Traditional Peruvian Rice and Chicken

Ingredients 0/12

Step 1

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat some oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, just enough to coat the bottom. Brown the chicken on all sides, which should take about 5 to 7 minutes, then set it aside on a plate. Add a little more oil to the same pan and cook the onion until it’s soft and translucent, around 5 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook for another minute or two until fragrant. Stir in the cilantro, chile paste, salt, and pepper, cooking everything together until the cilantro darkens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let this simmer gently for a few minutes.

Step 2

Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Heat some more oil in the pan over medium-high heat and sauté the bell pepper until it’s soft, about 5 minutes. Pour the cilantro sauce back into the pan, add the chicken, cover it, then turn the heat down to low. Let it cook gently until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 3

Once the chicken is done, take it out and add water and rice to the pan—add a bit more water if it looks like you need it. Bring it to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is tender, anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes. Finally, stir in the peas, carrots, and the chicken, warming everything together for another 5 to 10 minutes before serving.