Abita's Arroz Con Pollo
A colorful one-pot Colombian chicken and rice dish made for gathering
Hi! I'm Sabrina. I spend my days working in fintech, but my true love language has always been cooking, baking, and hosting.
sabrinajpark•
May 30, 2026
This is my Mama's recipe.
I originally wanted to name it after her, but the problem is that she has so many names! These days, my favorite name for her is "Abita," which is what my son calls her. It's his sweet baby version of abuelita, the Spanish word for grandmother.
So, "Abita's Arroz con Pollo" it is!
Growing up, this was one of those meals that always meant people were coming over. It's hearty and feeds a crowd so whenever I need a reliable dish for family gatherings, birthdays, or dinner parties, this is one of the first recipes I reach for.
I've had arroz con pollo from other Latin American countries over the years, and while they're all so delicious, they're often a little more simple in preparation. Abita's version is colorful, packed with flavor, and wonderfully moist. She loads it up with ingredients like olives, capers, and even hot dogs.
We usually serve it with sliced avocado and fresh cilantro on top. If you're watching the video closely, though, you'll notice I used parsley instead. That's only because my cilantro decided to go bad right before I started filming. Real life happens here. Oops!
I hope this recipe finds its way to your family table the way it has been finding its way to ours for years.
Buen provecho,
Sabri
Ingredients (18)
Ingredients (18)
For the Chicken Broth
For the Rice
Instructions
Make the Chicken Broth
Add the chicken thighs, garlic cloves, onion, salt, pepper, turmeric, and water to a large pot.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for ~15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Remove the chicken and set aside to cool slightly.
Strain and reserve the broth.
Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Make the Rice
In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, sauté the chopped onion over medium-high heat until softened.
Stir in the olives, capers, tomatoes and cook until they begin to break down, ~5-7 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.
Pour in 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth and bring everything to a gentle boil.
Add the rice and stir to coat it in the tomato mixture then reduce heat to low.
Add the shredded chicken and beef hot dogs, and mix everything together.
To Serve
Top with fresh cilantro.
Serve with sliced avocado.
Notes
Notes
If the rice looks dry before it's fully cooked, add a splash of the reserved broth. The turmeric in the broth gives the rice a beautiful golden color and subtle warmth.
For a little more flavor and spice, serve with Tabasco sauce.
Leftovers are even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together.
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