Whenever we go out to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant, my kids ALWAYS order this Arroz Con Pollo (Cheesy Chicken and Rice)! It is called by many different names. I now know that it is also referred to as Alan Special, Stephen Special, Pollo Bandido, or even Chicken on the Beach. And more, thanks to social media! No matter what it is called, the premise is the same. It consists of Mexican Rice, grilled chicken and a cheese sauce. It comes served with warm tortillas to stuff it inside and it is a very popular and delicious dish! And my kids loved my at-home version so I hope you will to!
And while you are here check out some of our other favorite Mexican inspired dishes!
Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
How do you make it?
There are 3 steps to making this. It may seem like a lot, but I always say that if you prepare and get everything out and ready, preparation is a lot easier. And the steps are not difficult or time consuming! I will break each one down.
For the Rice:
You will start by toasting 2 cups of long grain white rice (I used basmati) in 2 tbs of oil (I used avocado) over medium high heat. This will only take 3-4 minutes and you want to stir it continuously. Then you will add in a diced onion and some minced garlic and toast it for another minute or two.
Now you will add in 16 oz of tomato sauce and give it a good stir. Then add in 1 packet of sazon and a heaping tbs of chicken flavored bouillon and 4 cups of water. Bring it to a boil. Put the lid on, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. DO NOT STIR!!!!
Then you will take it off the heat, and let it sit for another 15 minutes. Again, DO NOT STIR! After 15 minutes, GENTLY stir it and you should have perfectly cooked rice!
For the Chicken:
Take 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them into very thin slices. Melt 2 tbs of butter and 2 tbs of avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat and place the chicken in. Season with the spices that will be listed on the recipe card below. Then you will stir continuously until they are fully cooked. And they will cook very quickly. About 4-5 minutes. But if in doubt, always use a meat thermometer to make sure it reaches 165 degrees!
For the Cheese Sauce:
Pour one can of evaporated milk into a sauce pan over medium heat. Then add 16 oz of queso blanco velveeta, a 7 oz can of diced chilies and 8 oz of grated pepper jack cheese. Stir continuously until all of the cheese is melted. Let it rest so it can thicken up.
Assemble some rice on the plate, then some chicken and then drizzle as much of that yummy cheese sauce on there as your heart desires! Warm up some flour (or corn if you prefer) tortillas and scoop some inside and enjoy!
I like to add some fresh jalapenos and hot salsa to mine as well! Refried beans are also a great addition. I hope you enjoy this Arroz Con Pollo (Cheesy Chicken and Rice)!
If you do make this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating! I love hearing from you and it helps so much! Thank you!
Arroz Con Pollo (Cheesy Chicken and Rice)
Ingredients
Rice
- 2 Cups Long Grain White Rice I used Basmati Rice
- 2 tbs Cooking Oil I used Avocado Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, Diced
- 4-5 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 packet Sazon Seasoning
- 1 tbs Chicken Flavored Bouillon
- 16 oz Tomato Sauce
- 4 Cups Water
Chicken
- 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or thighs if you prefer
- 2 tbs Butter
- 2 tbs Cooking Oil I used Avocado
- 1 tbs Garlic Powder
- 1 tbs Onion Powder
- 1 tbs Chili Powder
- 1 tbs Cumin
- 1 packet Sazon Seasoning
- 1 tsp each Salt and Pepper
Cheese Sauce
- 12 oz Can of Evaporated Milk
- 16 oz Queso Blanco Velveeta
- 7 oz Can of Diced Chilis
- 8 oz Grated Pepper Jack Cheese
Instructions
For the Rice
- In a skillet over medium/high heat, toast the rice in the oil, stirring continuously for 3-4 minutes. Add in the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
- Stir in the Sazon, the bouillon, the tomato sauce and the water. Bring to a boil. Put the lid on. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 15 minutes. DO NOT STIR! (make sure it is on a very low heat setting so it doesn't burn).
