The Best Cuban Vegan Arroz Con Pollo You’ll Ever Have
Hey everyone – this blog post is slightly off topic, but I have mastered something so wonderful that I want to share with the world, and it’s still relevant to travel as Cuba is one of the first places I plan to go once I become French and it can be tricky to travel the world being vegan!
Homemade vegan arroz con pollo made Cuban style; September 2025
I have finally perfected my vegan arroz con pollo recipe. There are lots of recipes on the internet for vegan arroz con pollo, but I could never find a Cuban style arroz con pollo for vegans – meaning I knew it was up to me to figure out how to make this classic Cuban dish vegan and Cuban style for myself.
How Can You Trust My Recipe is Authentic?
If you didn’t already know, I grew up with 3 of my 4 grandparents being Cuban – meaning instead of Mac & Cheese or BBQ night like most typical American households: I grew up eating lots of Cuban dishes, which soon became my version of “comfort food” – like arroz con pollo and picadillo.
Picadillo has always been easy to veganize, as you simply swap out the meat – but arroz con pollo is trickier. Rest assured, this will perfectly imitate the Cuban classic you grew up with if you’re now vegan like me – so close that my mom says the taste is “98% there”.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Arroz Con Pollo
Simple & Affordable Ingredients: Like all Cuban dishes, the base is the same: garlic, onion, peppers, and tomato paste – making it affordable as the most expensive thing in this recipe is the fake “chick’n” we’ll use.
Crowd Favorite: It’s hard to go wrong pleasing friends with a simple dish like arroz con pollo. It’s the perfect meal to make for a potluck while still keeping things on the cheaper side.
🍚✨ Vegan Cuban Arroz con Pollo 🇨🇺
A plant-based twist on the classic Cuban comfort dish — rich, flavorful, and perfect for cozy nights.
📝 Ingredients:
- Several tablespoons of olive oil
- Vegan chick’n of choice
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 yellow pepper, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1½ tbsp tomato paste
- 2 packets of Goya Sazón Azafrán seasoning
- 2 cups Uncle Ben’s long grain rice
- 4 cups vegetable broth (add more as needed while cooking)
- 1 jar of pitted green olives — the more, the better!
- Salt and pepper to taste
🍽️ Optional Side Dishes:
- 🍌 Fried plantains
- 🖤 Black beans
- 🥔 Yuca
Buen provecho — enjoy your Vegan Cuban feast! 🌿💜
How to Make Vegan Arroz Con Pollo
If you don’t want to watch my video tutorial on how I made vegan arroz con pollo linked above, here’s a step-by-step instruction guide to help you perfect your vegan Cuban cuisine:
1. Fry chick’n in lots of olive oil
Since we’re trying to recreate the chicken fat, which is what is usually left behind to provide the flavor of traditional arroz con pollo – you first need to fry your vegan chicken for a few minutes in lots of olive oil. I usually keep adding oil as needed and as the vegan chicken soaks it up. You’ll want to put several tablespoons, and at the end – the goal is to end up with a residue of “chicken fat” to use as a base for the rest of the recipe.
2. Remove Chick’n and Sauté aromatics
Once the vegan chicken is cooked, remove from the pot and set it aside on another plate – as we’ll add it back in closer to the end.
Now it’s time to sauté your aromatics. Have the heat set to medium-low. Adding more oil as needed, replace the vegan chicken with 1 diced yellow onion and 1 clove of garlic.
Pro tip: Don’t forget to salt and pepper every step of the way this recipe! This is key to rebuilding the “salty” flavor we’ll be missing from the real chicken.
3. Add in Colored Peppers
Once the onion and garlic has softened, you can add in your diced color peppers – but remember to layer again with another drizzle (more if the pan seems dry) olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Add in Rice, Stock, Tomato Paste & GOYA
Once the peppers have softened, you can add in the rice and stock. Be sure to stir well. You can now raise the heat as you’ll want the rice to slightly boil, but not be at a vigorous boil.
