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Chicken with rice

Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken with Rice)

Shock Munch
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Ingredients
  

  • Package of boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (5-6 count), lightly salt and pepper them on both sides
  • ½ cup water or vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced.
  • 1 pablano pepper, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • ¼ tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoon s smoked paprika (normal paprika OK too)
  • 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons salt (start with one tablespoon at a time and taste to ensure you do not over salt)
  • ¼ cup sliced green olives
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 3 to 4 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 2 cups white long grain rice
  • 4 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • Additional salt and pepper to taste
  • Cilantro for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Be sure to have your oven rack on the lowest rack setting so you can easily fit your pot/dutch oven.
  • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and brown them on both sides. Note, you are not trying to cook them through, you are just making sure they have a nice brown color on both sides. Once the thighs are browned on both sides, turn OFF the heat. Add ½ cup water (or vegetable stock) and let the chicken sit there. The heat in the pan will boil the water which will help deglaze your pan which equals more flavor! Set aside.
  • In a dutch oven or oven save large pot, heat another tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the onions and saute until they translucent which should take approx 5-8 minutes.
  • Now add the garlic, pablano pepper, red pepper, and give the ingredients a stir.
  • Now add the cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, sugar, green olives, capers, and salt. Give the ingredients in the pot a stir until everything is well coated with the spices.
  • Add the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes and stir.
  • Add the white rice and stir until everything in the pot is well combined and coated with the tomato paste and spices.
  • Now add the 4 cups of vegetable broth. After you add the broth, put the chicken thighs into the pot on top of the rice. Nestle them down so they are almost completely submerged in the liquid. Pour the water from the pan you used to brown the chicken into the dutch oven too.
  • Now toss in your frozen peas.
  • Turn the heat up to high and bring the broth to a simmer. Now cover, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, take the dutch oven out of the oven, and check the rice. All the water should be absorbed and you should be able to easy separate the rice with the twines of a fork.
  • The ingredients in the dutch oven will be HOT. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before you dig in.
  • Serve in a bowl, top with cilantro, and enjoy!