Arroz con Pollo

When you have a little of this and that of leftovers from a holiday weekend, then you can create your own magic and come up with a new dish. Just like my version of Arroz con Pollo, which is Spanish for chicken with rice.

Traditional dishes of Arroz con Pollo which traces its Moorish origins to 12 hundred years ago use a yellow-based rice with saffron and spices. I had neither the saffron or spices on hand but I had a huge amount of leftovers which I put together for my tomato sauce-based version of this chicken and rice meal.

Filipino meals are often rice-based. Nearly every entrée or side is enjoyed with a bowl of steaming, boiled rice. And this is why an arroz con pollo dish is popular among many Filipinos. The hearty rice grains encasing the chicken pieces and vegetables are as familiar as an old friend.

The 4^th of July marked another birthday year for my husband last week and the beginning of summer grilling for us. Our sons came home to visit and celebrate with us that weekend. One of the things I look forward to is when my two sons take over the kitchen and do the cooking themselves. I will be sharing some of their recipes in future blog posts, so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, after the boys returned to the respective cities they live and work in, I had leftovers. I never throw away food that’s still good. But there wasn’t enough of one dish to serve as a meal again. So, I put together the cooked rice, grilled chicken barbecue, some vegetables and other condiments. In a few minutes, dinner was ready and I was plating a brand new, updated all-in-one chicken dish with rice.

Like all seasons, every summer brings new things to learn and appreciate—family and friends getting together, new places to go to, new ideas and new recipes. And like this Arroz con Pollo dish of this and that, we piece together memories of our past to enjoy precious moments this day brings.

Print Recipe

Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con Pollo is Spanish for chicken with rice. It is one of the easiest all-in-one meals to prepare. Although origins of this dish can be traced to Spain and the history of the Moors, this is a popular dish among Filipinos whose love for rice with every meal is unsurpassed. The traditional recipes of Arroz con Pollo are yellow rice-based and are cooked with saffron and other strong spices. For my modern version, I used everyday ingredients I had in my pantry and refrigerator. This rice dish is versatile and can transcend from a weeknight meal to a party dish in larger quantities. This is an Asian In America recipe. Serves 2 to 4.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino, Spanish

Keyword: Filipino Arroz con Pollo Rice Chicken

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 304kcal

Author: Asian in America recipe

Ingredients

• 5 to 6 pieces cooked chicken roast or barbecue
• 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 piece Spanish Chorizo de Bilbao sausage sliced Spanish chorizo (Chorizo de Bilbao)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 whole onion chopped
• 1 whole red or green bell pepper seeded, sliced
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup organic chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked white rice a day old, refrigerated
• 1 cup sliced green beans ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup green peas thawed if frozen
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon = ground black pepper
• 2 whole hard-boiled eggs peeled, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

• If there are no available cooked chicken cutlets, grill chicken barbecue using this previous blog recipe. Click here.
• In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the extra virgin olive oil. After 1 to 2 minutes when oil is hot enough, add the sliced Spanish sausage chorizos. Stir fry the chorizos in the skillet for about 2 to 3 minutes to flavor the oil. Then remove chorizos from skillet and set aside for later. Saute the garlic and onions for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the red bell pepper strips.
• When onions are transparent and bell pepper strips are softened, add the tomato paste, tomato sauce and chicken broth. Blend well. Add the cooked chicken pieces and incorporate the sauce with the rest of the ingredients. Place the cooked rice into the skillet and blend all the ingredients well till the tomato sauce coats the grains. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Plate the rice first at the bottom of the platter. Add the chicken pieces on top of the dish. Place the green beans, green peas, chorizo and slices of bell peppers next to the chicken. Garnish with egg slices and chopped parsley. Serve warm.
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Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 697mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 9.7mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.

Did you like this recipe? I have more classic recipes inspired by my late mother’s cooking in my popular cookbook: My Mother’s Philippine Recipes. If you’re learning how to cook Filipino food or a fan of Philippine cuisine, buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.

Hello, Friends! Please DO NOT LIFT OR PLAGIARIZE my original recipe, stories, photos or videos. All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos, essays, stories and recipe content on your websites, books, films, television shows, videos, without my permission. If you wish to republish this recipe or content on media outlets mentioned above, please ASK MY PERMISSION, or re-write it in your own words and link back to my blog AsianInAmericaMag.com to give proper attribution. It is the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]