Arroz Rojo:
Classic Mexican arroz rojo made by toasting long-grain white rice and simmering it in a homemade tomato, onion, garlic, and chicken broth mixture until fluffy and deeply flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
- 3 medium Roma tomatoes roughly chopped
- ¼ medium white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth divided as needed
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ½ cup diced carrots optional
- ½ cup frozen peas optional
- 1 whole serrano pepper optional
Instructions
- Rinse the rice. Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cool water until the water becomes mostly clear. Drain thoroughly. Excess water can cause hot oil to splatter, so let the rice drain well.
- Make the tomato mixture. Add the Roma tomatoes, onion, garlic, and enough chicken broth to help everything blend smoothly to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Measure the cooking liquid. Combine the blended tomato mixture with enough remaining chicken broth to give you about 3 cups of total cooking liquid.
- Toast the rice. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the drained rice and cook, stirring frequently, for about 6 to 8 minutes. The grains should become lightly golden and smell toasted.
- Add the tomato mixture. Carefully pour the tomato and broth mixture into the toasted rice. It may bubble aggressively at first, so pour slowly.
- Season the rice. Add the salt and carrots, if using. Add the whole serrano now if you want its flavor in the rice.
- Bring to a simmer. Allow the liquid to come to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low.
- Cover and cook. Cover the pot tightly and cook for about 18 to 20 minutes. Resist the urge to repeatedly lift the lid or stir the rice.
- Add peas. If using frozen peas, scatter them over the rice during the final few minutes of cooking and replace the lid.
- Rest the rice. Remove the pot from the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes. This final steaming period helps the grains finish cooking evenly.
- Fluff and serve. Remove the serrano if used. Gently fluff the rice with a fork and serve warm.
Notes
Drain the rice well. Wet rice and hot oil are not friends. Give rinsed rice enough time to drain before toasting.
Watch the rice while toasting. There's a short distance between beautifully golden and burned.
Don't keep opening the lid. Every time you remove the lid, steam escapes. Let the rice cook.
Don't stir while it simmers. Stirring encourages starch release and can turn fluffy arroz rojo into sticky rice.
Let it rest. Those final 10 minutes are part of the cooking process.
Adjust for your broth. Salt levels vary dramatically between homemade broth, boxed broth, and bouillon.