Spice up your next Mexican meal with a side of Arroz Verde! This delicious green rice is easy to make and pairs well with many dishes including enchiladas, burrito bowls, tacos and meat/seafood!
Have some fun at your next taco night with some arroz verde! Traditional Mexican rice is typically made with tomatoes to give it that signature red tint, but arroz verde is a whole different ball game. Instead of a tomato-based broth, the rice is cooked in a roasted poblano and cilantro puree for a signature green look!
The result is a deep, rich poblano flavor that pairs perfectly with enchiladas, tacos, in burrito bowls and all the mexican staples.
What is arroz verde?
Arroz Verde or “green rice’ in English is a tasty Mexican side dish made from long grain white rice cooked in a broth of pureed poblano peppers, cilantro, onions and garlic.
It’s known for its green color and is a great counterpoint to authentic mexican rice which typically is known for its red color.
How to make arroz verde
The first step is to make the poblano puree. Place roasted poblano peppers, chopped onions, cilantro and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until fairly smooth.
Never roasted peppers before? Here’s a quick and easy step-by-step tutorial on how to roast poblano peppers.
Similar to making traditional Mexican rice, this arroz verde is lightly toasted in some olive oil to give the rice a rich, slightly nutty flavor.
To do this, heat some olive oil in a large dutch oven or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add in some rinsed and drained long grain white rice and saute for about 8-10 minutes, until the rice has browned lightly.
Next, add the pureed poblano mixture along with some chicken stock and salt and mix together.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes.
Uncover, remove the green rice from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes to cool down and absorb any more moisture.
Fluff with a fork and serve!
I like to mix in a bit of chopped cilantro at the end with a squeeze of fresh lime juice to add a touch of acidity. It really brightness everything up and goes well with so many Mexican dishes!
What to serve with arroz verde
While my favorite way of eating this arroz verde is by itself with a big spoon, it’s great served with many recipes! Here are a few suggestions to get the juices flowing:
Ingredients
- 2 roasted poblano peppers, stems and seeds removed*
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 1/4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- Add roasted poblano peppers, cilantro, onions and garlic in a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth.
- Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the rinsed rice and saute for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice begins to brown very slightly. At this point some grains of rice may even pop. That's okay. This step adds some nuttiness and more depth of flavor to the rice.
- Add the pureed poblano mixture, chicken broth and salt. Mix everything together and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through and all the water has been absorbed.
- Remove rice from heat, uncover and let it sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and enjoy!
Isabel’s Tips:
- To roast poblano peppers – Broil poblanos on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until skin is blackened and blistered. Cover peppers with aluminum foil or plastic wrap for 5 minutes, then remove as much of the outer skin as possible. View step-by-step process instructions of how to roast poblano peppers here.
Nutrition Information
Thus rice is soooooo delicious! Turned out perfect! Lots of flavor!
I roasted a jalapeno and a serrano with the poblano. I served alongside enchiladas verde and it was a perfect combo.
This is so delicious! This is my first time having arroz verde, which surprises me since I’ve lived in the southwestern U.S. my whole life and grew up in a neighborhood infused with Mexican culture! I love the flavor that the roasted poblano brings to the rice. Great recipe!
Hi Coby! Thank you so much!
Simple and delicious! Comes out perfect every time.
Ignore previous comment! You have already substituted for chicken broth.
I am taking this to an out of town event – what is the refrigerator or freezer life?
Hi Joanie! You can refrigerate this up to a week and freeze for up to a month! If you freeze it, you’ll want to add some moisture back in when you’re reheating it, so a splash of water or broth will help.
I searched for Vegan recipes and came across this – which looks delicious. However it call for chicken stock! My Vegan daughter in law will call me out! 🙂
I was thinking of subbing vegetable stock and a little oil…….
What do you think?
Hello! Substituting with vegetable stock and oil should be fine!
This was delicious! Such excellent flavor.
I am so delighted to have found your blog!
I made this for my husband and he loved it. I will definitely make this again.
Hi Isabel,
Your recipes look great and are detailed and easy to follow! Great looking videos too!
I too am a first generation Mexican American.
I haven’t yet found an Arroz Verde recipe that I like, as most are only so so. I have high hopes for yours though! I plan on making the Arroz Verde with jasmine rice.
Lastly, I am making both sweet and savory empanadas with Maseca, masa harina…already tried making them with South American, PAN corn flour for arepas and empanadas. They turned out great, however, I feel like Masa harina for tamales and empanadas is more flavorful. I am wondering if your recipe for the masa for tamales would work as is.
Looking forward to trying out a few of your recipes!
Best regards,
Alex
I made this recipe for a potluck dinner of chicken enchiladas. It was a deliciously perfect accompaniment. I roasted my poblanos on the grill, but followed the recipe exactly other than that. I will make again, soon! In fact I’ve already purchased the poblanos and rice!
I’ve made this recipe plenty of times with your recipe for chicken enchiladas and other meals for taco Tuesday
I am going to try this recipe.