Once everything is combined, add in the tomato paste and the goya packets. You can add more salt and pepper to taste again during this stage, and even another tablespoon of olive oil to make sure the vegetable broth is nice and “fatty” like traditional chicken stock would be.
5. Add in Green Olives
After stirring continuously between 10 and 15 minutes, when the rice seems almost completely cooked – you can add in the green olives. I usually add in a few table spoons of the olive brine, just to help again with mimicking the salty texture of the chicken we’re missing.
6. Add chick’n back in
Once the rice is about 90-905% cooked, you can add the vegan chicken back in. Stir everything together really well, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan and the sides – before adding in a sprinkle of oregano.
While this isn’t used in Cuban arroz con pollo recipes, I do find that just a little dash or sprinkle of oregano helps to bring all of the other flavors together.
Vegan arroz con pollo finished cooking; September 2025
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating this vegan arroz con pollo in the microwave is best, otherwise on the stove top – you may need to add in more olive oil, broth, and salt and pepper to keep the flavor profile and “soupy” texture the same.
Variations & Substitutions
Crushed Tomato: I use tomato paste in my vegan arroz con pollo even though traditional recipes opt for crushed tomatoes – but you could use crushed tomatoes, too. Just don’t use any Italian tomato sauces, that’ll give this the wrong flavor profile. You want normal, unseasoned tomatoes of some kind when it comes to Cuban cuisine and cooking.
Tofu or Soy Curls: In place of vegan chick’n, you could try tofu or soy curls – but I can’t promise the flavor will be exactly the same as this recipe hinges on the “chicken” flavor.
🍚🌿 FAQ on Vegan Arroz con Pollo
| 🍚 Can I use a different type of rice? | Yes, but reduce the simmer time to 15–20 minutes and keep an eye on the liquid — smaller grains cook faster and can make the dish creamier. |
| 🌱 What Vegan Chick’n should I use? | I find that unbranded/shredded vegan chick’n is best texture-wise, while options like Beyond Meat Chick’n Tenders do a better job at leaving the “chick’n fat” flavor behind. I’ve made the recipe with both — and even a combo of the two — but it’s up to what matters most to you: flavor or texture. |
| 🍅 Can I use tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes instead of tomato paste? | You can — my mom uses crushed tomatoes in her traditional Cuban arroz con pollo — but the flavor won’t be as strong. I use tomato paste for a deeper, “umphier” umami taste to help replace the chicken fat usually present in the classic version. |
| 🍚 Do I need Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Rice? | No — I’ve used basmati plenty of times. You’ll likely need a little less stock since the grains are longer/lighter. That said, for authentic texture, my mom swears the grain size is paramount. |
| 🧡 Can I make it without the GOYA Azafrán? | No — the azafrán seasoning gives arroz con pollo its distinct golden color and signature flavor. Without it, it won’t taste like traditional arroz con pollo. |
| ❄️ Is it freezer friendly? | I haven’t tried freezing this version, but classic arroz con pollo usually freezes well — so I don’t see why this wouldn’t. Cool completely, store airtight, and reheat gently with a splash of broth to keep the rice from drying out. |
🌿 Vegan Cuban Arroz con Pollo
Ingredients (Condensed)
- Olive oil (a few Tbsp)
- Vegan chick’n (Beyond or shredded unbranded)
- 1 yellow onion & 1 garlic clove, minced
- Red, green & yellow peppers, diced
- 1½ Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 packets GOYA Sazón Azafrán
- 2 cups long-grain rice
- 4 cups vegetable broth (add more if needed)
- Green olives (be generous!)
- Salt & pepper
Instructions (Short)
- Sauté onion, garlic & peppers in olive oil until softened.
- Add vegan chick’n & tomato paste; cook 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in Sazón, rice & broth; simmer ~25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add olives; season to taste. Rest 5 minutes, then serve.
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Last updated: October 5, 2025