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Aromatic Green Rice is one of my favorite ways to make long-grain rice now! Loaded with punchy cilantro, vibrant baby spinach, onions and garlic. An easy recipe that pairs well with just about steak, chicken, shrimp or fish!
Look at that vibrant green color!
Liberian-style Check Rice is what inspired this aromatic green rice recipe. We have an amazing West African Restaurant that we love to frequent here in town. And they have the most delicious green rice on the menu. Like, the bowl comes with steak and sweet plantains, but truth be told, I order it because the rice is so fragrant and delicious and I find myself dreaming about it at times.
Now, I’ll be honest. The restaurant I’m talking about certainly made the recipe a bit more mainstream, because they swap out the jute mallow leaf (molokhia) with baby spinach. So I’m not saying this is a traditional Liberian green rice recipe. However, it is absolutely perfect when you want to serve it on a weeknight with grilled steak, shrimp, fish, chicken, or refried black beans.
This green rice recipe also dabbles in the Arroz Verde or Mexican Green Rice area of things. We are using a ton of cilantro, onions and garlic and adding in baby spinach to give the rice that vibrant green color that it deserves. I’ll also add a little knob of serrano or jalapeno pepper to brighten things up.
All this to say, I’m calling this a ‘Green Rice recipe’ rather than Mexican Green Rice or Check Check Rice because it takes a bit of inspiration from all over.
Use green rice as a side dish to your enchiladas, or in bowls with grilled chicken, pickled red onions, and whatever else you like. It is truly such a yummy recipe.
Ingredients for homemade green rice
- parboiled rice or long grain white rice: starting with the correct type rice is critical. I like to use long grain plain white rice or parboiled rice for this recipe. Parboiled rice is infused with nutrients from the husk and personally I think it yields a better texture. Which is why I love using it for my Lebanese rice pilaf recipe. Feel free to use either, the cooking time remains almost the same for both. You’ll need 1.5 cup of rice for this recipe.
- cilantro: you’ll need a full cup of cilantro that’s lightly packed. We’ll break down the veggies and herbs in the food processor so you get a little color in each bite without it becoming entirely green. You could also swap some of the cilantro with parsley if you like that flavor. I typically use just cilantro and baby spinach.
- baby spinach: you’ll need two full cups of baby spinach. The baby spinach is minced and cooks with the rice grains, giving the rice a noticeably vibrant color.
- white onion: I like to use white onions for this recipe, but feel free to use yellow onion if that’s what you have. I avoid red onion because it tends to change the color of the overall dish.
- serrano pepper: I use Serranos and just a small knub of it. I’m not looking to add much heat to the recipe here. But if you want to make it spicier, feel free to add a whole pepper and maybe jalapeños as well.
- garlic: just a couple cloves of minced garlic really brightens up the dish.
- ghee: I like to use clarified butter or ghee because it gives the rice the best taste. It also has a higher smoke point than butter so I typically use that the saute the rice before cooking it in broth. Feel free to use olive oil (or any other oil) if that’s what you have on hand.
- chicken broth: you’ll need 2.25 cups of liquid for this recipe. I like to use chicken broth because the chicken flavor in the green rice I’ve had was very prominent. Feel free to use water or water with caldo de pollo if you’d like.
How to make green rice at home
- Rinse the rice until clear. start by rinsing the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. This will take a few minutes so be patient. You’ll want to scrub using your fingertips. This will help get rid of the excess starch so that your batch of rice cooks up nice and fluffy when fluffed with a fork.
- Pulse the ingredients. To the bowl of a food processor or blender, add the onions, garlic, baby spinach, cilantro, and serrano peppers. Give the food processor a few pulses until the ingredients are finely chopped. You don’t want to turn them into a liquid, so keep a close eye and stop when the leaves are finely minced.
- Saute the rice. Add the ghee to a heavy bottom pot or skillet that has a tightfitting lid. Once melted, stir and cook the rice until the rice browns, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the green goods. once the rice is brown, add the minced greens and cook them for a couple of minutes to give them a little color and to cook out the harsh bite of the onions and garlic. Then we’ll add the chicken bouillon and the water. There’s no need for salt as the bouillon should take care of it. Bring the liquid to a boil.
- Simmer and cook the rice. Once boiling, lower the heat tools and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let the rice cook on low heat until it soaks up all the liquid.
- Let it do its thing. Once the timer goes off, let the rice stand for a few minutes. This allows there remaining liquid to absorb and for the rice to now be liquidy. Then fluff with a fork and serve with your favorite protein and sides.
FAQs about this recipe
You’ll need to swap the chicken broth for mushroom broth or veggie broth. You’ll also want to use oil instead of ghee.
Yes this recipe is gluten-free.
Other rice recipes to try:
- Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
- Better Than Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice
- Simple Hibachi Fried Rice
- How to Make Perfect Basmati Rice
- 5-Ingredient Coconut Rice
- Lebanese Rice Pilaf
Aromatic Green Rice
Ingredients
- 1½ cup dry parboiled rice or long grain white rice
- 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems (lightly packed)
- 2 cups baby spinach packed
- ½ medium white onion roughly chopped
- ½-1 jalapeño or serrano pepper seeds and ribs removed (see notes)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
- 2¼ cups low sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- RINSE: Add the rice to a fine-mesh strainer. Start by rinsing under cold, running water for 2-3 minutes. Using your fingertips, scrub the rice in the sieve in a circular motion until the water runs clear. Set the strainer over a bowl to finish draining while you prep the greens.
- PULSE: In a food processor combine the cilantro, baby spinach, white onion, garlic, and serrano. Pulse until it breaks down into a finely chopped consistency. Do not pulse until liquid.
- SAUTE: Add the ghee to a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the rice and saute it for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently so that the rice doesn’t stick or burn.
- ADD GREENS: Once the rice is golden, add the pulsed greens. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth. Kick the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Taste the liquid to make sure it's salty like the sea. Add salt if needed, I didn't need any.
- SIMMER: Stir once, then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and let cook for 15-17 minutes or until the water dries up and the rice cooks through.
- LET STAND: Turn off the stove and allow the rice to stand for 5 minutes. Then, fluff with a fork and serve.
Notes
- Spice Level: the amount of spice in this recipe entirely depends on you. Feel free to omit the jalapeno or serrano completely to make this mild. I typically use 1/2 pepper and it's mild enough for my toddler to eat. Use more peppers to give this more heat!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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