Arroz con Pollo

My husband lived in Costa Rica for almost six months four years ago. Together we've been trying to recreate his favorite arroz con pollo costarricense dish, and the past few times we've made it, it's taken him back to his time there. Although there are a few unique ingredients, the great thing is, it's very simple to make!

Arroz con Pollo (~ costarricense ~)

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup white rice 1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup cooked green beans, chopped (I opened a can and cut up what I needed, saved the rest for another night)
1 T adobo seasoning
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup bell peppers, diced (I used red and green)
1 T butter ~ 2 cups shredded chicken breast
2 packets sazón con achiote
fresh cilantro (if desired)

I found both of these ingredients in the specialty section at the grocery store near the Hispanic and Oriental food ingredients

You can get a rotisserie chicken and shred off what you need, or you can boil a couple chicken breasts on low in your crock pot for a few hours and then shred. I boiled 3 small chicken breasts for this recipe.

Boil your rice in the chicken broth instead of in water. Add the Adobo seasoning to the pot as well as your carrots and green beans. Cook the rice according to the package instructions.

In a skillet, saute the onion and peppers in the butter. Once the onion is translucent, add the shredded chicken. Add the seasoning packets and mix well. It will look ORANGE; this is OK! Cook until heated through and the chicken is uniformly covered with the seasoning.

 

Once the rice has finished cooking, add the chicken mixture to the rice pot. Stir well. If you'd like, add some fresh cilantro (my husband is not a fan, so we omit). Serve warm.

You can serve this with bread or even with some "fried" tortillas. Lightly butter both sides of the tortilla. Cook in a skillet until lightly browned on one side. Flip and cook on the other side.

I know this may not be very authentic, but it works for our purposes. I'm not promising authentic Central American food here, but I do hope you enjoy the flavors!