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Cuban imperial rice, or arroz imperial, layers seasoned rice and shredded chicken with mayonnaise and cheese for a rich, savory casserole. The mayonnaise adds richness between the layers, and the melted cheese finishes it off.
Our recipe is adapted from The Versailles Restaurant Cookbook. We use cooked chicken to simplify the prep, add peas for a little color, and go lighter on the mayonnaise to make room for extra cheese.
For another way to put chicken and rice on the table, try our chicken thighs and rice bake. The chicken thighs cook right over the rice in one skillet.
Less Mayo, Extra Cheese
Richness between the layers. It’s a traditional part of arroz imperial, adding moisture and richness between the rice layers.
Chicken with its own flavor. Onion, bell pepper, garlic, wine, and tomatoes give the shredded chicken a savory sauce before it goes into the casserole.
A head start with cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken keeps the prep manageable without having to cook a whole chicken first.
Rice cooked in broth. The rice gets flavor as it cooks, so it contributes more than just a base for the filling.
Once the chicken filling is ready, set it aside and cook the seasoned rice. Then start layering: spread one-third of the rice in a greased baking dish, followed by a thin layer of mayonnaise, cheese, and half of the chicken filling.
Repeat the layers with rice, mayonnaise, cheese, and the remaining chicken. Finish with the last of the rice, a thin spread of mayonnaise, and cheese on top. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the edges are golden brown.
Recipe Tips
Spread the mayonnaise in thin layers. Small dollops across the rice are easier to spread than one big spoonful. It adds richness without needing a thick coating.
Keep the layers even. Spread the chicken out to the edges so each serving gets a little of everything. The layers don’t need to look perfect.
Choose your rice seasoning for the result you want. Bijol provides yellow color, while cumin adds earthy flavor. We like cumin in our version, but it won’t produce the same yellow rice.
Watch for bubbly cheese and browned edges. Those are your cues that the casserole is ready to come out of the oven.
Add some heat. Stir a chipotle pepper and a little adobo sauce into the chicken filling, or swap the mayonnaise for chipotle aioli. Chipotle adds smoky heat and is a departure from the original version.
Include ham or olives. Diced cooked ham or sliced olives add another savory element to the chicken filling.
Prefer a different sauce? Mayonnaise is traditional, but garlic butter sauce or white garlic sauce are alternatives if you want a different take on the casserole. They’ll change the flavor and texture.
Arroz Imperial for a Full Table
Imperial rice makes a generous pan, so there’s plenty to share—or save for another dinner. Bring the baking dish straight to the table and scoop through the layers while the cheese is still warm and melty.
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Imperial Rice Recipe
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Ingredients
Make the chicken mixture:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 (15 ounce) can canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded, (see notes)
- 1 cup frozen green peas
Cook the rice:
- 4 ¾ cups chicken broth
- 2 ½ cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin, or bijol seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For constructing the layers:
- ⅔ to 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 ½ cups shredded Muenster or Mozzarella cheese
Garnish:
- pimientos
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
The Chicken Mixture
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper. Sauté for 4 to 6 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add the wine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the wine is reduced by half. Scrape the bottom of the saucepan to remove any cooked on onion bits.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf and shredded chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the peas. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
The Yellow Rice
- In a separate pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil over high heat. Add the rice, bijol (or cumin), salt and pepper. Bring to a boil again then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 18 to 20 minutes.
Assemble and Bake
- Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Spread ⅓ of the rice mixture into the bottom of the dish. Spread 3 to 4 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise over the rice. Sprinkle a layer of cheese over the mayonnaise. Top with half of the chicken mixture. Spread ½ of the remaining rice over the chicken. Spread 3 more tablespoons of mayonnaise over the rice then sprinkle more cheese over that.
- Next, spread the rest of the chicken on top. Spread the rest of the rice over the chicken and top with 3 more tablespoons of mayonnaise.
- Top with more shredded cheese and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the edges are brown and the cheese looks bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Mine is in the oven as we speak, but I added diced hardboiled egg as an additional topper — the first time I had this dish it was served that way and so I do it too, lol!
Thank you for the comments, Bobby! I love the idea of the hard boiled egg, it sounds delicious!
Made an expanded tray version for Mother’s day. With three different cheese layers. Perfection. Just have to bake covered for longer.
What a great idea, thanks for the comment.
So I used to make another layered (pasta) dish that was a pain. Finally just started mixing it all together. Same great taste, 1/2 the work. Do you think that would work with this recipe, or is the layering part of the magic?
I haven’t tried it all mixed together. The layering is traditional but I think it should still be pretty tasty if you just mix it all together.
Any thoughts on leaving out the chicken part entirely and just layering the rice/mayo/cheese and cooking for a side dish? Would this still be tasty? Looking for a cheesy rice side dish.
I’m sure it would be tasty without the chicken. You will miss out on some of that savory, umami flavor from the chicken, but that may be what you are going for. You could also add some diced ham but if you want to keep it completely meatless then perhaps a bit extra cheese.
I eas wondering if I can break it down into 2 8 or 9 inch square pans, then cook one, but freeze the otber BEFORE cooking. Then thae and cook when ready. I made the 9X13. But there was So much left over. But OMG it was so good!
Yes, you can. If you freeze the casserole before you cook it then let it thaw in the fridge overnight and cook it as directed in the recipe card.
You also most def need to add sliced ham to each layer to make it ??
Ham would definitely be delish
Traditional arroz imperial does not have cheese between the layers, only the top.
Thanks, Dani. We never hear anyone complain about extra cheese 😉
Bijol is flavorless and is meant as a coloring agent for the rice you can’t skip that or replace it with cumin. Cumin is a strong flavor that makes no sense in the rice at all and add no yellow color. In a pinch if you have no bijol you can use turmeric. Also the pimientos albeit a a garnish have quite a bit of flavor that cuts through the richness of the dish quite nicely; a burst of brightness if you will.
Thanks for the comment. I did mention the use of Bijol as a coloring agent in the narrative and why I prefer cumin. I personally like the flavor that cumin brings to the dish but you can certainly leave it out if you want a more traditional choice.
@Oliver, you’re absolutely right. I didn’t have time to read through the recipe & figure out for myself that bijol is just “yellow food coloring” sold by the Badia brand. I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin (slightly less than the recipe calls for) and it’s over powering. I’ll definitely try it again without any cumin because the chicken was tasty.
How come my casserole never turned out this beautiful??? I have never had any Cuban food…can’t wait to try this one!
Oh, thanks Angie. I hope you enjoy it