Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)

Last year, I had the opportunity to travel to Honduras and do some mission work at a children's home. Since we were a large group, they thought it'd be easier to just serve us the same food everyday.

Any guesses what it was?

Yup, chicken and rice.

For 6 days.

In reality, thanks to my Crohn's disease I wasn't eating any of the local food but I watched my travel mates choke down chicken and rice so many times they pledged to never eat it again. And while I didn't even eat any of it, I had no desire to want to make it for months after our trip!

Arroz con Pollo is a traditional chicken and rice dish from Spain and Latin America and when prepared well, it's darn tasty. This version is done in one pot - rice and all - which makes for an easy weeknight meal. And y'all know I love those!

I found the Sazon packets in the international aisle of my grocery store - which is really limited in their international foods already. The packets come in a 1.4 oz box. Azafran is saffron, which gives the dish the gorgeous yellow hue.

Arroz con Pollo

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1 tbsp vinegar

2 packets Goya Sazon con Azafran (see above)

1/2 tsp adobo powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp olive oil

1/2 medium onion

1/4 cup cilantro

3 cloves garlic

5 scallions

1 tomato, diced

2.5 cups long grain rice

4 cups water

1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 packet Goya powdered chicken bouillon 

salt to taste

Season the chicken with the vinegar, 1 packet of the sazon, adobo powder, and garlic powder. Let rest for 10 minutes. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat and add 2 tsp of the oil. Add the chicken and brown on each side. Remove and set aside.

In a small food processor, combine the onion, cilantro, garlic, and scallions. Pulse until finely chopped. If you don't have a small processor, you can chop them by hand.  

Add the remaining 1 tsp oil to the pot and saute the finely chopped onion mixture on medium-low until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato and cook another minute. Add the rice, mix well, and cook another minute. Add the water, bouillon, and 1 packet sazon, scraping up any browned bites on the bottom. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.

Add the browned chicken and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium-low until most of the water evaporates and you see liquid bubbling at the top of the rice line. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook 20 minutes without opening the lid. Remove from heat and let sit - with the lid on - for an additional 10 minutes. 

Fluff with a fork before serving. 

Source: Slightly adapted from Skinnytaste