- Take it off the heat, and let it sit for another 15 minutes and again DO NOT STIR. After 15 minutes, gently stir it and it should be perfectly cooked!
Chicken
- Slice the chicken into very thin strips.
- Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. Add the chicken in, then add the spices listed above. Cook and stir constantly until thoroughly cooked, which should only take about 4-5 minutes.
Cheese Sauce
- In a sauce pan add all of the ingredients listed and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until all of the cheese is melted. Allow it to sit for a few minutes to thicken up.
- Assemble the rice on the plate, followed by some chicken, and then drizzle as much cheese sauce on top as you want. If desired, warm up tortillas to stuff the mixture into and enjoy!
TammyBeth
This is a keeper!!! Made it tonight. So easy and delicious. The whole family loved it.
cwilken
So happy to hear that Tammy!
Lori P
Can I make this ahead of time? Maybe two days before? I’m wondering how the rice keeps, I don’t want it sticky or mushy.
cwilken
We had leftovers for about 3 days and they were fine! The only that is that the rice does get a little sticky but it isn’t bad.
Aubrey
How many does this particular recipe feed? Do I need to double everything if I want to feed more?
cwilken
This recipe easily feeds 6-8 people! Depending on how many people you are making it for, you can double everything but you do not need to double the cheese sauce!
Kris
I want to give it a five but I don’t know what I did wrong with my rice. It’s still like soup. I did 15 minutes on low turned it off. Didn’t touch it another 15 minutes and it’s like soup so I am boiling again and letting it sit. I so want this to turn out! It looks ahmazing!!!!!
cwilken
I am so sorry to hear that! I struggled with rice for years and honestly never knew what I was doing wrong either.
Maria
100% Delicious! It is just as good as a Mexican restaurant. I added green peppers on the side just to make it stretch for a big family. My Salvadoran mother in law even liked it and she can be hard to please sometimes. Definitely will make it again.
cwilken
That is so wonderful! Thank you for such a nice review!
Maxwell Pedro
If I want to double the rice from 2 cups to 4 cups, should I double everything else (e.g., 2 Yellow Onions instead of 1 Yellow Onion, 32 oz Tomato Sauce instead of 16 oz Tomato Sauce)?
cwilken
I would not double the onions and garlic, just the liquid 🙂
Camber
I want to make this recipe so bad but can’t find the velveeta queso blanco anywhere. Do you think a jar of queso blanco would work?
cwilken
Oh absolutely! They have a lot of good choices for store bought!
Shanice Walker
Can I use brown rice for this recipe
cwilken
You can but I am not accustomed to cooking with brown rice so I don’t really know what the correct rice to broth ratio or the time would be! I do know it takes a bit more of both just not sure how much. Sorry I can’t answer more precisely!
Lexi
This was great! It tasted just like the Mexican restaurant! I added a little more milk to the queso because I wanted it thinner, I had to use a 15oz can of tomato sauce in the rice instead of 16, and I only added one 4 oz can of chilis to the queso. Everything turned out great and I will definitely be making it again.
I’m not sure why but my chicken was way darker than the picture you show, it still tastes great, just a different color for some reason lol!
Erica
I can’t find Queso velveeta. Substitute?
Crystal
I couldn’t find that specific cheese either, so I ended up using a 15 oz jar of Pace queso blanco that I found at Walmart. It was delicious!
cwilken
Any American cheese will work, but also regular velveeta does too. It will be yellow, of course, but will still taste great!
Laura
Which Goya Sazon are you using in the recipe? Is it the Coriander and Annatto?
Amy
Why is .y chicken more red in color and yours isn’t?? I used all the same ingredients.
cwilken
I am not sure…maybe the paprika? Hopefully it tasted good?
cwilken
Yes that is the one 🙂
Nikki
I would love to try and make this again but my rice isn’t cooked all the way!! What do I need to do next time? I followed the instructions…
cwilken
Try leaving the lid on for the entire time. Also make sure you are using long grain white rice. I am not really sure why it wouldn’t be cooked all the way through, but I sure hope you have better luck next time!
