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A rectangular blue and white bowl filled with Mexican rice containing peas and carrots, placed on a colorful striped cloth with a wooden spoon nearby.

Mexican Arroz Rojo Recipe

If there's one side dish every Mexican home cook needs in their back pocket, it's arroz rojo. It goes with almost anything! This recipe is simple, reliable, and made with everyday ingredients. Once you try it, it'll become a regular at your table too.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Resting10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 149kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • ¼ small white onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 Roma tomato
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chicken broth divided*
  • ⅓ cup peas
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 tablespoon oil

Utensilios

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice. You can do this two ways, either place it in a colander and run cold water over it, or put it in a bowl, cover with water, stir, and drain. Repeat 3–4 times until the water runs mostly clear. Set aside to drain and dry.
  • While the rice drains, peel the garlic and cut the tomato in half. Add the garlic, onion, tomato, 1 cup of the chicken broth, and salt to the blender. Blend until completely smooth.
  • Wash, peel, and dice the carrot into small cubes. Set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the drained rice and start stirring. At first it may stick a little to the bottom of the pot, but as it toasts it will loosen up.
    Be patient and stir occasionally, the rice will go from white to a light beige color and start to smell a little like popcorn. This takes about 5–8 minutes depending on your stove. If it's sticking too much, lower the heat a bit.
  • Once the rice is golden, pour in the blended tomato mixture.**
    Raise the heat to medium-high and wait for it to come to a boil. Lower to medium-low and let it cook for 2-3 minutes, you'll see the broth change from orange to a reddish color.
  • Don't rush this step, the mixture must boil for a few minutes before you adding more liquid. If you skip this, the tomato, onion and garlic will taste raw in your finished rice, and we don't want that!
  • Add the remaining cup of broth, the peas, and the diced carrot. Stir well and taste for salt. Adjust if needed.
  • Give it one final stir, this is the last time you'll stir the rice. Cover and wait for it to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • At the 10-minute mark, uncover and insert a spoon in the center to check if there's still liquid at the bottom (please don't stir it). If there is, cover and cook for 2 more minutes, then turn off the heat and let it rest.
    If there's no liquid left, turn off the heat immediately and let it rest, covered, for 10–15 minutes. Your rice is ready!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Mexican Arroz Rojo Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
149
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.2
g
1
%
Trans Fat
 
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Cholesterol
 
2
mg
1
%
Sodium
 
487
mg
21
%
Potassium
 
102
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
27
g
9
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
149
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
 
5
mg
6
%
Calcium
 
17
mg
2
%
Iron
 
0.5
mg
3
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Mexican Classics, Side Dishes
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: mexican rice

Notes

*If you use powdered chicken bouillon instead of broth, skip the salt and adjust at the end if needed; bouillon tends to be saltier than broth.
**I personally don't strain the blended mixture, but that's a personal preference. If you'd rather not see small bits of tomato or onion in your rice, go ahead and strain it as you pour it in.