Remember my perfectly fluffy, delicious coconut rice I shared a few weeks back? Today we’re putting an herby twist on rice that you’re going to fall in love with. This green rice recipe is equally as fluffy but cooked in a flavorful green sauce that pairs wonderfully with your go-to proteins, in grain bowls and one pan meals.
If you’re ever looking for an easy, no-fuss side dish to meal prep or share with guests, this is seriously IT.
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What is green rice?
Green rice, or arroz verde, is a common side dish found in Mexico and Latin American countries where rice is simmered in a delicious green sauce made with a mixture of different herbs, spices, lime juice and fresh peppers. My grandma first introduced me to this green sauce when she traveled to Peru and had it with an amazing chicken dish. She recommended using poblano peppers and jalapeños, onion, cilantro and lime juice, which is where my One Pan Green Chicken and Rice came to be!
Today I put my own twist on traditional arroz verde and made green rice with onion, cilantro, jalapeño and cumin.
Everything you’ll need to make homemade green rice
This easy, super flavorful green rice recipe uses fluffy white rice and plenty of fresh herbs and spices. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Rice: I like to use white basmati rice or jasmine rice because it cooks up nice and fluffy.
- Produce: you’ll also need white or yellow onion, lime juice, garlic and jalapeño for a kick of heat and lovely flavor.
- Herbs: we’re using fresh cilantro for the gorgeous green color.
- Spices: to bring out all of the flavors you’ll also need ground cumin, salt & pepper.
- Broth: I like to use low sodium chicken broth as the liquid base, but water or a vegetarian broth will also work.
Recommended ingredient swaps
If you’re out of any of the above ingredients for making the green rice, here’s what I can recommend for swapping:
- For the rice: jasmine rice will also work well in place of the basmati rice. You can also use brown rice but note that it may not come out as fluffy.
- For the jalapeño: if you’re sensitive to spice, be sure to de-seed the jalapeño before using it. You can also use a poblano pepper to keep the green sauce super mild.
- For the broth: as I mentioned, you can swap the chicken broth for water or vegetarian broth as well. Just be sure to adequately salt the sauce.
Add a boost of veggies
If you’re looking to add some veggies to this green rice you can also blend in fresh spinach! It will keep that gorgeous green color, too.
How to make the best green rice
- Prep your produce. Start by chopping your onion and seeding your jalapeño (unless you like a kick of heat).
- Blend the green sauce. You’ll then add all of the ingredients except the rice to a food processor or high powered blender. Blend it all up until it’s nice and smooth.
- Mix the sauce & rice. Add the green sauce and rice to a medium pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and let it cook for 20 minutes.
- Steam the rice. After 20 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let the rice steam. More on this below!
- Fluff & enjoy. Once the rice has steamed, fluff it with a fork and serve.
Don’t forget this tip for fluffy green rice
If you want super fluffy green rice, remember to let it steam after it’s done simmering. You’ll want to leave the lid on your pot, remove the whole pot from the heat and leave it be for about 10 minutes. This will let the rice steam, reduce any leftover liquid and create the best texture.
Our favorite ways to serve green rice
The options are truly endless for serving this delicious green rice. Try our favorites below!
- Of course, start with our One Pan Green Chicken and Rice (Green Arroz Con Pollo)
- Try it with our Damn Good Salmon Taco Bowls, our DIY Chicken Burrito Bowls, or swap it into our 30 Minute Chili Maple Lime Salmon Bowls or Blackened Salmon Tacos
- Serve it with Mango Chicken Stir-Fry or One Pan Cilantro Chicken Meatballs in Mango Coconut Sauce
- Enjoy it as a side with Sazon Grilled Chicken Thighs, Turkey Picadillo or simple grilled shrimp or salmon
- Add it to Freezer-Friendly Green Chile Chicken Burritos or my Enchilada Chicken & Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Make a delicious grain bowl with our grilled veggies and a drizzle of Feta Yogurt Dressing, delicious Jalapeño Green Tahini Sauce or even our Jalapeño Cashew Cream Sauce
Storing & freezing tips
Green rice is the perfect side dish for meal prep because it’s super easy to store and you can even freeze it for later!
- To store: let the green rice cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or bag. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days, and simply reheat it in the microwave before serving.
- To freeze: let the green rice cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe, airtight container or bag. Freeze the rice for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the rice thaw in the refrigerator before reheating it in the microwave. If the rice appears dry, simply reheat with a bit of water.
