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Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo

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LIZ DELLA CROCE

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

Liz garnishing 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.
Slow cooker arroz con pollo.

More Slow Cooker Meals

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Liz eating slow cooker arroz con pollo.

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.

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Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo

4.09 stars average
Liz Della Croce
Easy to make and great for using up ingredients you likely already have on hand such as tomato sauce, rice, chicken and frozen peas.
PREP: 15 minutes
COOK: 3 hours
TOTAL: 3 hours 15 minutes
Pin
Servings4

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.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.7g | Protein: 29.2g | Fat: 14.4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11.4g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 840mg | Fiber: 6.8g | Sugar: 9.8g


4.09 from 57 votes (50 ratings without comment)

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45 responses to “Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo”

  1. Ellen Jeffries Avatar
    Ellen Jeffries

    And a half hours on high gave me a pot of mushy rice and dry chicken. This was a waste of flavorful ingredients.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Sorry you had trouble Ellen! If the rice was mushy and chicken was dry, it sounds like it was overcooked! I prefer to cook on low for longer time to try and avoid that.

  2. G Avatar
    G

    1 cup rice to 4 cups liquid? Tasty soggy mess.

    1. Ellen Jeffries Avatar
      Ellen Jeffries

      Agreed, mushy rice and dry chicken, good flavor.

  3. Rita Avatar
    Rita

    I was excited to try this in my slow cooker and when I saw the option to sear on a stove top with the slow cooker pan I saw that as a no brainer—less dishes! Unfortunately I indeed was left with less dishes because my slow cooker dish cracked on my stovetop and I was left with raw chicken and a broken slow cooker in the end. I’m sure the recipe is amazing but just a thought to add a warning (especially for beginners who are wanting to learn to cook!) that those dishes are not all designed for a stove top.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I’m so sorry that happened to you!! That’s why I mention and link in the recipe to the stove-top safe crockpot so that people can double check if theirs is the same.

  4. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    Can I use frozen chicken breasts or frozen chicken tenderloins? If so, how would I adjust for the liquid and time?

    Thank you!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      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.

  5. Liz Milian Avatar
    Liz Milian

    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.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh that sounds amazing! So glad you enjoyed it!

  6. Cameron Avatar
    Cameron

    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.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      It may be the rice! Another idea is to try rinsing it!

  7. Mary Avatar
    Mary

    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!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yes for sure!!

  8. Diana Avatar
    Diana

    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.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I’m so happy you found my website Diana! I hope you love it so much!!! :)

  9. Megan {Country Cleaver} Avatar
    Megan {Country Cleaver}

    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.

  10. Shannon Christopher Avatar
    Shannon Christopher

    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!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      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!