Latin-Style Chicken and Rice with Breast Meat
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 ½ teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoonsGround black pepper 4 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (3 ½ to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat and cut in half crosswise2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro 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)½ cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved1 tablespoon capers ½ cup jarred pimentos, cut into ¼ by 2-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 breasts and trim the skin so it just covers the meat. This dish is best made using a Latin brand of medium-grain rice. Italian and Japanese brands have a tendency to make the dish too sticky. To use long-grain rice, increase the water to 3/4 cup and the salt added in step 3 to 1 teaspoon.
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 oregano, 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.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, green pepper, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro; 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 until chicken registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate, wrap tightly with foil, and set aside.
- Add rice, olives, capers, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and gently stir 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, about 10 minutes longer.
- Remove and discard skin from chicken. Using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones in large chunks. Place chicken, along with any accumulated juices, in large bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, and pimentos; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. 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
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
4 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (3 ½ to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat and cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro 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)
½ cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved
1 tablespoon capers
½ cup jarred pimentos, cut into ¼ by 2-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
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
4 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (3 ½ to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat and cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro 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)
½ cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved
1 tablespoon capers
½ cup jarred pimentos, cut into ¼ by 2-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
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
4 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (3 ½ to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat and cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro 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)
½ cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved
1 tablespoon capers
½ cup jarred pimentos, cut into ¼ by 2-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 breasts and trim the skin so it just covers the meat. This dish is best made using a Latin brand of medium-grain rice. Italian and Japanese brands have a tendency to make the dish too sticky. To use long-grain rice, increase the water to 3/4 cup and the salt added in step 3 to 1 teaspoon.
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 oregano, 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.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, green pepper, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro; 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 until chicken registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate, wrap tightly with foil, and set aside.
- Add rice, olives, capers, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and gently stir 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, about 10 minutes longer.
- Remove and discard skin from chicken. Using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones in large chunks. Place chicken, along with any accumulated juices, in large bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, and pimentos; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
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