Texican Arroz Con Pollo

 
Texican Arroz Con Pollo - a delicious rice dish filled with savory spices and chicken and, if you'd like, sprinkled with a little queso fresco.

I'm usually left on my own deciding what's for dinner. Occasionally I say "pizza please" or "we have a Whataburger coupon," but mainly meals are put together with whatever we have around the house.

I'm very proud of myself getting a couple of huge packages of arborio rice for $1.00 (really!). Then I stared at them awhile wondering what the heck to make with it other than risotto.

Since we also have a couple of packages of leftover rotisserie chicken, Bret requested Arroz con Pollo. Now I have to figure out how to make chicken and rice. Hmm.

It didn't take too long to come up with this wonderful, hearty recipe. Full of great spices, a touch of tomato, peas and chicken, red pepper, and served with garlic bread, it really hits the spot.

By the end of our bowlful, we were a happy, full husband and wife.

You can mix and match whatever herbs and spices you have available. I invested in a jar of turmeric for another recipe, but understand if you don't have it hanging around. I do recommend it, though, because it's getting to be a pretty popular spice for modern recipes. Turmeric is earthy and adds a nice color to your dish.

There's a rather long list of ingredients for Texican Arroz con Pollo but they're mostly spices, so don't panic.

I simmered this on low for about 15-18 minutes to cook the rice in the delicious sauce. Throw in frozen peas and precooked rotisserie chicken and the recipe actually comes together quickly.

We made this smack-dab in the middle of summer and it's wonderful. I can see this being a cozy, comforting Fall or Winter recipe, too.

I hope you try Texican Arroz con Pollo. Mix it up - add sliced green olives or fresh corn off the cob. It's a versatile and tasty recipe that will help you use leftover rotisserie chicken.

Oh, and Texican is Texan and Mexican combined by the way.

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Texican Arroz con Pollo

Yield: 4 - 5

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Hearty, comforting rice dish with chicken, peas and spices.

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ large red bell pepper, small chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 C arborio or regular rice
• ½ C white wine
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• pinch of cayenne
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 C chicken broth
• 2 ¼ C rotisserie chicken, chopped
• ⅓ C frozen peas
• queso fresco, crumbled (optional)

Instructions

1. In a very large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Add the chopped red bell pepper and saute for about 2 minutes until starting to soften. Turn down the heat to medium and add the chopped garlic - stir for 30 seconds (do not let garlic burn).
3. Add the rice to the skillet and stir until the rice is coated with olive oil. Stir for 2 minutes, until the rice is just starting to brown. Add the white wine and stir occasionally until most of the wine is cooked off. Add the tomato paste and stir until combined with the rice mixture.
4. At this point, add all of the spices and oregano and mix completely into the rice.
5. Pour in 3 cups of the chicken broth and throw in the bay leaf. Stir several times and bring up to a high simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low and put a lid on the skillet. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. The rice will cook and soak up a lot of the sauce.
6. After 10 minutes, spoon a little of the rice out, cool it and taste it for doneness. If rice needs to be cooked a little longer, add a little of the remaining broth as needed. Cook for 5-7 more minutes and check texture again.
7. Most of the sauce will be absorbed into the rice, but the mixture should still be quite moist. Add the chicken and peas and let simmer on low for about 5 more minutes, adding a little more broth if desired. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Remove bay leaf from skillet.
8. Serve in bowls while hot and top each bowl with a couple of teaspoons of queso fresco if you'd like.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

It's easiest to combine all of the spices and herbs in a small bowl before starting the dish.  Then you can sprinkle them in without having to juggle spice jars.

Chorizo or other sausage would be very good added to this also.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1 bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 494Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 3017mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 39g

Nutrition Values are Approximate