Description
Pollo Loco is a flavorful Mexican chicken and rice dish featuring tender bite-sized chicken pieces cooked with saffron yellow rice and finished with creamy white queso. It’s an easy one-pot meal that combines comforting spices with a cheesy twist, perfect for a hearty family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small bite-size pieces
- 1 tsp Goya Adobo Seasoning
- 2 tsp olive oil
Rice and Seasoning
- 1 10 oz package Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice (Arroz Amarillo)
- 1 cube Knorr Tomato Bouillon (optional)
- 2½ cups water
Cheese Sauce
- 3 oz White Queso Dip
- 2 tbsp milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole)
Other
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: If the chicken pieces seem wet, pat them dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the adobo seasoning over the chicken and rub it in evenly.
- Cook Chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or non-stick deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes on one side. Turn the chicken and cook for a few more minutes until browned and cooked through.
- Add Rice and Broth: Add the saffron yellow rice package contents, crushed tomato bouillon cube (if using), and 2½ cups water to the chicken. Stir everything together and bring to a boil for one minute.
- Simmer Rice: Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover tightly. Let the rice cook for at least 20 minutes until tender. Check rice doneness around 25 minutes; it should be fully cooked with no crunch.
- Finish with Queso: Once the rice is cooked, add the white queso dip and milk. Fluff the mixture gently together with a fork until the queso is evenly distributed and melted. Serve warm.
Notes
- Serving size is 1.5 cups based on nutrition details and Weight Watchers points of 8.
- If your lid has a steam vent hole, it may cause the rice to cook unevenly and remain crunchy. Cover the hole with foil or tape to trap steam, or use a lid without a vent.
- When cutting chicken, slice against the grain to ensure tenderness.
- You can use any milk fat percentage for the queso mixture; skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk all work well.
- Adjust water slightly if using larger or smaller rice package sizes, maintaining the 2½ cups ratio per 10 ounces of rice.
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
