Achiote Chicken Rice Pie with Sweet Plantains and Puerto Rican Cheese

Name: Achiote Chicken Rice Pie with Sweet Plantains and Puerto Rican Cheese
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Puertorriqueña
Ingredients: 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs; 3 cups cooked medium-grain rice; 2 whole ripe sweet plantains; 7 oz Puerto Rican semi-firm cheese; 1 cup yellow onion; 1 cup cubanelle pepper; 4 cloves garlic; 1/2 cup Puerto Rican sofrito; 1 cup tomato sauce; 3/4 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup green olives; 1 tbsp capers; 2 tsp ground annatto; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tbsp culantro leaves; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp butter; 2 whole eggs; 1/2 cup milk; 1 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper

A savory baked Puerto Rican-style pie made with layers of seasoned rice, achiote-braised chicken, ripe sweet plantains, and Puerto Rican cheese. It brings together classic island flavors in an original, golden, comforting presentation.

30 minPrep

55 minCook

85 minTotal

6Servings

High Protein

Ingredients

Adjust servings

700 g boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut en trozos medium)
600 g cooked medium-grain rice (cold or at room temperature)
2 units ripe sweet plantains (pelados and cut in strips largas)
200 g Puerto Rican semi-firm cheese (grated or en lonchas finas)
150 g yellow onion (chopped en cubitos)
120 g cubanelle pepper (chopped en cubitos)
12 g garlic (chopped)
120 ml Puerto Rican sofrito
240 ml tomato sauce
180 ml chicken broth
40 g green olives (sliced)
16 g capers
4 g ground annatto
2 g dried oregano
1 g ground cumin
10 g culantro leaves (chopped)
45 ml olive oil (divided)
28 g butter (for the molde and acabado)
2 units eggs (batidos)
120 ml milk
8 g salt (or to taste)
2 g black pepper (or to taste)

Nutrition facts

per serving

545 kcal

Calories

31 g

Protein

39 g

Carbs

28 g

Fat

3 g

Fiber

36 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

DairyEggs

Instructions

1
1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F / 190 °C. Grease a round or square baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.
2
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cubanelle pepper, and garlic; sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until fragrant and softened.
3
3. Stir in the Puerto Rican sofrito, ground annatto, dried oregano, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to bloom the seasonings.
4
4. Add the chicken pieces and brown them for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring so they are well coated with the sofrito and spices.
5
5. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, green olives, and capers. Reduce to medium-low heat and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the culantro and adjust the salt if needed. Remove from the heat.
6
6. While the chicken cooks, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in another skillet over medium heat. Brown the sweet plantain strips for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until lightly caramelized but still holding their shape. Transfer to a plate.
7
7. In a large bowl, mix the cooked rice with the beaten eggs, milk, and half of the Puerto Rican cheese. Stir until the rice is evenly combined and slightly creamy.
8
8. Spread half of the rice mixture into the prepared baking dish, pressing gently to form a compact base. Spoon all of the chicken and its sauce over it.
9
9. Arrange the sweet plantain strips evenly over the chicken. Cover with the remaining rice mixture and smooth the top with a spoon.
10
10. Finish with the remaining Puerto Rican cheese and small pieces of the remaining butter on top to help it brown.
11
11. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 375 °F / 190 °C, until the pie is set and the cheese is golden around the edges.
12
12. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing so the layers can settle. Serve hot.

Chef tips

For cleaner slices, let the cooked rice cool before mixing it with the eggs and milk. Browning the sweet plantains well helps them keep their shape inside the pie.

Substitutions

You can use chicken breast instead of thighs, though the result will be a little less juicy. If Puerto Rican cheese is unavailable, use a mild semi-firm melting cheese. Culantro can be replaced with cilantro, though the flavor will be less traditional.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
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Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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