Imperial Rice Recipe

Imperial rice is a Cuban recipe for chicken and rice. It gets layered in a baking dish similar to lasagna. Mayonnaise is an unusual but authentic ingredient for this recipe. The mayonnaise bakes into the rice layer and gives it a rich flavor. The mayonnaise is usually layered on even thicker than we did in this recipe but we opted for extra cheese instead.

We simplified this recipe by using pre-cooked chicken. You can purchase a rotisserie chicken or bake and shred some chicken before you get started.

4.72 from 14 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1

Servings: servings

Calories: 343kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

Make the chicken mixture:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 green bell pepper diced
4 to 5 garlic cloves minced
½ cup dry white wine
1 can 15 ounces crushed tomatoes (1-1/2 cups)
1 bay leaf
3 cups cooked shredded chicken meat (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 bijol or substitute with cumin
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon 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

You can use a little over half of a whole roasted chicken or three large chicken breasts cooked and shredded.
Traditional Cuban food is not spicy but if you like spicy food, add a chipotle pepper and a few tablespoons of adobo sauce to the chicken mixture. You could also make our quick chipotle aioli and use that instead of the regular mayonnaise.
Substitute the mayonnaise. If you don’t like mayonnaise, substitute with some garlic butter sauce or white garlic sauce.
Add extras. Some recipes for Imperial rice will include ham. If you have some leftover ham, dice it up and add it with the chicken. Other additions could include sausage and olives.

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