it came out very mushy. I've learned when cooking with brown rice, I have to make the rice separate, then combine everything in the end.

  57. Avatar photo
    Jennifer Hartill

    Would this freeze ok? It's only me and my fiance and I would love to make the whole batch and freeze some for quick easy dinners and lunches.

    1. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      I'm honestly not sure, I've never frozen rice but they do sell frozen dinners with rice, so I think so.

    2. When my family makes rice we make over 10c at a time. What we don't eat we freeze for another meal in ziplock bags. When we want rice we pop the bag in the microwave for 2 – 3 minutes and tadah…hot rice. It tastes GREAT!

  58. This looks almost exactly like my Dad's arroz con pollo, which he always kicked us out of the kitchen to cook, so we never learned how to make it. Since he passed away, I've been searching for a recipe that is similar, and this looks like it! I'm so excited! The fact that it's lightened up just makes it that much better! Thanks so much!

    1. Avatar photo
      OneSpecialDeeDee

      really – I wish I had my grandmothers pound cake recipe.

      She passed in 1977 I was 22 and knew nothing about baking or cooking back then. My Mom used to say it was a pound of this and a pound of that. never got her recipe : (
      butter, flour etc.

  59. Oh – this dish looks terrific Gina !
    I have everything in stock in my fridge/freezer/pantry- BUT – I only have long grain brown rice – will that work out ok ?
    It's probably a silly question, but I don't want to muck it up.
    I know my 17&13 year old sons will love this .. food is important to teenager boys : )

    1. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      I don't want to give you the wrong info, brown rice needs more water and takes longer to cook. My experience making it this way with brown has not been good.

    2. Thanks much Gina! I will use white long grain rice. This recipe sounds way too good to mess up & my boys would be bummed if the rice came out weird. When I showed my 13 year old the recipe this morning- he hugged me & thanked me in advance for making it tonight. So yeah – I can't screw this up using brown rice- lol

  60. I'm Puerto Rican and grew up eating arroz con pollo (con MSG). This recipe was amazing, and I'm so happy to cook without preservatives and MSG. My hubby and 2 year old son gobbled it up. It was genius to add the mixed veggies and beer.

  61. Have you ever tried this recipe with quinoa instead of rice? Would any of the amounts of other ingredients need to be changed?

    1. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      I have not, although quinoa doesn't need as much time to cook. Curious how it would work 🙂

      1. I made this with quinoa. I just reduced the cook time by 5 minutes. Turned out awesome.

  62. I'm new to weight watchers. I just put this into my recipe builder, and I only got 5 points per serving. What am I doing wrong?!

  63. Gina – looking forward to trying this. Also, thank you for including directions to make the Sazon. Could you repost those directions in their own post to make it easier to search for next time? (Because I know I'll forget which post the instructions are in.)

  64. This sounds great! I wonder if there is a way to lower the sodium content even further??!! Hmmm… I have high blood pressure & I'm trying to keep my BP as low as possible & have less sodium as possible. Any ideas?? Thanks 😀

    1. I am always looking to keep sodium to a minimum, too. I would omit the chicken bouillon cube (usually very high in sodium) and replace some of the water with low-sodium chicken broth to add back chicken flavor. You might also consider omitting the olive brine, since that's going to be high in sodium, too.

      I can't wait to try this recipe!!

    2. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      Kanoe, you can skip the bouillon and replace the water with chicken broth. Also, if salt is an issue for you leave it out.

  65. Gina – this looks amazing! If I'm omitting the chicken (vegetarian) do I need to cut down or out anything else? Or would the liquid requirements be the same?

    Thanks!

  66. Avatar photo
    m @ random musings

    mmm can't wait to try! will it affect the flavor profile to sub tumeric for the saffron/anatto in sazon?

  67. I have lost weight since finding your site and even joined weight watchers! Even my hubby checks your site out before thinking about take out!

  68. Hi Gina! I can't make this yet cos I'm eating low-carb for a while but I just wanted to say thank you for your recipes. They are so detailed and easy to follow and everything is always yummy. You definitely don't compromise on flavor, I'm west African and that's important to me too!
    Have a great week!

  69. Hi There. I want to make this for dinner. What kind of pepper are you using? And when do you add the rice?

    Thanks!

  70. Avatar photo
    BrittanyBoo22

    I have now Mastered My boyfriends Fav Mexican rice Just like his momma makes it because of this fab Recipe!!!! Thank You Gina!!! Love Your Site

  71. This recpipe sounds great, and I have never been disappointed by any of your recipes.. I usually follow them exacy but for this one- I have everything on hand except for the beer.. okay to omit or subsitute?

  72. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Once you cover it, about 15 to 20 minutes. Then shut heat off and keep covered so the steam cooks it another 10 minutes.

    1. I used chicken breast when I make arroz junto con pollo, yes please update the points plus using chicken breast. Gracias!

  73. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I don't recommend that, I'm not sure if it would work. You could put it in a rice cooker with good results but Ill be honest, not sure about rice since the liquid doesn't evaporate.

  74. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Hi there! Yes, make sure the water evaporates almost completely before you cover it and reduce the heat to low. What cooks the rice is the steam, so if you cover it too soon, it's going to make mushy rice. I should re-photograph step by step, especially since this was taking with a snap and shoot camera back in the day.

    1. I have the same problem! I was wondering if you could make this dish with whole wheat long grain rice and how it would change the amount of broth/water and time.

    1. Gina just wondering, if the recipe serves 8 and you use 8 thighs why is the serving 1/2 thigh, shouldn"t it be 1 whole thigh.

  75. All the recipes I have tried so far have been great!! Full of flavor, being Latina foods cannot be bland and many recipes are, but yours are not! Could you tell me what a serving would be in this arroz con pollo? Is it one cup with a thigh?