Mexican Green Rice Recipe (Arroz Verde)

Looking for a delicious Mexican green rice recipe? I’ve got you!

Arroz verde is a common side dish in Mexico. It’s a great way to use up extra vegetables in the fridge, and sneak a few extra vegetables onto your plate. 

The green color in Mexican green rice typically comes from poblano peppers. From there, recipes will vary. Some will add spinach, cilantro, or other green vegetables. 

The only non-negotiable is the poblano peppers! They add their signature flavor to this dish so you don’t want to skip them. 

The best part? This recipe isn’t that much more complicated than making plain white rice! Simply blend up the veggies and use that liquid to cook the rice. Easy, right?

Check out my favorite recipe for arroz verde (Mexican green rice) below!

Does this “count” as a serving of vegetables?

As a Latina dietitian, one of the most common questions I get is whether or not you can “count” the vegetables that are cooked into our dishes like rice, meats, and stews. 

The answer is yes! All vegetables count, even if they’re cooked into a larger dish as flavoring. 

It may not be enough to meet all your vegetable requirements for the meal, however. 

I recommend somewhere between ½ cup and 1 cup of vegetables per meal. With this dish you will get about 2-4 tablespoons of vegetables per serving. So I do recommend adding a few extra vegetables somewhere on your plate!

Recipe

Print Recipe

Mexican Green Rice (Arroz Verde)

This delicious Mexican green rice adds extra veggies and flavor to your basic rice.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 2

Equipment

• 1 Blender
• 1 pot

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic peeled
• 1/2 poblano pepper stem and seeds removed
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/4 cup spinach
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
• 1/2 cup hot water

Instructions

• Place the poblano, garlic cloves, cilantro, spinach, bouillon powder, and hot water in a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth.
  
• Measure the total contents of the blender. You should have 1 cup of liquid. If you have more, discard the extra. If you have less, add extra water to bring your total liquid up to 1 cup.
  
• Heat the olive oil in a small stockpot over medium heat
• Add the dry rice into the pot with the olive oil. Lightly toast/stir the rice in the oil for 1-2 minutes.
• Pour the 1 cup of liquid from the blender into the pot with the rice.
  
• Bring the pot to a boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer and cover.
• Cook for approximately 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft and fluffy.
• Remove from heat. Lightly fluff with a fork and serve.

Nutrition

What I love about this arroz verde is that it adds a few extra vegetables to your carb portion. 

Some research shows that cooking vegetables in olive oil (like we do in this recipe) can help increase antioxidant availability (1). 

Plus, this is an easy way to get extra vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium into your meal. 

Finally, white rice is typically relatively low in fiber. By adding blended vegetables, you are increasing the fiber content of your rice. This will help manage your blood sugar and keep you full (2). 

For a complete balanced meal, serve with a protein like this chipotle shrimp and a side salad like my nopales salad. 

Need more healthy Mexican recipes?

Looking for more healthy recipes and nutrition information for your favorite Latino foods? You need my sample meal plan for Latinos! Grab your copy by signing up below!

Share