Arroz Imperial is a very popular and comforting Cuban casserole dish that we would make for special occasions growing up. It consists of decadent layers of seasoned rice, shredded chicken in a sofrito sauce and delicious Tillamook cheese! This one-pot recipe will be your new go-to for get togethers.
Fill a large stockpot of water and place over high heat until it comes to a boil. Add your chicken and let it boil for 15 minutes until cooked through. Once ready, take the chicken out of the pot and place on a sheet pan to allow it to come to room temperature. Once ready, shred it with your hands or two forks.
Make your sofrito: Add your onion & bell peppers to a caldero (large dutch oven or deep pot) with 4 tbsp of olive oil and place over medium high heat. Cook this for 4-5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Now add in your garlic and 1 tbsp of sazon completa and cook for another 2-3 minutes until your garlic becomes nice and fragrant.
Now deglaze with the cooking wine and stir then add in your tomato sauce and stir again. Add the shredded chicken to the pan and salt to taste. Drop the heat to low and let this simmer for 10 minutes until all the flavors come together.
Make your rice: Start by adding the rice, water, oil and Sazon con achiote to a caldero (or large dutch oven). Cover the pot and place at medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Immediately drop the heat to low and cover. Let this cook for 18 min. Uncover, fluff up the rice and turn off the heat. Place the lid back on it and let it sit with the lid on and off the fire for another 10 min.
Chop your ham and add it to a medium saucepan to lightly brown evenly. Once the rice is cooked you can begin layering your arroz imperial in a baking dish. After each layer use a spatula to press the layer down and make it even.
Oil your baking dish and start with an even layer of rice, then mayonnaise, then chicken. After the chicken, add the diced ham, then a generous layer of cheese. Repeat these layers one more time. The more cheese, the better the cheese pull!
Place in the oven at 350° covered with aluminum for 10 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes then finally broil for 2-3 minutes to get a beautiful color on top!
Tip: What I love about this recipe is that it easily comes together with whatever ingredients or leftovers you may have on hand! A great trick and shortcut is buying rotisserie chicken to save on time
Shop this recipe
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Meet the chef
Mika Leon
Mika’s love of travel and seeing the world manifested in a similar desire to hit the streets of Miami with her food truck and unique Cuban tacos. In 2019, Mika put down roots in Coral Gables with the opening of Caja Caliente’s first brick-and-mortar. Concurrent to work in the restaurant, Mika has been cultivating a growing media career with recurring appearances on the Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Store Games, Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay, among other television shows. She was a finalist for Eater’s Young Guns awards and has been featured in countless publications, both local and national.
