Pollo the Sun: Arroz con Pollo

We love this chicken-and-rice dish. Using supermarket rotisserie chicken saves time, while RO*TEL, jalapeño, and a well-seasoned broth give the rice plenty of flavor. Everything finishes together in one pan, making it a satisfying meal for two.
Print Recipe

Times are approximate and may vary depending on your equipment, ingredient sizes, and cooking pace.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 2
Estimated calories per serving: 620

Equipment

  • Pan with lid
  • Small 3-cup pot
  • Digital kitchen scale (grams and ounces)

Ingredients
  

  • 5 oz (143 g) roasted chicken (supermarket rotisserie chicken, mixed white and dark meat, skinless)
  • 1 cup dry parboiled rice
  • 5 oz (142 g) white onion
  • 2 stalks celery
  • ½ head of garlic
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1 ¼ cups RO*TEL Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

Broth

  • 2 vegetable bouillon cubes (or 2 ¼ cups vegetable broth)
  • 2 ¼ cups water
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt (plus more salt to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves

Steps
 

Preparation

           Broth

    • In the small pot, combine 2 ¼ cups water and the crumbled vegetable bouillon cubes. Heat until the cubes dissolve. If using prepared vegetable broth instead, measure 2 ¼ cups of broth and set aside. Omit the water and bouillon cubes.
    • Add all the seasonings, including the bay leaves, and stir well. Set aside.

           Chicken and Vegetables

    • Remove the skin and bones from the roasted chicken. Weigh 143 grams of meat, using a mixture of white and dark meat, and shred it.
    • Chop the onion.
    • Thinly slice the celery.
    • Cut the jalapeño in half, discard the seeds, and thinly slice.
    • Smash the garlic and chop it once or twice.

    Cook the Rice and Chicken

    • In a pan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
    • Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
    • Add the garlic, RO*TEL, jalapeño, and celery.
    • Add salt to taste.
    • Cook for 10 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the celery is soft.
    • Add the prepared broth, followed by the shredded chicken.
    • Add the dry rice and stir thoroughly.
    • Bring to a boil.
    • Cover, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. Check that the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. If necessary, cover and simmer for a few more minutes.
    • Remove from the heat.
    • Remove the bay leaves and stir well.

    Serve

    • Serve in two bowls.

    Notes

    Calorie Estimate

    We estimate calories by adding the contribution of each ingredient using nutritional information from USDA FoodData Central, supplemented by manufacturer nutrition labels and other documented sources when needed.
    Ingredient Calories
    Dry parboiled rice 692
    Roasted chicken 239
    Olive oil 80
    RO*TEL Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies 60
    Vegetable bouillon cubes 60
    White onion 57
    Head of garlic 22
    Celery 12
    Garlic powder 5
    Jalapeño 4
    Smoked paprika 3
    Onion powder 2
    Black pepper 1
    Cayenne pepper 1
    Dried parsley 1
    Dried thyme 1
    Dried oregano 1
    Bay leaves 0
    Salt 0
    Water 0
    Entire recipe: 1,240 calories
    Per serving (2 servings): 620 calories

    All of Living in Beauty Recipes

    We are working on a series of recipes that are easy to fix in an RV and are approximately 600 calories per person for two people. Ultimately, they will be compiled into “The Bean Counter Cookbook.”