Arroz Con Pollo Panameño

Recipe Courtesy of Food 52 and Marisel Salazar

Golden grains of rice shimmer beneath a canopy of saffron-tinged steam, cradling tender chicken infused with spices, bell pepper, and slow-simmered stock. In Panama, arroz con pollo is more than sustenance; it is a communal ritual, prepared for celebrations, shared across generations, and shaped by Indigenous, Spanish, and Afro-Caribbean influences. Each spoonful tells of trade winds, fertile valleys, and coastal abundance, binding family and place in a single, fragrant dish that honors resilience, hospitality, and the enduring rhythm of everyday life along the isthmus between two seas where cultures meet and stories simmer slowly, enriching identity with every shared meal.

Ingredients

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 2½ pounds)

• 3 cup long-grain rice

• 3 tablespoon canola oil

• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

• 5garlic cloves, peeled and minced

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

• 1 tablespoon sazón

• 1 dash adobo powder

• 1 dashWorcestershire sauce

• pinch saffron (3 threads)

• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

• 1 cupManzanilla olives with pimiento

• 1/2 cup nonpareil capers in brine, drained

• 1 (8.5-ounce) can peas and carrots, drained

• 1 (12-ounce) can dark beer, such as stout, dark lager, English porter, Modelo Negra, or Munich dunkel

• Jarred pimientos morrones, for serving

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water with the bay leaves to a boil; add the chicken breasts. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through (reaches 165°F on a thermometer).

2. Remove the chicken from the water and set aside in a separate bowl, reserving the poaching liquid in a separate bowl. (Remove and discard the bay leaves from the liquid.) Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat using a fork and knife or your hands and discard the bones.

3. Rinse the rice in a fine sieve until the water runs clear, then shake off the excess water. Warm the canola oil in a large paila, nonstick pot, or Dutch oven (avoid stainless steel, as the rice tends to stick and burn) over medium heat. Add the rice to the paila and stir with a large stainless-steel spoon (or a wooden spoon, if using a nonstick pot or Dutch oven) frequently until it turns pale yellow, about 5 to 8 minutes.

4. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, sazón, adobo powder, Worcestershire sauce, and saffron. Stir to combine, folding the seasonings into the rice. Stir in the shredded chicken and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered, over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally so that the rice does not burn or stick, scraping as you go, until the tomato paste has begun to stick to the pot.

5. Add enough of the reserved poaching liquid to cover the rice (2 to 3 cups), then stir in the salt, tomato sauce, olives, capers, and canned peas and carrots. Save any excess poaching liquid until you’re finished with the recipe, then discard. Should you run out of liquid, use premade chicken stock or water.

6. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes over medium heat, or until the liquid has evaporated (it can vary based on your cooking vessel). Stir in 9 ounces of the beer. (If the pan seems very dry, add the remaining beer. If not, drink the rest!) Tightly cover the paila with a large piece of aluminum foil and then cover with a lid. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice grains are split open. At this stage you may find that some of the rice grains are still not opened—if that’s the case, add a little bit more of the poaching liquid, mix, and cover again for about 10 minutes. The rice should be soft but not too sticky.

7. Garnish with pimientos morrones. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator or vacuum seal and freeze in individual portions.