Imperial Rice Recipes

ARROZ IMPERIAL

Steps:

• To make the yellow rice, heat 3 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the sazon, tomato sauce, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, dry white wine, salt, and corn. Cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute. Add the water and let it come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked through.
• To make the shredded check, boil the chicken breasts in a pot filled with water over medium-high heat for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is almost fully cooked through.
• Shred the chicken using two forks and set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat up some olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, and peppers, cook until transulecent.
• Stir in the tomato sauce, dry white wine, oregano, garlic powder, sazon, bay leaf, and cumin. Cook for one minute.
• Stir in the shredded chicken. Add the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
• Add the capers and check for seasoning.
• Grease a 9x13 oven-safe baking dish and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add about 1-2 cups of cooked yellow rice and then cover the rice with the shredded chicken. Cover the chicken with the remaining rice. Add the mayo and spread it evenly on top of the rice. Cover the top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted. Garnish with cilantro and roasted peppers, if desired. Enjoy!

EASY CUBAN ARROZ IMPERIAL (IMPERIAL RICE!)

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes.
• Add sliced pimentos and tomato sauce. Sauté for 1 minute. Add rice, water, bouillon cube, Bijol and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID. The steam is what cooks the rice. After 15 minutes, remove from heat. Keep the lid on for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
• In a skillet, add olive oil, onions, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Sauté onions with spices for 5 minutes at medium-high heat. Add garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock to deglaze the pan then add the shredded chicken and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In an 8x8 baking dish, you will begin layering your ingredients. First, start by spreading a thin layer of mayonnaise at the bottom. This will prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the dish.
• Next, add a layer of rice, then a layer of shredded chicken, then a layer of shredded cheese, another layer of rice, a thicker layer of mayonnaise, a layer of shredded chicken, and top it off with a thick layer of shredded cheese.
• Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes to melt the cheese. Garnish with sliced olives and pimentos, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

ARROZ IMPERIAL CON POLLO - IMPERIAL RICE WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wash chicken and place in a stock pot.
• Approximately 1-1/2 quarts to 2 quarts of water to fully cover meat.
• Bring to a boil and simmer with 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 sticks celery, 2 carrots, all chopped into large chunks, and salt & pepper to taste.
• Cook uncovered until the meat falls apart - keep checking, the broth and chicken.
• Remove chicken and reserve the broth.(You will use some of the broth to make the rice).
• Skim excess fat, if any, from the top and strain the broth.
• When cool enough, shred chicken into small pieces by hand.
• In a large frying pan, saute the bacon briefly.
• Drain most, but not all of the excess fat.
• Add a tiny bit of olive oil and heat.
• Add onion, green pepper, green onions, oregano, and bay leaf.
• Saute onions until translucent.
• Add the garlic and saute for one additional minute, stirring occasionally.
• Add tomato sauce, chicken and sherry.
• Bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer(uncovered) approximately 15 minutes to thicken sauce.
• Add peas, pimentos, lime juice and pimento stuffed olives, during the last five minutes of cooking.
• Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• In a large covered pan, mix the rice with the chicken broth and/or paprika.
• Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat until the rice is thoroughly cooked and most of the broth absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Add the mayonnaise to the cooked rice, a little at a time, and mix thoroughly.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Spread 1/3 of the rice mixture onto the bottom of a 13x9x2" (we use a foil baking pan - ease of clean-up).
• Layer chicken mixture on top of the rice.
• Then add another layer of rice mixture.
• Generously sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top of this layer.
• Add the remaining rice.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on the top layer, then spread the shredded Monterey Jack completely over the top.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and the cheese melts completely and bubbles.
• Enjoy, you've earned it!

IMPERIAL RICE

Steps:

• Cook chicken breasts in a medium pot in 8 cups of water, chicken broth concentrate, a third of the onion, 1 of the bay leaves and 3 cloves of garlic. Bring to a boil and cook over medium- low heat 40 minutes. Once cooked, remove chicken and strain and reserves the broth where you cook the chicken, you will use 7 cups of broth to prepare the rice. Cool and shed chicken; set aside.
• Start preparing the rice in a large pot. Add 1 Tbsp. of the oil and cook and stir one third of the onion and 1 chopped clove of garlic. Add the reserved 7 cups of chicken broth from cooking the chicken. Incorporate the rice, 1/2 tsp. of the paprika and season to the taste. Once it boils reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook until the rice is completely cooked.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet add remaining oil, the remaining onion, the remaining chopped garlic, the paprika and the bay leave, olives, shredded chicken and tomato sauce. Simmer 20 minutes or until the liquid evaporates.
• Preheat oven 350°F. You will need a rectangular 14 x9 or 13 x 9 inch baking dish (2 inches deep) which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Remember you are going to layer it as if it was a potato pie, lasagna or sandwich. Measure and reserve a 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture, 1/4 cup of the peas and a few of the pimiento strips.
• Spread a layer of rice in baking dish, top with the chicken mixture, then half of the cheeses and the peas. Top with another layer of rice and finish by decorating the center with the reserved chicken, peas, the pimiento strips. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake 15 minutes, uncover and bake until cheeses are melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.