Arroz Blanco (Mexican White Rice)

Arroz blanco (Mexican white rice) is a delicious and simple side dish that makes the perfect compliment for your Mexican main dishes such as chicken adobo or chilorio, but also as a filling for your favorite burritos.

The recipe is really super easy and budget-friendly and I promise you will love it from the first time you make it!

What is arroz blanco?

Arroz blanco, also known as arroz primavera, is a Mexican white rice side dish very popular and a staple in Mexican cuisine.

The recipe, along with red rice is one of the most requested side dishes for many Mexican traditional meals, especially those with fish or seafood, such as camarones a la diabla.

Arroz blanco is normally prepared with chicken or vegetable stock with the addition of diced vegetables, to give more flavor, color, and texture.

The secret is in the stock

The best advice I can give you is to prepare your own chicken stock to cook this Mexican white rice, whether it is chicken or vegetable stock, it does not compare to a store-bought stock which normally is full of salt and preservatives.

What I usually do is that when I prepare other dishes that have chicken or other types of meat, I save the stock in bags or containers and freeze it so I can have it always ready when needed.

I also prepare stock with vegetables that are not so fresh or have been sitting in my fridge for days. Any vegetable scraps work wonders too, like tomato cores, onions, celery leaves, corn cobs, etc.

Also using chicken carcasses or pork/beef bones, that otherwise go to waste. Anything that allows me to use and add flavor and that I would otherwise have to throw out.

Mexican White Rice Recipe + VIDEO

Wash the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Place it to drain on a colander until is completely dry.

Heat the chicken stock without bringing it to a boil. Set the heat to the lowest and keep it warm on the stove.

In a frying pan heat the oil over low heat. Add the butter then add the onion and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until tender and transparent.

Add the garlic and stir to release its aroma. Add the rice and cook for two minutes stirring constantly.

Set the heat to high and pour 2/3 of the stock. Add all the vegetables, then season with salt. go easy on the salt, especially if the stock you using has salt already.

Bring to a boil and as soon as it starts boiling, set the heat to medium-low and cover the pan.

Let arroz blanco cook for 15 minutes and then check that the rice is not completely dry (with a spoon dig into the bottom to see if there is still some liquid). If you notice that the rice is still uncooked somehow, add the remaining stock and keep cooking uncovered.

Adjust salt to taste. Cover again and let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Uncover, add the cilantro, and then use a fork to mix a bit and fluff.

How to serve

This Mexican white rice is perfect to serve with adobo pork ribs or also with chicken encacahuatado. And is the perfect side dish for picadillo too! But if you’d like a meatless main dish, I totally suggest serving with ejotes & eggs.

I also love using this dish to fill my chicken and rice burritos.

Useful Notes and Tricks

Watch How To Make It

Thank you for watching this. If you make our recipe please add a photo on Instagram and tag @maricruzava.blog – I’d love to see it!

Arroz Blanco (Mexican white rice)

author Maricruz Avalos

4

Make a delicious Mexican white rice with our easy recipe. Fluffy and with a nice flavor that will go so well with many Mexican dishes.

prep 10 minutes

cook 20 minutes

resting 5 minutes

total 35 minutes

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Ingredients 

Cups (US) – Metric

• ▢ 1 ½ cups long grain rice (Mexican, basmati, jasmine, thai)
• ▢ 2 ¼ cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• ▢ 1 small white onion (finely chopped)
• ▢ 1 cup diced vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, etc.)
• ▢ 1 garlic clove (minced)
• ▢ 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 Tbsp butter
• ▢ 1 Tbsp cilantro (finely chopped)
• ▢ salt

Instructions

 

• Wash the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Place it to drain on a colander until is completely dry.
• Heat the chicken stock without bringing it to a boil. Set the heat to low to keep it warm.
• In a frying pan heat the oil over medium heat.
• Add the butter then add the onion and stir-fry over for 5 minutes or until tender and transparent.
• Add the garlic and stir to release its aroma. Add the rice and cook for two minutes stirring constantly.
• Set the heat to high and pour ⅔ of the stock. Add the vegetables and season with salt.
• Bring to a boil and as soon as it starts boiling, set the heat to medium-low and cover the pan.
• Let it cook for 15 minutes and then check that the rice is not completely dry (with a spoon dig into the bottom to see if there is still some liquid). If you notice that the rice is still uncooked somehow, add the remaining stock and keep cooking uncovered.
• Adjust salt to taste. Cover again and let the rice sit for 5 minutes.
• Uncover, add the cilantro, and then use a fork to fluff the rice. Serve.

Notes

• Do not toast the rice to the point it will change color and texture, just sauté it for a couple of minutes to seal it. Arroz blanco means “white rice” so it has to keep its white color.
• Vary the vegetables: and use other types such as green beans (ejotes), chayote, zucchini, etc.
• Use other herbs: To give a different flavor to arroz blanco, experiment with other fresh herbs, such as epazote, thyme, or mint.
• Heat your stock: Make sure the liquid you use to cook the rice is hot. Adding cold stock or water will change drastically the temperature resulting in mushy rice.
• The type of rice is important: Use a long grain and with little starch. Mexican rice is always your first option, but if you can’t find that where you live, other types of rice are also a good option, for example, Basmati, Jasmine, or Thai.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 132mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2563IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

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