Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo

A slow-cooked chicken and rice dish packed with protein, fibre and warming spices.

Ideal for batch cooking and building energy availability during busy training weeks.

Serves: 8

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 6 hours

Ingredients

• 3 large bell peppers, deseeded and sliced

• 1 white onion, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 (400g) tin passata

• 1 (400g) tin chopped tomatoes

• 350ml chicken stock

Spices

• 2 tbsp chilli powder

• 1 tbsp paprika

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp saffron or ¼ tsp turmeric

• Sea salt and black pepper

Protein & Carbohydrates

• 800g skinless chicken thighs

• 250g instant brown rice

• 125g peas

To finish

• Handful green olives, chopped

• Handful fresh coriander, chopped

Instructions

1. Build the base

   Add the peppers, onion, garlic, passata, chopped tomatoes, chicken stock and spices to a slow cooker. Stir well to combine.

2. Add the chicken

   Place the chicken thighs into the mixture, ensuring they are fully submerged in the sauce.

3. Slow cook

   Cover and cook on low heat for 5½ hours.

4. Add rice and peas

   Stir in the brown rice and peas. Continue cooking for around 30 minutes, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

5. Shred the chicken

   Use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker.

6. Finish and serve

   Scatter over chopped olives and fresh coriander before serving.

Portion Guide

Protein: 1–1.5 palms

Carbohydrates: 1–1.5 cupped hands

Fats: 1 thumb

Vegetables: 1–2 fists

Simple Adjustments

Increase protein → add extra chicken

Increase carbohydrates → increase rice portion

Increase vegetables → add spinach or courgette

Reduce carbohydrates → reduce rice portion