One-Pot Chicken and Pigeon Peas Rice with Sofrito

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-11 · Updated 2026-04-11

A traditional Puerto Rican dish featuring tender chicken simmered with pigeon peas and aromatic sofrito in a single pot, perfect for weeknight dinners. This puerto rican-inspired one pot ready in about 70 minutes pairs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, soaked overnight pigeon peas, long-grain white rice for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs, bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 cup, soaked overnight pigeon peas
• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• 1 large, diced onion
• 3 cloves, minced garlic
• 1, diced green bell pepper
• 1, diced red bell pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup, chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Step 1: Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken skin-side down and cook for 5-7 minutes per side until golden brown, then remove and set aside.
2. Step 2: Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add diced onions, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and minced garlic, and cook for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
3. Step 3: Stir in soaked pigeon peas and cook for 2 minutes, then add rice, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Pour in 4 cups chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Step 4: Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Return browned chicken thighs to the pot, cover, and cook for 20 more minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
5. Step 5: Remove chicken thighs, discard skin and bones, and shred meat. Stir shredded chicken back into rice, discard bay leaf, and mix in chopped cilantro. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.