I've been making big batches of this Mexican Green Rice lately and it is such a welcome change to my kitchen! Have you tried it yet?
Sure, you can serve it up as a side dish, but lately I turn it into a quick meal by tossing it with beans and cheese. You could also use it to make Bean and Rice Enchiladas.
Of course, this recipe also comes with the alluring smell of roasted Poblanos filling your kitchen. This can be reason alone to make it, but ending up with a delicious, authentic batch of green goodness helps too 🙂
How To Make Mexican Green Rice
The Poblano peppers are the key to this recipe. And yes, you'll get a massive bump in flavor if you roast them first so please don't skip this step!
Start by giving your Poblanos a good rinse, then roast them in the oven for a half hour or so (400F).
Poblanos are mild by nature, so don't worry about your green rice becoming a fireball.
It depends a little on the growing conditions of the Poblanos, but most likely your rice will have just a whiff of heat in the background. How hot are Poblano chiles?
See all those bits of puffy skin? You can peel that off and discard it, but don't worry about getting every last bit as it won't affect the final flavor.
Once the Poblanos have cooled, you can de-stem and de-seed them, then adding them to a blender along with:
1/2 small onion
1 peeled garlic clove
10-15 sprigs of cilantro
a handful of spinach (optional)
If I'm using this recipe for a simple beans and rice meal I will sometimes add a handful of spinach to the blender, but you can consider this optional.
Combine well but it's okay to leave it just a little chunky. You'll probably need to add a splash of the stock to get it rolling.
Add a glug of oil to a saucepan over medium heat.
Add 1 cup of rice and cook for a couple minutes, stirring regularly until the rice is opaque and just starting to turn golden brown.
This pilaf style of cooking the rice will reduce clumping and help the grains absorb flavor. It will only take a couple minutes to turn golden brown, so keep an eye on it to prevent burning.
Add the puree from the blender and cook over medium heat for a couple minutes, stirring regularly.
I'm using less liquid for rice lately based on this rice-to-liquid ratio video. The idea is that most rice prefers a 1:1 rice-to-liquid ratio, and any additional liquid is added to compensate for evaporation during the cook.
So I used about 1.5 cups of Better Vegetable Stock for this recipe.
Add the stock and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the rice, combining well. I usually pour the stock into the blender and then into the saucepan. This gets any leftover puree bits out of the blender and into your rice!
Bring this mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and let it cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, approximately 15-20 minutes.
Once cooked you can give it a stir and remove it from the heat. Cover and let it sit in its own steam for a few minutes.
And now the most important part...take a taste for salt level!
Rice is hypersensitive to salt amount and it might take a bit of taste testing to get the appropriate level for your taste buds.
I always add another generous pinch of salt because the homemade vegetable stock I'm using has zero sodium. The converse is also true -- if you're using a high-sodium store-bought stock than you won't need to add as much salt as I did.
If all went according to plan, not only does your kitchen have neighbors' noses poking through your windows "Whatcha cookin?!", but you've also got a light, delicious batch of authentic Arroz Verde on your hands.
This can be served up with dozens of Mexican dishes, with a special nod to enchiladas.
Or you can just combine it with some beans and cheese for a quick meal!
Either way, it's worth getting familiar with this Mexican Green Rice. It's super versatile and will bring your kitchen lots of good eats.
Enjoy!!
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Mexican Green Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice
- 2 poblano peppers
- 10-15 sprigs cilantro
- 1 handful spinach (optional)
- 1/2 small onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1.5 cups stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- olive oil
Instructions
- Give the Poblanos a good rinse and then roast them in the oven for a half hour or so (400F).
- Once the Poblanos are roasted you can let them cool for a bit. Peel off and discard any puffy bits of skin, but don't worry about getting rid of every last bit. De-stem and de-seed the Poblanos, then add them to a blender along with: 1/2 small onion, 1 peeled garlic clove, 10-15 sprigs of cilantro, and a handful of spinach (optional). Combine well. You'll probably need to add a splash of stock to get it to combine.
