Locrio de Pollo [Recipe + Video] Dominican Rice and Chicken (2024)

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En Español Recipe ↆ Video ↆ

Try the best Locrio de pollo – the Dominican chicken and rice recipe – the most popular locrio in our country which combines vegetables, rice, and chicken in a juicy, flavorful rice dish that will knock your socks off. Lunch has never been as fancy or tasty as this dish.

By Clara Gonzalez - Last reviewed Feb 8, 2024. Published Dec 26, 2005

Locrio de Pollo [Recipe + Video] Dominican Rice and Chicken (1)

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Why we ❤️ it

You will never hear the words Locrio de Pollo (Arroz con Pollo a la Dominicana) outside our country. Not because the dish is unique, but the word "locrio" certainly is. And if you love rice dishes, this one right here is what your life has been missing so far.

Juicy, flavorful, rich in vegetables, spices, and herbs, and yet you'll be surprised to hear that for us, this can be an everyday meal.

What is "Locrio"?

Locrio is a mixture of rice with meat or vegetables, to which color is added with tomato sauce, or with bija (annatto).

You can see over a dozen locrio recipes on our blog.

Locrio de Pollo [Recipe + Video] Dominican Rice and Chicken (2)

Locrio de Pollo [Recipe + Video] Dominican Rice and Chicken (3)

Locrio de pollo (Dominican arroz con pollo).

Serving suggestions

My favorite things to serve with Locrio de pollo is Dominican salad and a few slices of avocado. Some Fritos maduros or Torrejas de berenjena will always be welcome too.

About half of our readers would not serve Locrio without Habichuelas, the other half – per our informal polls – prefers it without.

Top tips

How dark you let the sugar get will determine how dark the meat will get. It's a matter of taste, but one thing is sure: chicken should never be pale when served to Dominicans. 🙂
If you find some ajíes gustosos (non-spicy tiny peppers), crush a couple with the garlic and add it for some extra Dominican flavor.

About our recipe

Each Dominican family has its own locrio de pollo, in which some ingredients will be added, and others will be changed. This is my family recipe, where auyama (squash) is the secret ingredient that makes it juicier and gives it a beautiful color.

Is there any ingredient in your locrio de pollo that mine doesn't have? I'd love to hear it.

Buen provecho!

Video

Recipe

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Locrio de Pollo [Recipe + Video] Dominican Rice and Chicken

By: Clara Gonzalez

Locrio de pollo – a Dominican rice and chicken recipe – is probably descended from the Spanish paella, it combines herbs, rice, chicken and vegetables in a juicy rice dish that will knock your socks off.

5 from 32 votes

Save for Later Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Dominican, Latino

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1129 kcal

Equipment

Aluminum or cast iron pot, 4 gallon capacity with tight-fitting lid

Ingredients

▢ 3 pound bone-in chicken, [1.8 kg], cut into small pieces
▢ 1½ teaspoon salt, (or rmore, to taste) divided
▢ 1 teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
▢ 1 sprig of fresh coriander
▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground), or to taste
▢ 1 bell pepper, (or cubanelle pepper) chopped
▢ 1 small red onion, minced
▢ ¼ cup chopped celery
▢ 1 teaspoon mashed garlic
▢ ⅛ cup capers
▢ ⅛ cup pitted green olives, halved
▢ Juice of 1 lime
▢ 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
▢ 1 teaspoon brown sugar
▢ 1 cup diced auyama (kabocha squash), or carrot (both optional)
▢ 1 cup tomato sauce
▢ 2 cups rice

Instructions

1. Marinade the chicken

In a bowl combine chicken, salt, oregano, cilantro, pepper, bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic, capers, olives, and lime juice.
Mix well, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

2. Cook the chicken

In the cast iron or aluminum pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat, reserving 2 tablespoons for later use. Add the sugar to the heated oil.
When the sugar turns dark brown, add the chicken (reserving the vegetables and herbs from the marinade), being careful not to splash the oil. Stir for one minute.
Add the vegetables from the marinade, auyama, tomato sauce, and stir to combine. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.

3. Add the rice

Taste the water and season with salt to taste. Add the rice and stir often to prevent it from sticking too much to the bottom.
Once the water has evaporated, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and stir, moving the rice from the bottom to the top.
Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste the rice to see if it is ready; it should be firm but tender inside. If it is not fully cooked, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

4. Serve

Serve per suggestions above the recipe.

Cook's Notes

How dark you let the sugar get will determine how dark the meat will get. It's a matter of taste, but one thing is sure: chicken should never be pale when served to Dominicans. 🙂

Nutrition

Calories: 1129kcalCarbohydrates: 89gProtein: 56gFat: 60gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 283mgSodium: 1647mgPotassium: 1161mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 5205IUVitamin C: 52mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 4mg

Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.

READERS SEARCHED FOR arroz con pollo, Dominican arroz con pollo, Dominican locrio, Dominican locrio de pollo

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More rice recipes

You can see a great collection of rice recipes on our blog, and more than a dozen locrio recipes.

Don't miss the Locrio de puerco, Locrio de pica pica, and the Moro-locrio, one of my favorites.

FAQ

What is locrio in English?

Locrio is a Dominican rice dish that combines rice, vegetables, herbs, spices, and some type of protein. There is no word-for-word translation for Locrio in English. We usually translate it as the type of combination the specific locrio is, like "Dominican rice and chicken", or "Dominican rice and shrimp." We've even seen it translated as "Dominican paella."

How many calories does locrio have?

The calories in locrio will very much depend on the ingredients in it, and can vary. This locrio recipe has 1129 calories per serving, as well as 89 grams of carbs, and 56 grams of protein.

¡Hola 👋! Thanks for visiting.I'm Tía Clara, your Internet 🇩🇴 Auntie and hostess.

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More Dominican Main Dishes for Every Occasion

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