This isn't just chicken with rice on the side. The Colombian version is about the rice absorbing everything, the chicken fat, the sofrito, a splash of beer. By the time it's done, it's all one thing. The beer is not optional.
Ingredients
1kg chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks, bone-in)
2 cups long grain white rice
1 bottle (330ml) light beer
400ml chicken stock
1 onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, paprika, salt
Handful peas (fresh or frozen)
Coriander to serve
Method
Season chicken with cumin, paprika, salt. Brown well in oil on all sides. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, sauté onion, garlic, tomato, and pepper until soft, about 8 minutes.
Add turmeric and rice. Stir to coat every grain in the sofrito.
Pour in beer first, let it sizzle and reduce 1 minute. Add stock and 200ml water.
Nestle chicken pieces back in. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover tightly, cook 25 minutes.
Add peas, rest covered 5 more minutes off the heat.
Serve with coriander, avocado, and fried plantains if you have them.
Notes
Bone-in chicken is not negotiable, it flavours the rice differently than boneless. The turmeric gives the rice its characteristic golden colour. Don't lift the lid while it's cooking. The steam is doing the work.
A Short History
Arroz con pollo exists in nearly every Latin American country with its own regional variation, and this style, built on a sofrito base with beer or stock for the rice, reflects the Colombian approach specifically. The dish's roots trace back to Spanish colonial-era rice and chicken cooking traditions, which spread and localized differently across the Americas, with each country developing its own defining seasoning and technique over generations.
Nutrition (per serving)
767
Calories
53g
Protein
38g
Fat
43g
Carbs
Estimated from standard ingredient nutrition data for this recipe as written, serves 4. This is a full, hearty one-pot meal built around a whole kilogram of bone-in chicken, the protein content reflects that.
