Arroz Atollado de Pollo y Chorizo is a flavorful one pot meal. This delicious creamy rice with chicken dish is popular in Colombia.
What is Arroz Atollado?
It is a traditional Colombian dish from the Pacific region of the country, which includes the departments of Nariño, Chocó, Cauca, and El Valle del Cauca. This region of Colombia is located on the pacific ocean and borders Panama in the north and Ecuador in the south.
There are many different variations of this creamy rice dish. Some of them are Atollado de Cangrejo (crab rice), Atollado de Pato (duck rice), Atollado de Carne Ahumada (smoked meat rice) and Atollado del Valle (pork rice).
Here's everything you’ll need to make this Rice Recipe
The full printable recipe card with ingredients, amounts and directions is below.
Chicken: I like to use a mix of chicken breast and chicken thighs or legs to make this dish. Feel free to omit one of them if you prefer.
Aliños Sauce: See recipe here. It's a flavorful mixture of vegetables and spices and the base of a lot of Colombian dishes.
Water: Feel free to use chicken or vegetable broth for more flavor.
Oil: I like to use canola or vegetable oil. You can replace it with olive oil or coconut oil will delicious too.
Vegetables: Tomatoes, scallions, garlic, red bell pepper and potatoes.
Spices: Achiote powder, salt, pepper and ground cumin. If you don't have achiote use seasoning with color.
Herbs: Fresh cilantro or parsley.
Chorizos: I like to use Colombian chorizo, but you can replace it with your favorite sausage
Rice: I like to use ling grain white rice. I do not recommend using brown rice as it will take too long to cook.
Arroz Atollado de Pollo y Chorizo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 chicken breast bone in and 8 chicken thighs or legs
- ½ cup of aliños sauce see recipe here
- 7 cups of water
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cups fresh tomatoes chopped
- 5 scallions chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small red bell pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon achiote powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Fresh ground pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 chorizos crumbled
- 2 cups white rice
- 2 cups potatoes peeled and cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
To cook the chicken:
- Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the chicken legs or thighs and cook about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until just cooked on the outside. Add the chicken breast, aliños and water. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking make the hogao: In a large sauce pan over medium-low heat, add 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, tomatoes, scallions, garlic, red pepper, achiote, salt, black pepper, ground cumin and cilantro. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat a set aside.
To make the rice:
- Remove the chicken from the liquid and set aside. Strain the stock and measure 4 ½ cups, if you do not have enough add more water. Using a fork or your hands shred the chicken breast and set aside.
- In a large pot, add the hogao and chorizo and cook for about 2 minutes, add the rice and mix well. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, add shredded chicken and potatoes, stir well and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, add the chicken legs and serve.
Nutrition
I am in love with this version of arroz atollado de pollo con chorizo because it's packed with many incredible flavors, it's easy to make, and it tastes even better the next day! So whether you find yourself hosting a lunch for your friends, a Sunday family dinner, or just need a meal idea during the week, I think you will find this creamy rice with chicken and chorizo a wonderful addition to the table.
What can I Serve with this Dish?
I like to serve this creamy rice with traditional Colombian side dishes such as fried ripe plantains, avocado slices and hot sauce (ají). A simple green salad is also a wonderful option.
Storing Tips
This dish is perfect for meal prep. Simply let the rice cool completely, divide the into separate meal prep containers and place them in the refrigerator. Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and can be eaten hot or cold.
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz
I must admit I do prefer my rice creamy than straight forward. This dish look just amazing. Will have to make that sauce for sure.
Alan Bowman
What type of potatoes did you use? Floury, waxy or like criolla (friable)?
Erica Dinho
I used yellow potatoes.
ela@GrayApron
I can almost taste this beautiful dish through the screen! 🙂 ela
Von
Being Asian, I tend to have my rice plain, but it always gets to boring, which is why I love creamy rice! This looks amazingly tasty- and I love that it's so colourful too 🙂 Just a question- what is achiote powder? It's the only ingredient in this recipe that I don't have 🙁
Erica Dinho
*Here is some info about achiote: https://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/achiote-oil-aceite-de-achiote/
*You can replace the achiote with saffron.
grace
i've read about sofrito before but i've never made or used it, and i don't think i've ever eaten anything flavored with it. this whole dish sounds marvelous!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch)
I think this sounds delicious. And thanks to Rick Bayless, I'm a huge achiote fan. This is a must try.
Platanos Mangoes and Me
The smokiness of a achiote and the chorizo just makes my mouth water
Ana
Love this meal! easy to make, easy on the wallet
Maria
This dish looks AMAZING! 😀 I'm going to try and cook it this weekend, but I have one quick question; when do I add the aliño sauce? Do I add it to the chicken along with the water?
Erica Dinho
Hi Maria,
Yes.....I forgot to add it to the directions, I fixed it! Thanks!
Doug
Ola Erica !
I just found your blog and signed-up for your emails.
What type of "chorizos" do they use in Columbia ?
I'm familiar with the Mexican version (soft) and the Spanish and Portuguese versions that are hard and dry almost like salami.
Thank You !
Anonymous
I am wondering the same thing... Which chorizo should be used?
loida
I want to learn how to make el pan de bono y pan de yuca.tnankyou
Lucy
If you are in the US look for Goya pandebono mix. It's pretty close to the real thing
Harold
I too want to know which chorizo is to be used???
Erica Dinho
I use Colombian chorizo.
Rachel
Is 2 chorizos two packs of chorizo or 2 cups? Where can I find Colombian chorizo? I’m in AZ we have Food City, Ranch Market and other Latin American markets but not sure where to start.
Olarewaju
Please I don't really get how to cook the chorizo and chicken yet, could you please teach me
Martha-cecililaooh I,m so happy I found your site
Hello
I,m so happy I found your site
I,m from Holland but was born in Medellin
I moved when I wAs two years old
Without family ( adopted)
So I never learned how to cook Colombian
But I wanted to share a little bit of my heritage with mij husband and my to boys and so I thought I don't know much but I can cook and let hem taste a little bit of Colombian food
And when we eat the taste fills my heart with joy
Natasha
Any suggestions to turn this into an instant pot meal?
Erica Dinho
I will have to try it!
Elle
I love Colombian chorizo but I’m having a hard time finding it up here in Boston. Any tips or links to find it online? Thanks!
Erica Dinho
I will look online and post links if I find it.