More side dishes you’ll love
- How to Make My Favorite Coconut Rice
- Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas)
- Homemade Slow Cooker Baked Beans
- The Best Fluffy Moist Cornbread Recipe Ever
- Perfectly Crispy Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
Get all of our delicious side dish recipes here!
I hope you love this green rice recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
How to Make Green Rice
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ white or yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded (or leave seeds in if you like it a little spicy like I do!)
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro (reserve a few for topping the rice)
- 1 small lime, juiced
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or water also works!)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup white basmati or jasmine rice
Instructions
- First make the green sauce: In a large high powered blender or food processor, add in garlic, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, fresh lime juice, chicken broth, cumin, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Blend or process until completely smooth.
- Place a medium pot over medium high heat. Slowly pour in the green sauce and fold in the rice, making sure it is evenly distributed in the pan. Once the sauce is simmering, reduce heat to low, cover the skillet immediately and cook for 20minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the pan from heat (keep the lid on -- DO NOT OPEN), and allow rice to steam for another 10 minutes, then fluff rice with a fork. Serve with your favorite meal and garnish with extra cilantro and/or jalapeno slices for a kick of heat. Serves 4.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
will be making this soon can i use vegetable broth as am a vegan i never had green rice before perfect for my after office meals will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Hi, Ramya! Yes absolutely, vegetable broth will work well in here!
Can this be made in a rice cooker or do you need the varying temperature of the stovetop?
Yes, this can definitely be made in a rice cooker! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
We have a non-cilantro eater in the house (tastes like soap to her). Do you think a parsley substitution would work or should we save this for a night when she’s out?
Parsley would certainly work! I personally prefer cilantro in here but they’re interchangeable in most recipes 🙂
This green rice is delicious and so easy to make! Perfect way to elevate your basic dishes. Will be making this one all summer long!
Yay! I’m so happy you’re loving it, Rosie 🙂
Yum! I made this with the Street Corn Chicken Tacos, and it was great. This would be a great with just a plain grilled protein too.
Ooh such a good combo!! And yes, I love this in bowls with a bunch of chopped veggies and just about any protein 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
SO fresh and delicious! My package of rice said to cook it for 15 then steam for 10, so that’s the only adjustment I made. This is perfect for meal prep and it will be in my rotation moving forward. YUM. Thanks for another awesome recipe, Monique!
Nice! I’m so happy you loved it, Kelly! Thanks for the review!
I love this idea and i followed the recipe to the letter, but i got gummy wet rice… With the addition of the extra herbs etc should I have simmered it longer because of the moisture in the herbs? I don’t know I’m … just wondering ? Any advice?
Hi, there! Sorry to hear that. Hmm I’m not totally sure what could have happened here… What kind of rice did you use?
I usually have trouble cooking rice on the stove but I followed this recipe to the T and it was perfect. So aromatic, bursting with flavor, and the perfect addition to black beans, pico de gallo, and guacamole. I had never thought to cook my rice in a flavorful liquid, this is literally a game changer. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so happy you loved this one, Tori! It really goes great with so many ingredients + dishes 🙂
The green rice recipe is absolutely delicious! I’ve made this more than once and is a crowd pleaser! Highly recommend if you have guests over or need a tasty add on for a meal!! I also like how it has some veggies & other nutritious foods. Instead of the chicken broth & the other rice options listed on the recipe; I substituted for beef bone broth & I used Arborio rice, yet was still tasty. 5/5 stars :))
Yummm! So happy to hear it came out great 🙂
Wow. This was as good as I had hoped. I served it with grilled salmon/prickly pear glaze and it was aromatic beautiful and delicious. Can’t wait to try it with a curry chicken recipe.
Next batch Im going to save some left over rice and try making shrimp fried rice with it.
That sounds amazing! Fried rice is such a good idea, too. So glad you loved this one!
Do you put the cilantro stems in the blender too? Or just the top leafy part?
Thank you!
Just the top leafy part!
Hi! Can brown rice be used instead of white rice?
Hi! Yes, just note that it won’t come out as fluffy and will need longer to cook.
I made this green rice twice in one week! It is wonderful! I paired it with your mango, jalapeno, cilantro dressing on a green salad with lots of avocado. So good!
Love that! So happy you enjoyed!
Sign me up for anything with this much cilantro. Great side to serve with any Central/South American-inspired dish!
Love that!!