Perfect for busy weeknights, transport your taste buds around the world with this easy, healthy, and delicious Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo.

Slow cooker or Instant Pot dinners are my jam all year round, but I especially love using my slow cooker in the warmer months when it’s too hot to turn on the oven or stand by a hot stove for an hour. I love making this Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo as it covers all the basics for a meal at once. Balanced, filling, and delicious, this dish is easy to throw together early in the day and then leave it for later!
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: I like to use split chicken breasts for this dish, as the bone and skin just add more flavor, but you could use boneless breasts or thighs as well.
- Kosher salt: The larger crystals of the kosher salt help to stick to the chicken and enhance its natural flavor.
- Onion: A white onion adds mild onion flavor that most people, even kids, will enjoy.
- Red pepper: Diced red pepper add a bit of sweetness, but you could use a green or yellow bell pepper as well.
- Rice: I used a short-grain white rice, but you could adapt this dish to use whatever rice you have.
- Tomato sauce: Slightly acidic and sweet, it adds to the sauce for the chicken and rice.
- Chicken broth: Makes the rice and dish more flavorful, as it’s the liquid the rice absorbs as it cooks.
- Lime juice: Adds a bright, acidic flavor that pairs well with the spices.
- Spices: Oregano, garlic powder, cumin, turmeric, and pepper all help to add a rich depth of traditional flavor to the dish.
- Bay leaf: While you don’t eat the bay leaf, it adds another layer of depth to the flavors of the dish.
- Peas: Doesn’t add much in flavor, but helps to make this dish balanced nutritionally.
- Green olives: Added after the dish has been cooked, they add a bright, tart flavor.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro added when you serve helps to brighten up the dish.
How to make Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo

Start your slow cooker arroz con pollo by seasoning your chicken breasts with kosher salt and pepper.

Then brown your chicken on both sides on the stove. This step isn’t required, but does add extra flavor.

Once your chicken is seared, place them inside your slow cooker.

Then add the diced onion and red bell pepper.

Then add the tomato sauce over the top.

Next add your rinsed uncooked rice.

And the chicken stock.

Then add the fresh lime juice.

Next you’ll sprinkle in the spices. Add the dried oregano, garlic powder, and cumin.

Then add the turmeric, and if you have it, you could also add saffron and cayenne as well for a bit more of a kick.

Then add the bay leaf before giving everything a good stir. Place the lid on the slow cooker and then cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4.

Once finished cooking, stir in the peas until warmed through.

Remove the chicken and then add the green olives.

Then you can either cut your chicken into chunks or shred it and discard the bones.

Return the chicken to the rice and serve garnished with the fresh cilantro and a bit of fresh lime juice as you desire. Enjoy your slow cooker arroz con pollo!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What does arroz con pollo mean?
Arroz con pollo is just chicken with rice in Spanish.
What kind of rice do you use for arroz con pollo?
Typically a long or short grained white rice is used to make this dish.
Why is my arroz con pollo mushy?
If it turns out mushy, then it might be overcooked or you added too much liquid.

More Slow Cooker Meals
- Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey Chili
- Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Chicken
- Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili
- Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja
- Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
Did you try this recipe and like it? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your dish.

Delicious the day you make it or the next day as leftovers, you and the whole family will enjoy my Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo.
Your fork is waiting

Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo
Ingredients
- 2 split chicken breasts ((bone-in skin-on))
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 1 cup diced red pepper
- 1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce (low sodium)
- 2 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (or lemon)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 saffron crushed threads (optional)
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
- 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tablespoons sliced green olives (garnish)
- fresh parsley or cilantro (garnish)
Instructions
- If your slow cooker has a stove-top safe insert, place it over medium high heat and add oil to the insert. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and sear on both sides until golden brown, 3-4 minutes a side. (Note: You can also do this in a stock pot.)
- Turn off heat and add the next 13 ingredients to the slow cooker (onion through cayenne). Stir well and heat on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 5-6 hours.
- Fluff rice with a fork and stir in peas 10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with green olives and fresh parsley to serve.
Can I use frozen chicken breasts or frozen chicken tenderloins? If so, how would I adjust for the liquid and time?
Thank you!
You can totally swap for frozen chicken! I’d add about an hour to the time but you shouldn’t have to adjust the liquid.
I loved it. I skipped the peas because of the kids. I did a sofrito for flavor with the needed ingredients before stirring it all together. We’re Cuban so we love arroz con pollo. Nice easy and fast.
Oh that sounds amazing! So glad you enjoyed it!
I loved the flavor of this dish, but the rice itself got too gummy after 5 hours in the slow cooker. I think if I made this again, I would cook the recipe separately and add it at the end, with the peas.
It may be the rice! Another idea is to try rinsing it!
I’m in the midst of a kitchen renovation and don’t have a stove. Can I throw the chicken in without searing first? Thanks!
Yes for sure!!
I asked my husband to pick me up chicken thighs. I meant boneless and skinless, but he came back with thighs on the bone and with skins. I thought to myself, what lends itself to that type of meat? (obviously I can de-bone them and peel the skin myself, but nah) It came to me: Arroz con pollo! Y So i googled it up. Your recipe says breasts, but I don’t care. Of the five recipes I looked at, I like yours the best. So, it’s in slow cooker now. It will be awhile and my rice is in there too. Bbut the thing is, I like mushy rice just fine, so I don’t care if it comes out that way.
I didn’t have tomato sauce on hand, so I used a can of diced tomatoes. I’m thinking of adding capers at the end because I have them and they just sit in the fridge useless. Plus I don’t like peas. Do you think that’s a bad idea? I’ll check back later for your answer. I still have hours on this dish.
Sooooo, I’m really happy to find this recipe and thank you. I can tell already it’s going to turn out great!
Looks great and smells great right now.
Oh I’m so happy you found my website Diana! I hope you love it so much!!! :)
How did you know arroz con pollo is my go-to dish at my favorite Mexican restaurant!!?? I never even thought about making this in the slow cooker! Hooray.
This recipe was delicious, it will be a regular for our house. Loved the olives and I put cilantro instead of parsely for garni on the plates when I servced it. My rice was pretty mushy, but I blame my crockpot because it really overcooks things. Next time will probably put rice in later. Thanks for the great tastes in this recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! I have found the rice cooking time does vary a bit based on strength of slow cooker so good idea to try and add it later. Glad the flavor was good!
Excited to try this! Do you think substituting with long grain brown rice will work?
Yes I bet it would!
Thank you! Made it (with brown rice) and it was delicious!
So glad!!
This was absolutely wonderful! My boyfriend is a professional chef and he raved about this dish…said the flavors were perfectly balanced… and asked for seconds!
Oh my gosh I’m so glad to hear that!! Thank you Robin!!
I make this all the time now and it is always amazing! Due to my Chef’s unpredictable schedule, I have begun cooking the rice separately, using the wonderful broth from the crockpot in place of water. That way the rice is never overcooked, and the flavors meld beautifully. Thank you again for a lovely, lovely recipe!
That is such a BRILLIANT idea!!!!! Thanks so much for sharing Robin!!
Well, the chicken tasted delicious, but the rice was really overcooked and soggy. Perhaps adding the rice one hour in to the cooking time may help…?
Oh no! I’m so sorry your rice was overcooked. Did you make any adjustments to the other instructions or liquid amounts? Sometimes even just a little too much liquid can make a big difference. Either way I hope it was still flavorful for you – sorry again!
I will try a little less stock next time. The flavour was wonderful though! :-)
So glad to hear!! Thanks again for the helpful feedback!
Just added to my meal plan for next week!!
I’m so glad you loved it!!
Thank you Liz – sounds really nice.
Thanks Liz!
Wow, this looks awesome! What a hearty and healthy meal! Love the nutrition count on this as well. I think I need to get the slow cooker out this weekend! This would make a great Sunday dinner with leftovers.
Let me know if you try it!! I hope you love it!!
Oh yummy!! This looks really good!! It makes me hungry!
Let me know what you think if you try it!
Looks delicious. I absolutely LOVE that this is made in the slow cooker. Love using the slow cooker for easy meals. Can’t wait to try it.
I love anything that saves me time at the dinner hour!! Thanks Stephanie!
In the words of Rachael Ray… YUMMO! I’m loving the flavor profile of this dish, it’s right up my alley!
haha! I heart Rachael!!
Dear Liz, this looks so good! I don’t know why I don’t think to use my slow cooker more often in the summer…I’m just a toss-a-salad-together kind of gal when it gets too hot. I have to save this and try it soon. Love all the flavors. xo, Catherine
My 3 boys love MEAT so the slow cooker is one of my favorite options aside from grilling of course.