Description
Pollo Loco is a flavorful Mexican chicken and saffron yellow rice dish cooked in one pot, finished with creamy white queso for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1.5 lbs uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast cut into small bite size pieces
- 1 tsp Goya Adobo Seasoning
Rice and Broth
- 1 10 oz pkg Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice (Arroz Amarillo)
- 1 cube Knorr Tomato Bouillon (optional)
- 2½ cups water
Queso Sauce
- 3 oz White Queso Dip
- 2 tbsp milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole all work)
Other
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel if they seem wet. Sprinkle 1 tsp of Goya Adobo Seasoning evenly over the chicken and rub it in all over to ensure good flavor.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven or non-stick deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the diced chicken breast and cook on one side for about 3 minutes until browned. Turn the chicken pieces and continue cooking until fully cooked and browned on all sides.
- Add Rice and Broth: Once the chicken is cooked, add the 10 oz package of Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice, crushed Knorr Tomato Bouillon cube (optional), and 2½ cups water to the pot. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil for one minute.
- Simmer the Rice and Chicken: Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid (make sure there is no steam vent hole to prevent rice from staying crunchy). Let the rice cook undisturbed for at least 20 minutes before checking doneness; it should be fully cooked between 20-25 minutes.
- Add Queso and Milk: Once rice is cooked, add 3 oz of white queso dip and 2 tbsp milk to the pot. Fluff everything together gently with a fork to combine the creamy queso with the chicken and rice.
- Serve Warm: Serve the Pollo Loco warm, ideally portioned at 1.5 cups per serving for optimal nutrition and satisfaction.
Notes
- Use a pot with a tight-fitting lid that does not have a steam vent hole to ensure the rice cooks fully and is not crunchy.
- If your lid has a steam vent hole, cover it with foil or tape to trap steam and cook the rice evenly.
- Cut chicken against the grain to ensure tender pieces.
- Substitute any type of milk (skim, 1%, 2%, whole) depending on preference or dietary needs.
- Serving size is about 1.5 cups, matching nutritional information and Weight Watchers points.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 369 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 1000 mg
- Fat: 5.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43.3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
