One-Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice (Arroz con Pollo)

Make meal time a breeze with a family-friendly recipe for One-Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice.

When it comes to comfort food that has maximum flavor with minimum mess (read: dishes!), it doesn’t get much better than Chicken and Yellow Rice.

My husband grew up eating a variation of this recipe, which was prepared by his Cuban grandmother. They called it arroz con pollo, which is just simply rice with chicken.

Years after my husband and I met, I moved to Spain for 6 months, where I would seek out their variation on chicken and rice, a.k.a. paella.

It’s taken 15 years of knowing my husband (and 5 years of marriage, 2 kids and 1 dog later!) for me to finally create my own spin on arroz con pollo. And I can proudly say this recipe is 100% Cuban husband-approved!

I’ve eliminated as much dish-dirtying as possible by coming up with a technique that involves a single pot. Yes, just one solitary pot will lead you to the most flavor-packed, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, meal-in-a-bowl ever.

My One-Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice is loaded with peas, carrots, plenty of spices, and the real winning addition (according to my husband and two toddler boys), green olives. They lend saltiness and brininess to cut through the otherwise heaviness of a rice-based dish.

There’s only one trick to ensuring your arroz con pollo doesn’t get clumpy or turn into risotto: rinse your rice before adding it to the pot! Then rinse it again, and again, and again. Then one more time just for good measure.

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Dutch oven containing Chicken and Yellow Rice with sliced green olives

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One Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice

2
Tablespoons
olive oil
2
cups
diced onions
1
cup
diced carrots
3
cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2
pounds
boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
2
teaspoons
turmeric powder
1
teaspoon
paprika
1
Tablespoon
dried oregano
1
cup
sliced green olives
1
cup
frozen peas
2
cups
basmati rice, rinsed very well (See Kelly’s Note)
2
cups
chicken stock

Add the olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven set over medium-low heat.

Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the chicken thighs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until the chicken thighs are no longer pink, about 7 minutes.

Stir in the turmeric powder, paprika and oregano.

Add the olives, peas, rice, and stock and stir to combine.

Increase the heat to medium-high to bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot then reduce it to a simmer and cook, undisturbed, until the rice is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Uncover the pot, stir and serve.