Recipe

Arroz con pollo a la chorrera in an electric pot

Name: Arroz con pollo a la chorrera in an electric pot
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 650 g (about 1.4 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 1 tsp (6 g) salt; ½ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp dried oregano; ¼ tsp ground black pepper; 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil; 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil; 1 medium onion (about 150 g), finely chopped; 1 medium green pepper (about 150 g), finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, crushed; ½ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp dried oregano; 1 bay leaf; 2 cups of 240 ml (about 380 g) long-grain white rice; 480 ml (2 cups) low-sodium light chicken broth; 1 tsp (about 3 g) bijol powder or ¼ tsp saffron threads; ½ tsp (3 g) salt; 125 g (approximately ½ cup) tomato sauce; 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas; 100 g roasted red pepper strips; 960 ml (4 cups) hot chicken broth

Arroz con pollo a la chorrera made in an electric pot: chicken cooked separately, rice under pressure, and finished creamy with hot broth and Cuban sofrito.

CiberCubaNovember 6, 2026

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Preparation20 min
Cooking1 h 10 min
Total time1 h 30 min
Servings6 servings
DifficultyMedium

Arroz con pollo a la chorrera is the wet and creamy rice of the Cuban table: yellow, with its sofrito, peas, and strips of pepper, so soupy that it runs off the plate. In the classic arroz con pollo a la chorrera recipe, it is prepared in a stew pot to share with family.

This version is designed for an electric pot, specifically a 6 qt (about 5.7 liters) Instant Pot Duo. It follows a two-phase method: first, you cook the chicken completely with the pot open and set it aside; then, you cook the rice with sofrito and broth under low pressure for a short time. Finally, with the pot already open and without pressure, you combine everything with the tomato sauce and add hot broth until you achieve the chorrera consistency.

If you have another electric pot, such as a Reina, identify your model and follow its manual. Programs, pressure levels, and minimum liquid requirements vary from one brand to another, and this recipe does not guarantee they will work on any appliance.

Method

Preparation

Rinse the rice in a fine strainer under cold water, stirring by hand, until the water runs almost clear. Let it drain well for about 10 minutes.
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Season them with 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp oregano, and the pepper.

Chicken in Sauté, pot open

Check that the silicone seal is properly placed and the valve is clean, as indicated in the manual. Place the inner pot, press Sauté on normal level, add 2 tbsp oil, and wait for it to heat up.
Cook the chicken in batches, in a single layer, for 3-4 minutes per side. It must brown and be fully cooked: 74 °C/165 °F in the center of the thickest pieces, measured with a thermometer. Transfer to a clean container and cover. It is not enough that it is browned on the outside: the short rice phase will not finish cooking raw chicken.
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Sofrito and pressure-cooked rice

If the pot is dry, add 1 tbsp oil. Sauté the onion and green pepper for 4-5 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf, and cook for 1 more minute.
Press Cancel. Pour in 120 ml of broth and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon until nothing is stuck. This step is key to avoiding the Burn warning.
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Dissolve the bijol (or saffron) and ½ tsp salt in the remaining 360 ml of broth. Add the drained rice, spread it in an even layer, and pour the broth over it. Press down gently so it is submerged, without stirring too much. Set aside the tomato sauce, chicken, and peas for the end. Check that the contents do not exceed the 1/2 mark.
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Close the lid with the valve in the sealing position. Select Pressure Cook, pressure low (Low), and 4 minutes, with Keep Warm off. The pot will take about 8-12 minutes to build pressure before starting to count.
Let the pressure drop completely on its own (natural release), about 15-20 minutes, without doing a quick release. Open only when the pressure has disappeared and the float has dropped; do not force the lid. Meanwhile, heat the 960 ml of broth in a saucepan until steaming.

Chorrera finish, pot open

Open the lid away from you and remove the bay leaf. Press Sauté on low level. Add the tomato sauce and 240 ml of hot broth, and mix carefully. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the tomato darkens slightly and loses its raw taste.
Incorporate the chicken with its juices and the peas. Pour in the hot broth in increments of 120 ml, stirring gently, for 5-7 minutes. Stop when the rice is creamy and loose in broth, and the chicken is well heated.
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Add the red pepper strips, taste, adjust salt if needed, and press Cancel. The point is this: the grain is tender and the broth, slightly thick, runs when you tilt the spoon. Serve immediately, as the rice continues to absorb liquid.
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Tips and variations

The cup in this recipe is the US measuring cup of 240 ml, used for both rice and broth. Two cups of long-grain rice weigh about 380 g. Do not confuse it with the small cup that comes with the rice cooker, which usually measures about 180 ml.

Use conventional white long-grain rice. Parboiled, brown, or round-grain rice require different times and amounts of liquid, so they are not suitable for this formula without adjustment.

If the Burn warning appears, press Cancel and follow your model's manual. Do not open the lid while there is pressure. To avoid it, scrape the bottom well when deglazing and add tomato sauce only at the finishing stage, never before pressure cooking.

Minimum liquid: the 6 qt Duo needs at least 375 ml of thin liquid to build pressure. The 480 ml of broth in this recipe covers that minimum; oil and tomato do not count as liquid. With rice, never exceed the 1/2 mark on the inner pot.

For shopping: in total you need about 1.44 liters of broth. With two cartons of 32 fl oz (946 ml each), you will have some left over. If the broth is regular and not low-sodium, reduce the salt for the rice.

Variation: some Cuban families add beer at the end. You can replace 120 ml of the hot broth with light beer and let it simmer gently for 2-3 minutes on Sauté before continuing to add broth.

Storage: chorrera thickens significantly when cooling. Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the ambient temperature exceeds 32 °C (90 °F). Store covered at 4 °C (40 °F) or less and consume within 3-4 days. To reheat, add a splash of broth and heat until reaching 74 °C (165 °F) in the center, checked with a thermometer.