Belqui’s Dominican Locrio: Battle of the Arroz con Pollos!

Arroz con pollo is one of THE defining dishes of Latino cuisine. While they have a lot in common, the recipes for this staple dish can vary a lot. (For example, typically Cubans add beer, Puerto Ricans use achiote oil, Dominicans add soy sauce to their versions). That got us wondering. Which Latino locale do YOU think makes the best arroz con pollo?

So, we asked 3 of our favorite Latina cooks: Patty Morrell-Ruiz of The Mad Table (Cuban), Belqui Ortiz-Millili of Belqui’s Twist (Dominican), and Michelle Ezratty Murphy of Bowl & Apron (Puerto Rican family heritage) to have a chicken-and-rice food fight. Here’s how it works: Each cook is making her famous arroz con pollo and show us how it’s done, step by step, on video. Check out all three and then vote here for your favorite! The winner will be the newly crowned champion of our first-ever Familia Kitchen Battle of the Arroz con Pollos.

Competing for the Dominican Republic: Belqui’s Locrio

Defending the honor of Dominican arroz con pollo, called locrio, is Belqui Ortiz-Millili who grew up in the New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood. As a kid, she regularly traveled between the D.R. and New York, and learned to cook at a very young age by watching her mother and grandmother, she tells Familia Kitchen. Today, Belqui and her family live in Arizona, where she runs her cooking channel Belqui’s Twist. This locrio recipe was one of the first recipes she ever posted and it remains one of her platos favoritos of all time, she says.

Q: How is Dominican locrio different than other versions of arroz con pollo?
Belqui: I honestly cannot tell you the differences as I have not had the other versions or ever cooked them. But what I can say by my research is that the differences between Dominican locrio from Cuban, and Puerto Rican versions primarily lie in the ingredients, preparation methods, and regional flavor influences. I lived in the Dominican Republic on and off for a few years, and learning to cook it there influenced my traditional recipe. When I make it in the U.S., I feel connected to my roots and remember my younger years in the Dominican Republic, enjoying our delicious food. It’s special to hear that my locrio recipe tastes like the ones people’s mothers or grandmothers made or reminds tourists of their visit to the island. Cooking this dish makes me feel very Dominican and proud.

Q: Who taught you to make this traditional Dominican dish?
Belqui: My mom, grandmother, and aunt taught me to make locrio. They were the best cooks in the family, and I always wanted to help during family gatherings. At home, I liked to help my mom cook, and she was my main influence for this dish and others I learned growing up. I make this dish about once a month now and sometimes even longer as my roster of recipes is now much bigger. But when I do make it, it is a sure hit and certainly looked forward to!

Q: Why do you think your version is the best and should win Familia Kitchen’s Battle of the Arroz con Pollos?
Belqui: This is the first recipe I learned to cook at age 12. Why? Because it was one of my favorite dishes to eat. I perfected it quickly and I was so proud of how much my family liked my cooking of it, that I made it every week. I can very confidently and humbly say that I make the best one you may ever have. 

beautiful times we all had together…so every dish that I serve, has that essence stirred right in.

Check out Belqui’s recipe below and watch her make her locrio, Dominican arroz con pollo, step by step! Compare it to Patty’s Cuban arroz con pollo recipe here and Michelle’s Puerto Rican arroz con pollo recipe here. Then click here to VOTE for the No. 1 winner in our Battle of the Arroz con Pollos!

Will You Vote for Belqui’s Dominican Locrio as the Winner?

Belqui’s Dominican Locrio: Battle of the Arroz con Pollos!

Recipe by Belqui Ortiz-Millili

5.0 from 1 vote

Cuisine: Dominican

Servings

5 to 6

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces, skin off except wings and drumettes, or whichever pieces you’d like skin on

• 3 Tbsp lime or lemon juice

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp ground oregano

• 3 Tbsp adobo

• 2 tsp garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup corn oil

• 1 Tbsp sugar

• 1/4 cup water for adding to marinade

• 1/4 cup tomato sauce or 1 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1/3 cup Manzanillo olives, chopped or whole and some of its liquid

• 1 small yellow onion, sliced

• 1 packet chicken bouillon

• 4 strands fresh cilantro, or semi-dried cilantro

• 4 cups water, for cooking rice

• 3 cups long-grain rice

Directions

• Prep chicken. Make sure to take skin off all chicken pieces except wings and drumette. Also discard the wing tips. In Belqui’s recipe video, she went with all drumsticks.
• Season chicken by adding lime juice, soy sauce, oregano, adobo, and garlic. Stir well. You can marinate the chicken for a few hours or overnight in the fridge for more flavor, but it is not necessary.
• In a deep pot, over medium-high heat, add oil.
• Add sugar and watch for it to begin caramelizing. It will smoke a bit, that is normal.
• Add the chicken piece by piece, while holding the lid over the pot to contain the splatter. It will splatter so be careful.
• Lower the heat to medium and cover for about 4 minutes.
• In the meantime, add 1/4 cup water to the remaining seasoning liquid.
• Turn over the chicken pieces to add a bit of the seasoned liquid to the chicken and cover.
• Continue to stir and add liquid, if needed, every few minutes until cooked through.
• Once cooked through, remove chicken to a plate and cover.
• Add tomato sauce, olives, onions, chicken bouillon and cilantro to the pot where you just cooked the chicken. Give it a good stir.
• Add 4 cups of water, stir, and cover. Raise heat to high and wait for the water to boil.
• Once boiling, add rice and stir in well.
• Allow water to evaporate while stirring the rice often.
• Once it’s almost evaporated (watch video for reference), lower heat to simmer. Add the cooked chicken on top of the rice, alongside any remaining liquid. Cover for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, uncover and stir. Cover for another 5 minutes, and it’s ready. Enjoy!