Patty’s Cuban Pollo a la Chorrera: 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.

You voted and there was a clear winner!

FELICIDADES to Patty Morrell-Ruiz and all of Cuba: Patty’s Cuban pollo a la chorrera with yellow rice was voted the winner of Familia Kitchen’s arroz con pollo battle! Watch her making her famous dish below and let us know how it tastes when you try it at home. ❤️

Competing for Cuba: Chef Patty’s Pollo a la Chorrera

Defending the honor of Cuban’s rice and chicken, called pollo a la chorrera, is Patty Morrell-Ruiz, who grew up in a Cuban family. Chef Patty now lives in Miami, Florida, where she teaches at a culinary school and shares her recipes and entertaining tips on her elegant website The Mad Table. Check out her recipe and you will see why this is one of her family’s all-time favorite meals ever, Chef Patty tells Familia Kitchen.

Q: How is Cuban arroz con pollo (called pollo a chorrera) different than other versions?
Patty: Our Cuban a la chorrera version of arroz con pollo includes chorizo, beer, and chicken broth. It is made with short-grain rice and is much soupier than the other ones.

Q: Who taught you to make this Cuban family dish?
Patty: I grew up with my grandmother and parents always making it. My mom and dad were both very social and always had friends and family over on the weekends, and this is the one dish that they always made that everyone loved. It is all of my children’s favorite dish, and this has been my son Nicky’s’ birthday meal request since he was 7, and he is now 25!

Q: Why do you think your version is the best and should win Familia Kitchen’s Battle of the Arroz con Pollos?
Patty: My arroz con pollo is loaded with flavor and it is way too good not to share with the world! The chorizo and the beer adds a whole dimension of flavor that you only get from the Cuban version!

Check out Patty’s recipe below and watch her make her pollo a la chorrera step by step! Compare it to Belqui’s Dominican arroz con pollo (called locrio) 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 Patty’s Cuban Arroz con Pollo as the Winner?

Patty’s Cuban Arroz con Pollo a la Chorrera (Chicken & Yellow Rice)

Recipe by Patty Morrell-Ruiz

5.0 from 1 vote

Cuisine: Cuban

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs, bone-in and with skin

• 1 sour orange, juiced (or juice of 1 fresh lemon and ½ fresh orange as a substitute)

• 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

• 1 Tbsp kosher salt, divided

• 2 tsp dried oregano leaves

• 2 tsp garlic, ground (also called granulated)

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/4 lb Spanish chorizo, casing removed, halved lengthwise and then diced

• 1 onion, diced

• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 bay leaf

• 5 cups chicken broth

• 8 oz tomato sauce (1 can)

• 1/4 cup dry white wine

• 1 packet sazón con culantro y achiote seasoning (or ½ Tbsp homemade sazón seasoning, recipe below)

• 1 culantro leaf (only needed if using the homemade seasoning and not the store-bought seasoning packet)

• 14 oz Valencia or pearl rice, rinsed

• 6 oz light beer

• 1/2 cup frozen peas, for garnish

• 4 oz diced pimentos in brine, drained, for garnish (1 jar)

• 8 blanched asparagus spears, for garnish

• Homemade Sazón Seasoning

• 3/4 tsp dried oregano leaves

• 3/4 tsp ground annatto/achiote

• 3/4 tsp ground coriander

• 3/4 tsp ground cumin

• 3/4 tsp ground garlic

• 3/4 tsp ground onion

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

• In a large bowl, season the chicken with the juice of the sour orange (or the lemon and orange substitute), 1 Tbsp olive oil, ½ Tbsp salt, dried oregano leaves, garlic powder, and black pepper. Marinade for 30 minutes, or longer, if time allows.
• In a large Dutch oven or pan, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a plate and set aside.
• In the same pan used to cook the chorizo, add the chicken and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
• In the same pan, add the onion, bell pepper, and bay leaf and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the veggies slightly soften. Add the garlic and sauté with the onion mixture for 20 seconds, making sure that the garlic does not burn.
• Pour in chicken broth, tomato sauce, wine, sazón seasoning, remaining ½ Tbsp salt, and culantro leaf (if using the homemade seasoning). Stir in the rice and bring to a boil.
• Pour in the beer, add the chorizo, chicken, and cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked but still be on the soupy side.
• Remove from the heat, garnish with the peas, pimentos, and asparagus, and cover for 8 to 10 minutes, making sure that the liquid is not fully absorbed. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
• Homemade Sazón (If Making Your Own Instead of Using Seasoning Packet)
• In a small bowl, stir all of the ingredients until well combined.

Notes

• Valencia short-grain rice gets its name from Spain’s Valencia province. Valencia arroz is traditional used to make paella, the national dish of Spain.