A Cuban classic, Arroz con Pollo or Chicken and Rice is a one pot meal that has it all. Beautifully seasoned rice, colorful vegetables, juicy chicken pieces, the works.

Cuban arroz con pollo served on a white plate next to an orange Dutch oven.

(This recipe was originally published in July 2019, but was updated with new photos and content in 2023).

Referred to as "poor man's paella," arroz con pollo is a Spanish classic that traveled to Latin America. You'll find it in Cuba, of course, as well as Spain and other Latin American countries.

There are numerous variations from country to country and region to region. This version is more Cuban in nature. For example, there's no saffron here, but instead ground achiote/annatto seeds to give it color.

One of my favorite episodes of I Love Lucy is called Job Switching, where Lucy and Ethel switch places with Ricky and Fred. The girls find jobs while the boys take care of the home.

One of my favorite scenes is when Ricky tells Fred he is making the Cuban dish arroz con pollo, or chicken with rice, for dinner. Then all hell breaks lose.

In honor of this hilarious moment in television history, I'm sharing a much less messy recipe for arroz con pollo. It's easy to make, very comforting, and full of flavor.

The peas, asparagus, bell peppers, and pimientos brighten up the dish, while the chicken and rice are tender and comforting. By cooking everything together in one pot you really get fantastic flavor through every component in the dish.

Ingredient notes

Ingredients for Cuban arroz con pollo on a beige background.

Chicken: You can use any combination on bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, drumsticks, or even breasts for this recipe. Make sure to trim off the excess fat (there is often a lot on there) before weighing your chicken pieces. I used only thighs and had 7 medium-to-large thighs weighing a total of 3 pounds. If my thighs were a little smaller I would have had 8 thighs (a bit more ideal for the number of servings!).
Rice: Bomba rice, Valencia rice, or other short or medium-grain Spanish rice is required for this Cuban arroz con pollo recipe. I use Calasparra rice which is similar to bomba rice, but is typically a bit less expensive than bomba. They're starchier than other varieties of rice and absorb a lot more liquid.
Asparagus: You'll need about half a bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces for this recipe. Asparagus is seasonal in the spring, but is often available year-round in supermarkets. If you can't find good asparagus (thinner stalks are preferred), you can omit them from the recipe.
Pimentos: Use a small jar of drained, chopped pimentos as a time saver rather than chopping or slicing them yourself.
Beer: If you want to make this Cuban chicken and rice dish gluten-free, you can omit the beer or try a gluten-free beer instead of the traditional pilsner.

Cooked chicken thighs on top of seasoned rice with peas and pimentos in a Dutch oven.

How to make it

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in an ovenproof, 6-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven until hot but not smoking.

Working in batches, brown the chicken on both sides. Set aside the browned chicken and repeat with the remaining pieces.

Four skin-on bone-in chicken thighs seared in an enameled Dutch oven.

Remove the browned chicken from the pot. To the residual oil in the pot, add chopped onion and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat until softened.

Sautéed chopped onion and green pepper in an enameled Dutch oven.

To deglaze the pot, add the white wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits.

A white wine liquid with chopped green peppers in an enameled Dutch oven.

Add the asparagus, pimentos, peas, tomato paste, garlic, and spices and stir to thoroughly incorporate (the tomato paste will need a little attention to dissolve).

Peas, asparagus pieces, and chopped pimentos in a thick tomato sauce in an enameled Dutch oven.

Stir in the water and half the beer. Give it a taste and add more salt if needed. Return the chicken pieces to the pot. Bring to a simmer.

Peas and asparagus pieces in an orange broth with pieces of chicken peeking through the surface.

Stir in the rice and simmer over medium to medium-low heat for 10 minutes without stirring. Remove the pot from direct heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and place in the preheated oven. Bake until the rice is tender but still moist, about 15 to 20 minutes.

A Dutch oven filled with a mixture including chicken pieces, peas, asparagus, and pimentos. — Cuban arroz con pollo after emerging from the oven, but before mixing everything together.

Remove from the oven and immediately pour in the remaining beer. Stir and serve.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Closeup of Cuban arroz con pollo on a white plate with a fork next to it.

Expert tips

Even though in English we translate this dish to "chicken and rice," in Spanish it's really "rice and chicken." This is a very rice-forward dish. Each portion will have a generous amount of seasoned and vegetable-studded rice along with a piece of chicken.

You could increase the amount of chicken pieces, but just beware that this makes A LOT of food, and if you increase it in any way you may need an even bigger Dutch oven to cook it all in! My 5 ½ quart Le Creuset was just big enough.

A plate of Cuban chicken and rice with a Dutch oven and fresh asparagus behind it.

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Arroz con Pollo (Cuban Chicken and Rice)

Ingredient notes

How to make it

Expert tips

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