Arroz Con Pollo Peruano

One of my Peruvian husband's favorite dishes! It is savory and slightly spicy with a gorgeous green cilantro spinach paste! Peruvian corn, peas, carrots, bell peppers, and of course, pollo. Made with love. Y cerveza.

"Delicioso. ¡Gracias!" –El Esposo

Arroz Con Pollo Peruano is Peruvian chicken and rice. It is traditionally made with a spicy yellow pepper paste called "aji amarillo" and also a cilantro paste that is easy to make. It is easiest to buy the aji amarillo paste in a jar which you can likely find at a Mexican grocery store, or if you're in Ohio, the Peruvian section at Jungle Jim's. You can also find Peruvian corn likely in both places. If it's not available to you, just use regular corn. I make my version of this dish with a potent homemade cilantro spinach paste (the cilantro gives flavor and the spinach provides vibrant color). Also, we like a little heat, so I add a generous amount of aji. But you can always modify these things. I included some shortcuts and modifications. Here's my recipe.

Arroz con Pollo Peruano

Estimated prep time: 15 min.

Cook Time: ~45 min.

Total time: ~1 hr.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Ingredients

• 1 large pack of chicken bone-in thighs, skin on

• 1/2 Cup Red onion, finely diced

• 1 Tbsp. Minced garlic, OR garlic paste

• 1-2 Tbsp. Aji Amarillo paste

• Salt

• Pepper

• 1 Tbsp. Cumin

• 2 bunches of cilantro

• 1 bunch of fresh spinach, OR 1 bag of spinach (shortcut)

• 1 bottle or can of beer (about 12 oz.)

• 1 carton of chicken broth or stock

• 1 chicken bouillon cube

• 1-2 Red bell peppers, sliced, OR a bag of frozen bell peppers (shortcut)

• 1 small bag of frozen peas and carrots

• 1 bag of Peruvian corn kernels

• ~3 cups of white rice

Directions

1. Brown chicken thighs in a large pot. After the chicken is browned, remove it from the pot (you should have some oil left). Hint: Prep ingredients while you do this step including making the cilantro spinach paste: in a food processor, blend 2 bunches of cilantro and a bag of spinach with some water. You may have to blend it in intervals as not everything may fit in your food processor at once.

2. Optional: drain some of the oil. Then sauté red onions and garlic paste (or minced garlic) on medium-low heat in the pot of oil.

3. Add aji amarillo paste (1-2 Tbsp. for mild spice, 2-3 Tbsp. for more spice).

4. Add cilantro spinach paste, cumin, 2 pinches of salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. Hint: remove chicken skins once cooled while you let the paste cook.

5. Add chicken (skins removed) back to the pot and pour in beer (plus take a sip). Crank heat to medium, medium-high. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for about 5 minutes.

6. Add chicken stock and chicken bouillon cube. Bring to a gentle boil again and cook for about 15 minutes. Check chicken.

7. Remove chicken (once cooked) and set aside in a bowl or plate. Remove skins once cooled. Check the seasoning of the pot. Add cumin, salt, and pepper if needed.

8. Add frozen veggies (peas, carrots, corn, bell peppers) and about 3 cups of rice. Mix, cover, and cook on low heat. Check every 15 minutes. When the rice is almost done, add the chicken back into the pot to reheat.

9. Once the rice is cooked (after about 25-30 minutes), fluff it with a fork.

10. Serve and enjoy!

Let me know if you try it and any additions of your own!

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Products I used:

I always use Modelo because it's what we have around. Lol. Feel free to use whatever beer you have, or white wine! I used a Spanish white wine before instead of beer, and it turned out great too!

Peruvian corn! Find it in the freezer section at your local Mexican market! Also called "choclo." I do not recommend replacing it with hominy corn, as they're not the same. Peruvian corn is much larger than American corn, though not as sweet, and it has a delicate nutty flavor. Try to find it if you can to make your dish more authentic! If you can't find it, regular canned or frozen yellow corn will have to do.

The liquid gold, aka: Aji amarillo. I have the jarred pepper version and the paste (the paste is much easier and convenient). Find it at your local Mexican market, or if you're in Ohio, Jungle Jim's! I like making my arroz con pollo with a little kick, so sometimes I put a few "dollops" of aji in the pot! Be careful not to add too much though, or the spice will overpower the dish.