Image by István Asztalos from Pixabay
Rice with chicken in some of its variants is a typical dish both in the Mediterranean and in Latin American countries. Each culture knows how to make rice with chicken in its own way and the important thing is that it is always great, because it is a very simple combination that is well suited to the combination of ingredients that we put to ‘tune it’.
If you are wondering how to make arroz con pollo, this post will serve as a guide to learn two great variations of this delicious meal.
I chose these two recipes because they are diverse enough for you to learn how to make arroz con pollo in different ways. The first one is a classic preparation of arroz con pollo, the one I make at home most often, it’s quite similar to paella. The second one is a curry rice with chicken, a recipe with an exotic touch but close enough to our palate to make you love it. And the third one, which I love, is an absolutely green rice with chicken that looks great and is very creamy on the palate.
Now, let’s see how to make the classic recipe, like the one our mother and grandmother always made at home.
This rice with chicken is super simple. Very Mediterranean cuisine, it looks a lot like a chicken paella. It has the basics onion, bell pepper, tomato and garlic. And it looks great with a squeeze of lemon on top. As I tell you, I make it at home very often, since it is the basic rice with chicken and it can have peas if you like them. If you want to know more about it, you may visit: https://minuterice.com/recipes/cheesy-chicken-and-rice/
In the meantime, you may start with these simple recipes.
- 1 onion.
- 1/2 bell bell pepper.
- 1 clove of garlic.
- 1 chicken breast.
- 1 tomato.
- 1 cup of rice.
- 1 poultry or vegetable broth (see how to make homemade vegetable broth).
- 1 dash of balsamic vinegar (you can replace it with white wine).
- Rice seasoning.
- Chopped chives (for garnish).
- Salt, pepper and olive oil.
- Chop the chicken into small pieces and sauté in the hot pan (with a drizzle of oil) until golden brown on both sides. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the onion, bell bell pepper and garlic, all chopped small, in the bottom of the chicken.
- When the onion is transparent, add the tomato, also chopped. Sauté until it takes a brownish color.
- Add the reserved chicken pieces. Add the rice and stir, sautéing over medium heat until the rice grains are transparent.
- Add twice as much water (2 cups), season with salt and pepper and season. Also add the splash of vinegar or wine. Stir once and bring to a boil. When it boils, lower the heat to medium and cook uncovered, until the rice has consumed all the water. Do not stir during cooking.
- Once is ready, add as much cheese as you like.
- Serve and sprinkle with chopped chives. It can be eaten with lemon.
This chicken rice recipe with curry, ginger and coconut milk is delicious! The preparation is creamy and smooth if you decide to use a mild curry, although you can also make it spicy. It all depends on the curry you use, it will always be good. In spite of being a bit exotic, this recipe adapts perfectly to our palate.
This is a basic curry rice, simple to prepare and with a mild flavor. Although it is clear that there is the possibility of turning it into a spicy curry rice by changing the type of curry you use.
- 1 medium onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 Slices of ginger (ladies slices, don’t be scarce)
- 1 chicken breast (or more!)
- 1 Tbsp. Curry (I used mild curry, but you can use the violent kind)
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- 2 Tbsp. grated coconut
- 1 glass of rice
- 1 Glass of coconut milk (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. of peanuts
- 1 Tbsp. raisins (optional)
- Oil and salt
- Chop onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté them in oil until the onion is transparent.
- Add the chicken, cut into cubes and sauté for a couple of minutes, until the chicken is golden brown.
- Add the curry and mix well. Then add the grated coconut and the grated lemon zest. The curry rice preparation will take on a very lively color.
- Add the lemon juice and then the coconut milk. Stir until everything comes together.
- Add the rice and mix well. Then add the water. Wait for it to boil with the curry rice uncovered. Once it boils, lower the heat to minimum and cook covered.
- About 5 minutes before it is ready, add the peeled and roasted peanuts to the pot. Cover again. It is important not to add the peanuts before because otherwise they become too soft and do not have a good consistency. When the rice is ready, remove from the heat. If you are going to add raisins to your chicken curry rice: this is the moment!
