Spice up your taco Tuesday with this green rice! With vibrant colors and herbaceous flavors, this recipe requires 8 ingredients. White rice is cooked in vegetable broth and a pepper and herb purée, resulting in fluffy and tender rice infused with herbs and a little spice. Serve this with enchiladas on the side, or in them!
I love Mexican food. It’s my next favorite cuisine next to Italian. Burritos, enchiladas, rice, and everything with cilantro! This rice is made with poblanos, jalapenos, and herbs which give it a bright, fresh flavor to it. Just that hint of lime is what makes this rice a delicious accompaniment to tacos and chimichangas. No food coloring is needed because the ingredients do that for you! I removed the seeds for a tiny kick, but feel free to leave the seeds for spicier rice. The best part about this rice? It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan!
How to make Arroz Verde
I loved how vibrant and green this rice turned out. I made Spanish Rice a little bit ago and was on a rice kick. This rice only requires 8 ingredients and can be served in under 30 minutes. (Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below).
- Long-Grain White Rice: Feel free to use brown, but do keep in mind that brown rice takes longer to cook than white.
- Poblano Peppers: You want to make sure you find green poblanos instead of red. The red ones tend to be spicier than the green ones, and will definitely not give you the green color you want. The poblano pepper tastes similar to the green bell pepper, just with a kick.
- Jalapeno Peppers: I love the taste of jalapenos, especially pickled jalapenos. I removed the seeds from the jalapenos so the rice wasn’t as spicy, but feel free to leave them in if you prefer spicy rice.
- Cilantro: For the herbaceous note. If you don’t like cilantro (or have that rare case of “it tastes like soap”), feel free to swap it with parsley.
- Garlic
- Red Onion: I prefer red onions for this since it brings a sweet note which compliments the peppers. You can, however, use a Spanish or yellow onion.
- Extra Virgin Oil: Used to toast the rice.
- Lime Juice: For that bright citrus flavor.
- Vegetable Broth: You can use water or chicken broth.
Add the poblano peppers, jalapenos, cilantro, red onion, garlic, lime juice, and 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and toast the rice until some of the grains are golden brown. Pour in the pepper puree then stir to coat. Pour in the remaining broth, then simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit for 10 minutes then fluff the rice. Add in black beans or other veggies to your liking!
Tips & FAQs
- What to serve with this rice: You can serve this rice with fajitas, a taco salad, a burrito, or enchiladas.
- Storage: This can be kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Microwave in a microwave-safe bowl for a few minutes until warmed through.
- This does not freeze.
- How to achieve fluffy rice:
- Just cover the rice with the broth (according to how much the package or recipe calls for). Drowning it in the liquid will make it mushy or soggy. I’ve found a good ratio of rice: liquid to be 1 cup rice: 1 3/4 cups water or broth. This, of course, varies between the types of rice. Jasmine requires a 1:2 ratio.
- Do not remove the lid until your timer goes off or steam will escape and the rice will take longer to cook and potentially cook unevenly.
- Once the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 10 minutes undisturbed so the moisture can redistribute throughout the rice, which prevents it from being mushy or sticky!
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Arroz Verde (Green Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1-2 jalapenos (depending on size), seeded and roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, whole
- Salt, to taste
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 2 1/4 cup water or broth
Instructions
- Combine the poblano peppers, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, garlic, salt, lime juice, and 1/2 cup of water or broth in a blender. Blend together until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the blender. Set aside.
- In a medium pot, toast the rice with olive oil for 5 minutes until the grains are golden. Pour in the green mixture and stir to coat completely. Pour in the remaining water or broth then bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or according to the rice package directions.
- When the rice is done, remove it from the heat and allow the rice to sit for 5 minutes, then fluff. Serve.
Notes
What to serve with this rice: You can serve this rice with fajitas, a taco salad, a burrito, or enchiladas.
Storage: This can be kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Microwave in a microwave-safe bowl for a few minutes until warmed through.
- This does not freeze.
How to achieve fluffy rice:
- Just cover the rice with the broth (according to how much the package or recipe calls for). Drowning it in the liquid will make it mushy or soggy. I’ve found a good ratio of rice: liquid to be 1 cup rice: 1 3/4 cups water or broth. This, of course, varies between the types of rice. Jasmine requires a 1:2 ratio.
- Do not remove the lid until your timer goes off or steam will escape and the rice will take longer to cook and potentially cook unevenly.
- Once the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 10 minutes undisturbed so the moisture can redistribute throughout the rice, which prevents it from being mushy or sticky!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
282.75Fat (grams)
10.94Sat. Fat (grams)
1.56Carbs (grams)
41.95Fiber (grams)
2.06Net carbs
39.89Sugar (grams)
2.36Protein (grams)
4.1Sodium (milligrams)
54.26Cholesterol (grams)
0The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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