Recipe
🥙 LUNCH
Locrio de Pollo
The Dominican one-pot rice and chicken: chicken seared in caramelized sugar for a deep colour, then rice cooked in the drippings with sofrito, olives, and capers.
Dominican · medium · serves 6
prep 20 min · cook 45 min
~866 cal · 65g protein · 94g carbs · 22g fat · 3g fiber · 7g sugars · 5g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Locrio de pollo is the Dominican Republic's own rice and chicken, the island's answer to arroz con pollo and the most popular of all the locrios. Where the Puerto Rican and Cuban versions turn bright yellow with and , Dominican locrio is darker and deeper, and the secret is azúcar quemada: sugar caramelized in the hot oil before the chicken goes in, giving the whole pot its signature mahogany colour and savoury edge.
A locrio is simply a one-pot dish where the rice cooks in the same pot as the protein, absorbing all its flavour, and this one is built on bone-in chicken seasoned with sofrito, , and oregano. Olives and capers stirred in bring a Spanish brininess that marks it as Dominican.
It is a weeknight hero and a crowd-feeder both, cooked down until every grain is infused, then served with tostones, avocado, and a simple salad. Like most locrios, it is even better the next day.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 6
3 lbs bone-in chicken pieces, cut small
3 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
1/4 cup sofrito (blended onion, pepper, garlic, cilantro)
1 tbsp seasoning
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 cubanelle or bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives
1 tbsp capers
2 tbsp granulated sugar (for browning)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
to taste salt
Instructions
1
Season the chicken with the adobo, oregano, half the garlic, and some of the sofrito and let it sit at least 20 minutes.
2
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high, add the sugar, and let it caramelize without stirring to a deep mahogany.
✎ Chef’s note
The caramelized sugar (azucar quemada) is what gives Dominican locrio its dark colour and savoury depth; take it further than feels comfortable, just short of burning.
3
Add the chicken and sear on all sides in the caramel, then stir in the onion, pepper, remaining garlic, tomato paste, olives, and capers and cook a few minutes.
4
Add the rice and stir to coat, then pour in about 4 1/2 cups water or stock and season with salt. Bring to a boil.
5
When most of the liquid has cooked down to the level of the rice, cover tightly, reduce to low, and cook undisturbed for about 25 minutes. Rest, then fluff and serve.
Cibao home tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Cibao. The Cibao valley is the Dominican agricultural heartland, where mangu, mashed green plantain, comes with its three companions, los tres golpes: fried salami, fried cheese, and a fried egg, with pickled red onions piled on the plantain itself. Rice, red beans, and stewed meat make up la bandera, the flag, eaten at midday nearly everywhere.
🗺️
Dominican Republic. Mangu is made from green plantain, boiled and mashed with the cooking water until smooth, and its standard companions have a name: los tres golpes, the three hits, meaning fried cheese, fried salami and fried onions on the side. It is breakfast, and the salami in question is a distinctly Dominican product rather than an Italian one.
🌍
North America. North America's table began with Indigenous foodways, the "three sisters" of corn, beans, and squash, plus chiles, tomatoes, and cacao, then layered on colonial, African, and immigrant influences. From Mexico's UNESCO-recognized cuisine to the Cajun and Creole pots of Louisiana and the fiery jerk of the Caribbean, the region turns ancient staples into something new. Barbecue, tacos, gumbo, and mole all carry stories of migration and adaptation.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Dominican Republic
MangúSilky mashed green plantains under pickled red onions, the Dominican breakfast that carries the day.
La Bandera DominicanaThe Dominican everyday plate: white rice, stewed red beans, and braised meat, often with fried plantain.
Chicharrón de PolloMarinated chicken pieces dredged and fried crisp, a Dominican favorite from colmado counters and family lunches.
Browse all Dominican Republic recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Pot or saucepan.
Storing it: Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within an hour. Keep up to 2 days and reheat until piping hot all the way through.
Make it a Dominican Republic meal
Morir SoñandoDrink
Habichuelas con DulceDessert
La Bandera DominicanaDinner
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Frequently asked questions
What is Locrio de Pollo?
The Dominican one-pot rice and chicken: chicken seared in caramelized sugar for a deep colour, then rice cooked in the drippings with sofrito, olives, and capers.
Where does Locrio de Pollo come from?
Locrio de Pollo is a Dominican dish from Cibao, Dominican Republic.
Can Locrio de Pollo be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Locrio de Pollo recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Locrio de Pollo safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Locrio de Pollo take to make?
About 65 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking), serving 6.
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