One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice (Arroz Con Pollo) with Fire Roasted Peppers.
Crispy Spanish Chicken and Rice, passed down from my South American parents, and brought here to you…all cooked in one pan…including the Crispy Chicken!
Saffron, paprika, garlic….so many classic flavours that make this one of the best Chicken and Rice meals.ever.
Well. That was a good intro, and as much as I’d like to say this is an original family recipe…I changed it…adding fire roasted peppers for extra flavour, bacon instead of smokey ham, and replacing the usual diced up chicken for crispy thighs.
To serve, all you need to do is fluff up your rice before adding the crispy chicken back on top. Those beautiful white wine and smokey bacon smells…
With chicken so juicy and full of flavour. After the success of the One Pot Italian Chicken And Rice, I had to try and see how this would turn out.
And I’m so so happy it did. ¡Buen provecho!
One Pan Crispy Spanish Chicken and Rice (Arroz Con Pollo)
Ingredients
- 5 pieces chicken thigh , bone in and optional skin on
- 2 pinches salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 6 oz shortcut bacon trimmed of all fat (6 pieces) chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon crushed saffron threads or ¾ teaspoon imitation saffron powder is fine to use
- 2 medium vine ripened tomatoes diced, or 1 small can diced tomatoes including juice
- 1 cup jarred fire roasted peppers in garlic (Piquillo) cut into strips
- 1 ½ cups water mixed with 2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder or use chicken broth
- ½ cup dry white wine *See Notes
- 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
- ¾ cup frozen peas not thawed
- 1 handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 200℃ | 390℉. Wash and pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat a small amount oil in a 10-12 inch cast iron pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Sear chicken thighs skin-side down, turning once until golden brown on both sides, (about 3 minutes each side). Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Pour out half of the fat from skillet and add onion and bacon. Fry, stirring, until onion has softened and bacon has crisped (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic, paprika and saffron; cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes and peppers, fry until soft. Stir through the stock (or broth) and wine, stirring all ingredients to combine well. Salt to season (if needed)
- Add rice and allow to simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan; cover with a double layer of foil and transfer to the oven to bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and check that rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Change oven setting to grill/broil (on medium-high heat - depending on your oven). Transfer chicken pieces to a clean plate; stir peas through the rice, covering them with the hot rice as much as possible; place the chicken back on top of the rice and grill/broil for about 10 minutes OR until the chicken is golden and crisp, and the peas are cooked through. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
*The wine can be replaced with more stock or broth if you like, but wine adds a beautiful flavour to the rice.
Lily says
I made this today for dinner and it’s fabulous! I did not have saffron, but the recipe is delicious even without it. I followed your recipe and am so pleased with the results. Thank you.
Suzette Kern says
I made this last night — it was fab! I’m having a large group for dinner next week (14 people) and plan to make this. Are there any steps which can be done ahead of time? Thanks!
Andrew says
SOOOO! GOOD!
My wife can’t eat bell peppers, so I substitute fire roasted tomatoes. I found that cooking the bacon separately ahead of time allows me to get it crispier than cooking it together with the onions. A double recipe fits perfectly in my 15″ cast iron pan and is more than enough to feed our family of 6 plus plenty of leftovers. This has become a go-to dinner at our house!
Kathy says
I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious and filling. Made my house swell so good too. Definitely a keeper.
Maxine says
I am very keen to try this recipe; it looks so delicious! Would you happen to know the weight of the bone-in chicken thighs you use? My family likes to get spring chickens, which are smaller than regular chickens
Karina says
I am not sure what my weight is on the bone-in thigh. I apologize.
linda walsh. says
I get 6 thighs in a pack and usually 1 Kilo
Reggie says
Made this dish for my family they absolutely loved it the chicken was moist the sun dryed tomatoes gave it a nice sweetness to the dish delicious food
Karina says
That is described perfectly! Thanks so much for sharing!
Savina and Dave says
This was the BEST home cooked Spanish chicken and rice we have made, and we’ve made a few recipes! We just wanted to come and let you know!
Kadia P. says
Thank you for this recipe. My arroz con pollo is currently in the oven. My house smells amazing. I can’t wait to eat it!!
Karina says
You’re very welcome Kadia! I’m so happy you’re trying it and hope you enjoy every last mouthful!