Mexican Green Rice Recipe (Arroz Verde)

Mexican Green Rice served in a black serving bowl.

Mexican Green Rice Recipe (Arroz Verde)

Toasting rice before adding water, brings a new depth of flavor. This Mexican Green Rice recipe is so easy you'll find yourself making it over and over. And rice with olives brings a bold flavor to any main course.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American/Mexican

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 174kcal

Author Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Butter
¾ Cup long-grain rice Basmati or Jasmine works well here
1 medium onion chopped
2 green bell peppers seeded, membranes removed, and cut into half-planks
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon New Mexico Red Chile Powder Or Ancho Chile Powder
4 fresh tomatoes or one 14 ½ ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained well
1 ½ Cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
⅔ cup pimento stuffed green olives sliced

Instructions

Use a colander to rinse the rice with water. Drain well.
Once the rice is rinsed and drained, heat the butter in a Dutch oven. Once melted, stir in the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until coated and starting to turn golden. This will take about 5 minutes.
Add the chopped onion, bell pepper planks and chile powder and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomatoes. Add 1 ½ cups of broth and cook rice according to package instructions. Most rice is to be cooked over very low heat and covered. Add more broth if necessary and season with salt.
Remove from heat, let stand for a few minutes, fluff with fork and stir in the olives. I like to keep the olives near the top of the rice, so stir gently. Serve immediately.

Notes

To cut the bell peppers into planks, cut off both ends of the pell pepper. Cut the bell pepper so it will lay flat. Clean it up by cutting out the large chunks of membrane. Cut the bell pepper horizontally and then slice into bite sized planks. They should be about 1 ½ inch tall and ¼ inch wide.

Tips on How To Toast Rice Before Cooking: I like using butter to toast rice, but you can also use a neutral oil like Avocado Oil, Vegetable or Canola Oil. All of these oils have a high smoking point meaning the oil will heat fast and hot enough to toast the rice. For example, olive oil has a low smoking point and the rice will take longer to toast, compromising the texture. Watch the rice closely, and stir almost constantly. You'll notice it starting to turn golden and have a nutty aroma. It's toasted. Don't let it burn or you'll have to start over due to the bitter flavor.

Rice With Olives: I recommend sticking with large pimento stuffed green olives here. It's what makes the dish exciting with bold flavor.

Nutrition