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You are here: Home / Recipes / One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice

By Karina 32 Comments Filed Under: Chicken

One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice

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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.

One Pan Crispy Spanish Chicken and Rice (Arroz Con Pollo) | https://cafedelites.comOne Pan Crispy Spanish Chicken and Rice (Arroz Con Pollo) | https://cafedelites.com

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.

One Pan Crispy Spanish Chicken and Rice (Arroz Con Pollo) | https://cafedelites.com

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…

One Pan Crispy Spanish Chicken and Rice (Arroz Con Pollo) | https://cafedelites.com

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.

One Pan Crispy Spanish Chicken and Rice (Arroz Con Pollo) | https://cafedelites.comOne Pan Crispy Spanish Chicken and Rice (Arroz Con Pollo) | https://cafedelites.com

And I’m so so happy it did. ¡Buen provecho!

One Pan Crispy Spanish Chicken and Rice (Arroz Con Pollo)

One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice, or Arroz Con Pollo as we call it...all cooked in one pan...including the Crispy Chicken!
Weight Watchers: 13pp per serve (one thigh with about 1/3-1/2 cup of cooked rice)
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Serves: 5

Ingredients

  • 5 chicken thighs , bone in and optional skin on
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion , chopped
  • 6 oz | 160g (6 pieces) shortcut bacon trimmed of all fat, chopped (or smoked ham)
  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads (or 3/4 teaspoon imitation saffron powder is fine to use)
  • 2 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 1/2 cups water mixed with 2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder (or use chicken broth)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine *See Notes
  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas (not thawed)
  • Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley , for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat an oven to 200C | 390F. 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

If you don't have a cat iron skillet, any heat proof pan would work OR cook first in a normal frying pan, then transfer over to an oven proof baking dish.
*The wine can be replaced with more stock or broth if you like, but wine adds a beautiful flavour to the rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.8g | Protein: 29.8g | Fat: 18.2g | Fiber: 2.7g
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lily says

    February 10, 2020 at 8:41 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  2. Suzette Kern says

    January 01, 2020 at 12:16 am

    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!

    Reply
  3. Andrew says

    April 03, 2019 at 4:47 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  4. Kathy says

    January 21, 2019 at 10:13 am

    5 stars
    I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious and filling. Made my house swell so good too. Definitely a keeper.

    Reply
  5. Maxine says

    March 25, 2018 at 3:52 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Karina says

      March 26, 2018 at 9:02 pm

      I am not sure what my weight is on the bone-in thigh. I apologize.

      Reply
    • linda walsh. says

      November 24, 2018 at 1:51 pm

      I get 6 thighs in a pack and usually 1 Kilo

      Reply
  6. Reggie says

    March 04, 2018 at 8:24 am

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
    • Karina says

      March 05, 2018 at 12:43 pm

      That is described perfectly! Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
  7. Savina and Dave says

    September 28, 2016 at 8:33 am

    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!

    Reply
  8. Kadia P. says

    May 16, 2016 at 9:50 am

    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!!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      May 16, 2016 at 12:56 pm

      You’re very welcome Kadia! I’m so happy you’re trying it and hope you enjoy every last mouthful!

      Reply
  9. Gayatri Mantra says

    May 12, 2016 at 9:35 pm

    4 stars
    This looks absolutely amazing!!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      May 14, 2016 at 7:11 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  10. AnnaXxxxxx says

    May 09, 2016 at 10:00 am

    I cook this at the week and it was gorgeous. With salad

    Reply
    • Karina says

      May 09, 2016 at 10:09 am

      I’m so happy to hear that Anna X

      Reply
  11. Jill says

    April 07, 2016 at 3:40 am

    This looks delicious! What kind of rice do you use? I have basmati and jasmine rice, but I think the liquid to rice ratio might be different with the different kinds of rice. What kind you you use? Just the plain long grain? its not the converted/uncle ben’s is it? I want to make this to bring to my mother in law who just had surgery and I want it to be just right! Thanks!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Karina says

      April 07, 2016 at 7:34 am

      Hi Jill! What an amazing daughter in law you are! I used a long grain white rice. (Not the converted uncle ben’s). I love long grain with this recipe but you can try basmati or jasmine! I hope your MIL enjoys it and wish her a good recovery Xx

      Reply
  12. Helen says

    February 22, 2016 at 4:17 am

    How would I adjust the recipe if I was using brown rice instead of white?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      February 23, 2016 at 8:00 pm

      Hi Helen! Unfortunately I’ve only tried this recipe with white rice, so I wouldn’t be able to tell you the adjustments! I’m so sorry :/

      Reply
  13. Wendy says

    July 13, 2015 at 9:42 am

    Just wondering if you use a particular brand of cast iron pan?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      July 20, 2015 at 4:19 pm

      Hi Wendy…I use Lodge Cast Iron! I bought mine off EBay 🙂

      Reply
  14. Jaclyn says

    June 21, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    I would love to try this recipe! I’m drooling over that photo of steaming food!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      June 24, 2015 at 5:05 pm

      Hey Jaclyn! Thank you 🙂 Xxx

      Reply
  15. Rachel @LittleChefBigAppetite says

    June 20, 2015 at 5:46 am

    Oh my gosh, I want to take a bite out of my screen. This looks divine!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      June 20, 2015 at 6:35 am

      Thank you Rachel! It’s extremely addictive and hard to put the spoon down!

      Reply
  16. Suzy @ The Mediterranean Dish says

    June 20, 2015 at 3:24 am

    Karina, I stop by often, but I’m sorry that I haven’t left you a note. This is a great recipe. One after my own heart! I am pinning it to try soon. Lovely blog. Keep it up, girl!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      June 20, 2015 at 6:35 am

      Hi Suzy! Wow thank you so much for the compliments and pinning! I’m truly honoured. Your blog is incredible too 🙂 And your comment comes to me with perfect timing, so thank you for that too! Xx Now heading over to your blog 😉

      Reply
  17. goodiegodmother says

    June 19, 2015 at 10:11 pm

    I love a good arroz con pollo, and don’t make it nearly often enough at home! I guess it’s what comes when you’re spoiled with family that will make it for you haha! I’m kind of currently obsessed with red peppers though, so this recipe probably needs to happen soon. 😉

    Reply
    • Karina says

      June 20, 2015 at 6:31 am

      Mmmm arroz con pollo made for you is a good thing too! Yummmm! Sometimes, nothing beats good traditional comfort foods. I’d love to hear back from you if you try this one. The fire roasted peppers add such a nice flavour 🙂 Thank you for stopping by Xxx

      Reply
  18. manu catman says

    June 19, 2015 at 9:33 pm

    Wow, fabulous!!!
    Greetings from Spain 😀

    Reply
    • Karina says

      June 20, 2015 at 6:29 am

      Hola Manu!

      Reply

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