Arroz al horno (valencian baked rice)
Learn how to make traditional arroz al horno, a classic Valencian oven-baked rice dish made with homemade broth, pork, chickpeas, potatoes, and saffron.
Servings: 6
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Ingredients
For the broth
- 1 whole chicken leg thigh and drumstick
- 2 chicken wings
- 500 g pork ribs cut into pieces
- 1 carrot peeled
- 1 turnip peeled
- 1 small rutabaga peeled
- 1 parsnip peeled
- 1 medium potato for the broth
- 1 leek
- ½ onion
- ¼ head cabbage
- Water for making the broth
For the Rice
- 200 g pre-soaked chickpeas or about 100 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 350 g cabeza de lomo pork shoulder or pork neck, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 14 small meatballs about 250 g total, optional
- 3 pork sausages fresh longanizas cut into 3 pieces each
- 1 morcilla about 200 g, optional
- 2 medium potatoes sliced (for frying)
- 420 g short-grain rice such as bomba
- 1 whole head garlic
- 1 medium tomato cut into wedges
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 pinh saffron
- Salt to taste
- About 1 liter broth
Instructions
- Add the chicken, pork ribs, and enough water to cover to a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Skim off the foam that forms on the surface until it mostly stops appearing.
- Add the carrot, parsnip, turnip, rutabaga, potato, leek, cabbage, onion, chickpeas, saffron, and salt. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the vegetables from the broth, leaving the meat and chickpeas in the pot. Taste the broth and adjust the salt if needed.
- Slice the potatoes, cut the tomato into wedges, and leave the garlic head whole.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Lightly fry the sliced potatoes, garlic, and tomato until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, lightly brown the meatballs, cabeza de lomo, longanizas, and morcilla.
- Leave a few pieces of pork in the skillet. Add the rice and paprika and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly to lightly toast the rice.
- Preheat the oven to 240°C (465°F).
- Transfer the rice and pork mixture to a large clay baking dish or another oven-safe baking dish.
- Pour about 1 liter of broth over the rice, including the meat and chickpeas from the pot. Stir gently to distribute everything evenly.
- Arrange the chicken, pork ribs, longanizas, morcilla, meatballs, potatoes, tomato wedges, and the whole head of garlic over the rice.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broth has been absorbed and the top is lightly golden.
- Let the arroz al horno rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Every family in Valencia has its own version of arroz al horno, so ingredients and quantities vary from home to home.
- This recipe is based on the way my grandmother has made it for years.
- Some families also add panceta (pork belly), pig’s feet, or other cuts of pork. My grandmother changes the meats depending on what she has available.
- The vegetables are only used to flavor the broth. Remove them before assembling the dish and serve them separately or save them for another meal.
- Taste the broth before adding it to the rice. If the broth isn’t well seasoned, the finished dish won’t be either.
- Lightly frying the meat, potatoes, garlic, and tomato before baking adds extra flavor.
- Toasting the rice with paprika before assembling the dish adds another layer of flavor.
- Do not stir the rice once it goes into the oven. This helps create the traditional slightly crispy top.
- A clay baking dish gives the most authentic results, but any oven-safe ceramic baking dish will work.
- Let the arroz al horno rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1108kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 636mg | Potassium: 1610mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2435IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 8mg
Calories: 1108kcal