- Add a glug of oil to a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup of rice and cook until the rice is opaque and starting to turn golden brown, stirring regularly.
- Add the blender puree to the rice and cook for a couple minutes, stirring regularly. Add 1.5 cups of stock and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Once cooked you can remove it from the heat and let it sit in its own steam for a few minutes, covered.
- Take a final taste for salt level, adding more if necessary. I added another generous pinch of salt to this batch, but keep in mind the exact salt level will depend on which stock you're using. Serve immediately and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Want to read our latest recipe? It's these Mexican Wedding Cookies.
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shannon
This recipe is amazing and super easy, which I love most! I used 3 poblanos, and a little less cilantro so I could get more of the good pepper flavor without being overpowered. Deliciously authentic! Just make sure you use the proper rice grain as to avoid sogginess that was noted in another review.
Patrick
Thanks Shannon!
Mavis
Very interesting for different meals.
Michelle Saunders
The taste was great, but the texture was an ultimate fail. I must have used too much chicken broth, not accounting for all the extra the liquid from the pureed poblanos and aromatics. Rice came out mushy and over hydrated. Tried to salvage by putting in my air fryer. Ended up with crispy overcooked rice. Next time I will use less broth. The flavor profile was delicious. Lesson learned.
Patrick
Hey Michelle! Yeah I know what you mean, I've been there too unfortunately. It sounds like your set-up may prefer a 1:1 rice to liquid ratio so I would go for that next time. Usually that extra liquid is added to compensate for evaporation during the cook, but kitchens vary and not everyone needs it. I've been meaning to create a separate post about this but in the meantime this vid covers it well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOOSikanIlI&t=217s
Cheers.
Elen
Best arroz verde ever! Poblanos, where have you been all my life!
Patrick
You said it!
Here are more Poblano recipes if you have leftovers 🙂
Hazel
This was great. Loved it.
Patrick
Thanks Hazel!
Arlene Freeman
This one sounds the best to me! I like idea of the poblano peppers maybe even one Serena pepper added diced up really well with all the seeds out and the capsician part I don't like hot spicy food I like spicy food but not hot and spicy so I think one Serena will be enough for this batch and thank you for this recipe
Patrick
Thanks Arlene, hope this one is a keeper for you. Cheers.
Millie Cruz
Just made this delicious rice! Oh my goodness! I was a little worried cause I thought there was too much sauce. But I cooked as directed and when done I topped with freshly grated parmesan for a nice twist. I paired it with simply sautéed chicken tenders that had been marinated in Italian dressing, seasoned well and tossed after cooking with a squirt of lemon (half a lemon). It was the perfect pairing for this scrumptious rice and I undoubtedly will make it over and over again!
Leslie
Can this recipe be easily doubled?
Patrick
Hi Leslie! Yeah it can be doubled, but lately I use less liquid when doubling the rice amount. I would probably use approx. 3 cups of liquid if doubling the rice amount. Here's a good vid explaining why you don't need to double the liquid amount:
Best Way to Cook Rice
Cheers.
JANE
I LOVE poblanos - use them all the time in place of regular green peppers.
I've been making arroz verde a lot lately. This recipe is similar to mine, except I don't roast the poblanos but do blend them with cilantro, jalapeno and a bit of veg stock ( I use my trusty nutribullet that really purees them well). Then I chop up the onions, sauté in some olive oil, add some garlic after a few minutes (salt to taste at this point), add the rice and green mixture plus stock. Give it a good stir, then cover and cook. Spinach would be good too and a splash of cumin if you want to spice it up a bit. Salt at the end to taste.
Patrick
Hey thanks much for mentioning your adjustments Jane! Cheers.
Millie Cruz
Jane you can also broil the poblanos if you don’t want to wait 20 minutes for them to bake. Simply oil them well and broil on high until nicely charred. It really does add a ton of flavor!
Debra
This was wonderful. Very easy. Roasted the poblano peppers in my air fryer.
Patrick
Thanks Debra!