Natalie
Where can I buy this sazon golla packet and the better than bouillon can?
cwilken
Hi Natalie!
I apologize for the late reply but I have been sick this past week. I buy both of those products at Wal-Mart! 🙂
CB
We’ve tried 10 different ways to match the cheese dip at our favorite Mexican restaurant and this is by far the best. But we find it thickens up really quick as it cools. What are good ideas to thin it out a bit? Milk, evap milk, cream?
cwilken
Hi! So glad you like the cheese sauce! and I am sorry it took me so long to reply, but the holidays have been hectic! And in answer to your question, yes just use a little milk to thin it out! 🙂
Rhianna
Easy & delicious!
Abby
My roommate and I thoroughly enjoyed this meal! It was simple enough to make and very flavorful. Makes great leftovers too. I will definitely be making this again for my family. Love this recipe!
cwilken
That is so great to hear Abby! I always love big meals that are good for leftovers too! Thank you for the thoughtful review!
Chelsea
We made this tonight and loved it! We halved the recipe which made plenty for my family of four. We will definitely be adding this to our rotation!
Destini
Will definitely be making again! Next time I will probably try only half the amount of tomato sauce as it did come out a bit sweet!
I was curious how long the separated leftovers should last in the fridge? I have so many so was hopping to make them this weeks lunch!
cwilken
Hi Destini,
I am sorry I couldn’t respond sooner, but I would have said the leftovers can last about 3-4 days in the fridge 🙂
cwilken
So glad to hear it Chelsea! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a review! It is much appreciated!
Tracy
This was the first time that I have made ACP at home! I followed the directions exactly. My family absolutely loved it! It was so delicious. My hubby is excited to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I will definitely make it again! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
cwilken
Tracy, that is so great to hear! I love that the whole family enjoyed it and the hubby has some great leftovers for lunch! Thanks for the great rating and review, it is much appreciated!
HH
Excellent!! This was my first time making ACP at home and I’m so glad that this was the recipe I decided to try- it’s perfect! I followed as written, except leaving out onions and chilis due to picky eaters.
I took some time to make this on a Sunday afternoon and I’m excited to have plenty left for a couple of quick and easy weeknight leftover meals. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
cwilken
Hi Holly! This makes me so happy! I am so glad everyone enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review!
Kailey
WOW! This recipe turned out amazing! The flavors are spot on and the meal was really easy to prepare. Thank you so much!
cwilken
Hi Kailey! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! I truly appreciate it! And I am so glad you thought it was easy to make and loved the flavors! It is definitely one of our favorites as well!
Kristina R.
This is delicious! I made this tonight and my chicken is much more red than yours is, are you supposed to use the Sazon seasoning in both the rice and on the chicken? It lists it under both.
cwilken
Hi Kristina! I did use the Sazon in both the chicken and rice. I wouldn’t worry about the color. Mine was Kinda red too but when filming it sometimes distorts the color! As long as it tasted good that is all that matters! I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your review!
Daisy
Very good!
Adam
After looking up “ACP” recipes, I learned about how this style of arroz con pollo, featuring queso blanco, shows up primarily on Mexican restaurant menus in the Southern US. It might be catored to regional American taste, but this version is what I was craving, and this recipe does it right! The rice was flavorful and turned out perfectly cooked. Chicken seasonings are great, and the cheese sauce easily brought this to comfort food territory. If you’re looking for how to make the restaurant ACP with the white cheese on it, this is it.
I decided to marinate the chicken in the seasonings and oil for about 3 hours, which I think helped brown the chicken and infuse the flavors.
cwilken
Hi Adam! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you so much for such a thoughtful review!
Cindi
I followed the recipe as written and OMGosh is this a keeper. The family loved it and will be in our meal rotation from now on. This recipes feeds at least 8 people. Thank you so much for sharing.
cwilken
Thank you Cindi! I am so glad you and your family enjoyed it!