How to Make My Tia’s Costa Rican Arroz con Pollo

The Equipment I Use to Make Arroz con Pollo

I am using my Instant Pot for this recipe. However, I am using the slow cooker function only because I have been having a hard time getting the rice to cook correctly with the pressure cooker setting.

This rice with chicken recipe will be updated with the pressure cooker setting once I can figure out how to do it so that the rice does not burn or come out too mushy.

But FIRST… a little more about arroz con pollo…

Some Info About Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con pollo is cooked in many different Latin American countries. In fact, each country has its own distinct flavors based on the ingredients they use (such as Costa Rica’s Salsa Lizano). 

Each household, too, makes its own version of arroz con pollo that may taste different from its neighbor’s version. 

As mentioned in the above paragraph, what makes the Costa Rican version distinct is the use of Salsa Lizano, a sauce created by a Costa Rican local in the year 1920. You can find out more about Salsa Lizano in my gallo pinto recipe.

In addition, the Costa Rican version includes a paste called achiote, which basically adds color to the rice making it reddish-orange. 

Other countries may use tomato paste or tomato sauce to get this red color.

If you did not already know, the popular Costa Rican brand is called Los Patitos (the little ducks). 

I’ve been having a very hard time finding it at my local Latin markets, but this could be because the Latino presence is not very prominent here in the greater Pittsburgh area as it is in other big cities. 

Fortunately, I have had success finding this achiote brand on Amazon.

The main components of arroz con pollo in these various Latin American countries are chicken, rice, and vegetables.

So, where did arroz con pollo come from? The original rice with chicken dish may have come from Spain. 

Interestingly, it seems that arroz con pollo may have been a product of many cultural influences such as rice from Asia, chicken from India, and saffron from Phoenician traders.

(This information can be found mentioned in food writer Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz’s book called Cocina Latinoamericana).

I tried looking for the distinctions between the different rice with chicken recipes amongst all the Latin American countries that have them, but they were all very similar. 

Like I said before, the biggest difference I could find was the use of Salsa Lizano in the Costa Rican version.

How to Make the Sofrito for Arroz con Pollo

You start off by making the sofrito, which consists of basic herbs and vegetables pureed to use as a base for many Latino dishes.

Keep in mind, that it’s probably best to do this ahead of time to save you some time in the kitchen.

Chop the following ingredients and place them in a food processor or blender so that it’s not liquified, but still thick enough to grab with a spoon.

• Onion
• Garlic
• Cilantro
• Parsely
• Celery
• Red bell pepper

Cooking the Chicken Breast for Arroz con Pollo

• Fill a large pot with water
• Add 2 chicken breasts
• Then add sofrito (a tablespoon or two)
• Add 3 cubes of chicken bouillon (My aunt recommends Maggie)
• Allow the water to boil and cook for about 30 minutes

Cooking the Rice in the Slow Cooker Mode of the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

Add the following ingredients to your Instant Pot or slow cooker:

• 4 cups of parboiled rice (this kind of rice works the best)
• Olive oil
• Salsa Lizano
• Achiote (about ½ to 1 Tablespoon)
• Salt
• Sofrito
• Minced garlic
• Diced onion
• Diced red bell pepper
• Sliced carrots
• Raisins
• Peas
• Manzanilla olives
• 3 bay leaves
• Chicken broth from the pot you used to cook the chicken (once it’s done cooking… just enough to cover the rice)

Then…

• Mix all the ingredients in the slow cooker together.
• Cover and set the slow cooker to cook for about 4 hours.
• Once all of the water is down in the slow cooker and the chicken is cooked, shred the chicken into smaller pieces and put the shredded chicken into the slow cooker. Don’t forget to put the lid back on the slow cooker.
• Once the arroz con pollo is done (might be more or less than 4 hours… check that the rice is soft), mix all the ingredients.
• Serve!

Tia Florita’s Versions of Costa Rican Arroz con Pollo

If you want to learn how to cook other versions, check out Tia Floria (Aunt Florita in English) who is a very famous and popular cook in Costa Rica.

I can remember watching her cooking shows in the mornings right after the news was finished airing. 

She has been around for many generations! My mom used to watch her shows when she was younger, too!

You can find some of her arroz con pollo recipes on this page. 

Unfortunately, but understandably, they are all in Spanish. 

HOWEVER, when viewing the pages on my computer, I have been able to use the Google Translate tool on the Google Chrome web browser to translate the page to English. 

It actually works very well!

[For your convenience, here is how you can use the Google Translate tool to translate the page to English].

Another Costa Rican Variation of Arroz con Pollo

If these versions include way too many ingredients for your liking, I found another one on the web made by puravidamoms.com.

The writer and recipe developer of this website has lived in both Costa Rica and the United States and is raising her kids in a bicultural environment.

I’ve made her rice with the chicken recipe before. It’s fairly simple and tastes good. She uses rotisserie chicken, Salsa Lizano (obviously), ketchup, soy sauce, and a can of mixed vegetables. 

How can it get any easier?

Conclusion

If you want an authentic home-cooked Costa Rican dish, arroz con pollo is the way to go! Try it!