Keto Arroz con Pollo (ACP)
Or should I say, Coliflor con Pollo. With this being a keto recipe website, it should suffice to say that we wont be making Arroz con Pollo with actual rice. We’ll be using the next best thing: riced cauliflower.
NET CARBS PER SERVING: 9G
- Carbs per Serving (5 servings): 13g
- Fiber: 4g
- Full nutritional information posted at the bottom of the page.
Arroz con Pollo
Arroz con Pollo is a traditional, but regional dish across Latin America. Every country seems to have it’s own variation. However, what we’re going to make today is more of an American regional take on it. Specifically within that, it’s a Southern take. When I was doing some research and looking up background information on Arroz con Pollo, I was a little surprised to see that a lot of the recipes didn’t have any cheese on them, or cheese sauce in particular.
“Wait, does that say cheese sauce?”
That’s when I stumbled upon a pretty fascinating article by Gustavo Arellano for NPR called “What Did The South Do To ‘Arroz Con Pollo’? It’s A Cheese-Covered Mystery”. I strongly recommend giving it a read. Especially if you’re from the Southern US. Through this, I realized that the added ingredient of cheese sauce isn’t actually part of the dish in most places. Growing up in North Carolina, every time I ordered the simple dish, it came with cheese. That’s just how I thought it always was. Despite spending significant time in Mexico, Phoenix, and El Paso, I don’t think I ever actually ordered ACP in any of those places.
Summary
To wrap up, this will be a bit of a temporary departure from how I usually try to build my recipes: as close to the real, traditional thing as possible. To be honest, I just really like cheese. It works on keto, and goes great over the riced cauliflower.
Recommended Tools and Ingredients
- 12-inch nonstick pan with lid
- Rotary Cheese Grater (What I used to grate a block of white cheddar)
- Green Chilies if you can’t find them in your store’s international section
- Food Processor for making your own riced cauliflower
Keto Arroz con Pollo (ACP)
A keto, and southern take on the classic Latin American dish.
Ingredients
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- 4 cups Steamed riced cauliflower
- 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup Tomato sauce
- 1/4 White onion Diced (Red onion works)
- 1/2 Green bell pepper Diced
- 1 Clove garlic Minced/Crushed
Meat and Seasoning
- 2 lbs Chicken breasts
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp Dried cumin
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
Cheese sauce
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup Heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups Sharp white cheddar Shredded
- 2 oz Green chilies Canned
Instructions
Mexican "Rice"
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If your riced cauliflower isn't already steamed, do so now. If you're working with raw riced cauliflower, saute in a large pan with a tablespoon of oil on medium heat for 5-8 minutes.
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In a large pan, add in the cauliflower, tomato sauce, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
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Mix well, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes covered.
Chicken
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Season raw chicken with salt, garlic powder, cayenne, cumin, and black pepper.
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While your rice simmers, I'd recommend cooking the chicken on the grill. High heat, about 7-8 minutes each side.
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If you're cooking on the stove: in a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil on medium high heat. Place chicken breasts in the pan, let cook 5-7 minutes per side. If using an instant thermometer, the temperature should read 165°F when they're done.
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Slice chicken into strips.
Cheese sauce
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On low heat in a medium sized sauce pan, combine heavy cream, butter, and the cheese of your choice.
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Cook until the cheese melts 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure cheese doesn't cook onto the side of your pan.
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Stir in green chilies and season to taste.
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If the sauce seems too thick, mix in 1 tbsp of heavy cream at a time.
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To serve: create bed of rice, top with cheese sauce, and add chicken on top of that.
Recipe Notes
Optional for the cheese sauce: Cotija cheese works perfectly for this, half and half with the white cheddar. Also, if you can’t get white cheddar, the store bought “Mexican blend” cheeses are good as well.
When storing and reheating, store and reheat cheese sauce separately.
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