This crowd pleasing arroz rojo, aka Mexican red rice is loaded with flavour, and so easy to make. It's perfect alongside chicken, steak or as part of any Mexican meal.
¼teaspooncayenne pepper or chilli powder, optional (notes)
To serve: Lemon or lime wedges, parsley and / or coriander (cilantro)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium high heat.
Add the rice and onion. Cook stirring often until the rice turns opaque white and at least 50% of it is turning golden brown.
Add the capsicum and garlic and cook, stirring for another minute.
Add the remaining ingredients – chicken stock, tomato paste, paprika, oregano, salt and cayenne (if using). Give it a good mix to combine everything then let it come to a boil.
Give it another stir, turn it down to very low so that it is only just simmering, then cover.
Cook for 15-20 minutes (notes). Stir after 10 minutes.
Check the rice is cooked through, then turn the heat off and let it sit, covered for 5-8 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.
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Notes
Rice: Rices vary in liquid requirements. I use basmati for this recipe but most long grain rices will work fine. Just check the pack to see what ratio of liquid to rice is recommended and adjust the amount of stock to suit.
Cooking the rice: Again, different types of rice have different requirements and your stovetop may vary too, so always check the rice is just cooked through before turning off the heat.
Vegetarian/Vegan red rice: Swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
Garlic: use fresh if possible for the best flavour or substitute ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Cayenne: Use the cayenne or another type of chilli if you’d like a kick of heat. Dried chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), chilli powder or chipotle powder are great too or you can leave it out altogether.
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.