Latin-Style Chicken and Rice with Bacon and Roasted Red Peppers
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
2 hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)Table salt 2 teaspoons sweet paprika 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoonsGround black pepper 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 ½ to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat4 strips bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)1 medium carrot, finely chopped¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes ¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce 1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth ¼ cup water 3 cups medium-grain rice (see note above)1 tablespoon olive oil ½ cup roasted red peppers, cut into 2 by ¼-inch stripsLemon wedges, for serving
Before You Begin
To keep the dish from becoming greasy, it is important to remove excess fat from the chicken thighs and trim the skin. To use long-grain rice instead of medium-grain, increase the water to 3/4 cup in step 2.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; using rubber spatula, mix to make smooth paste. Add paprika, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to garlic-salt mixture; stir to combine. Place chicken in bowl with marinade. Coat chicken pieces evenly with marinade; set aside for 15 minutes.
- Fry bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate; pour off all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat. Add onion, red pepper, carrot, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons parsley; stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to clearing in center of pot, skin side down, in even layer. Cook, without moving chicken, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. (If chicken begins to brown, reduce heat to medium.) Using tongs, flip chicken and cook on second side until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, broth, and water; stir to combine. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add rice and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and stir chicken and rice once from bottom up. Return pot to oven. After another 10 minutes, stir once more, adding 1/4 cup water if rice appears dry and bottom of pot is beginning to burn. Cover and return pot to oven; cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender but still holds its shape and temperature of chicken registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes longer.
- Using tongs, remove chicken from pot; replace lid and set pot aside. Remove and discard chicken skin; using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones into large chunks. Using fingers, remove remaining fat or dark veins from chicken pieces. Place chicken in large bowl and toss with olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and roasted red peppers; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with reserved bacon and serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
Time
2 hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
Table salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 ½ to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
4 strips bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup water
3 cups medium-grain rice (see note above)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup roasted red peppers, cut into 2 by ¼-inch strips
Lemon wedges, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
Table salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 ½ to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
4 strips bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup water
3 cups medium-grain rice (see note above)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup roasted red peppers, cut into 2 by ¼-inch strips
Lemon wedges, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
Table salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 ½ to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
4 strips bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup water
3 cups medium-grain rice (see note above)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup roasted red peppers, cut into 2 by ¼-inch strips
Lemon wedges, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To develop an arroz con pollo recipe that would be ready in about an hour without sacrificing great taste, we chose either chicken thighs or breasts, not only for shopping convenience but to ensure that all of the pieces would cook at the same rate. We poached the chicken in a broth preseasoned with a sofrito, a classic Latin American mixture of chopped onions and green peppers. To finish our chicken and rice recipe, about half an hour before the chicken finished cooking, we added medium-grain rice (which we preferred over long-grain for its creamy texture), stirring it a few times to ensure even cooking.
Before You Begin
To keep the dish from becoming greasy, it is important to remove excess fat from the chicken thighs and trim the skin. To use long-grain rice instead of medium-grain, increase the water to 3/4 cup in step 2.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; using rubber spatula, mix to make smooth paste. Add paprika, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to garlic-salt mixture; stir to combine. Place chicken in bowl with marinade. Coat chicken pieces evenly with marinade; set aside for 15 minutes.
- Fry bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate; pour off all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat. Add onion, red pepper, carrot, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons parsley; stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to clearing in center of pot, skin side down, in even layer. Cook, without moving chicken, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. (If chicken begins to brown, reduce heat to medium.) Using tongs, flip chicken and cook on second side until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, broth, and water; stir to combine. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add rice and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and stir chicken and rice once from bottom up. Return pot to oven. After another 10 minutes, stir once more, adding 1/4 cup water if rice appears dry and bottom of pot is beginning to burn. Cover and return pot to oven; cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender but still holds its shape and temperature of chicken registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes longer.
- Using tongs, remove chicken from pot; replace lid and set pot aside. Remove and discard chicken skin; using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones into large chunks. Using fingers, remove remaining fat or dark veins from chicken pieces. Place chicken in large bowl and toss with olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and roasted red peppers; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with reserved bacon and serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
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