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Arroz Verde (Mexican Green Rice)

Name: Arroz Verde (Mexican Green Rice)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 tbsp Vegetable oil; 300 g Rice de grano largo; 500 ml Chicken stock; 0.5 White onion; 2 Poblano chile; 1 bunch Fresh cilantro; 2 Garlic cloves; 100 g Fresh spinach; 100 g Sweetcorn kernels; 1 to taste Salt

5.0(1 rating)

35 min (10 prep + 25 cook) Easy 6 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: Mar 20, 2026 · Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Mexican rice cooked in a green sauce of poblano chile, cilantro and spinach, with a vibrant green color and fresh flavor.

About this recipe

Mexican green rice is prepared by browning rice in oil and cooking it in a green sauce of poblano chile, cilantro, spinach and chicken stock. The result is an intensely green rice with a fresh, mildly spicy flavor.

History & Origin

Green rice is one of the most popular and colourful side dishes in Mexican cuisine, part of the chromatic rice trilogy that includes red rice (with tomato), white rice and green rice. Whilst red rice is the most everyday and white the simplest, green rice is considered the most festive and sophisticated of the three, frequently reserved for special occasions. The history of rice in Mexico begins with the arrival of the Spanish and the Manila galleons that brought the grain from Asia in the 16th century. Rice found ideal growing conditions in Mexico's warm, humid regions, and within a few generations became a fundamental element of the Mexican diet. Mexican cooks adapted rice to their own culinary tradition: rather than simply boiling it, they developed the technique of first browning it in oil or lard and then cooking it in flavored stocks and sauces, a technique that produces a loose, firm, flavorful grain. Green rice owes its color and flavor to a combination of green ingredients that varies by region and family. The most widespread version uses charred poblano chile as a base, combined with fresh cilantro and sometimes spinach or chepil leaves. In Oaxaca, hierba santa is added, in Puebla it is preferred with visible strips of poblano, and in the Bajio region parsley is added alongside the cilantro. What all versions share is the technique of browning the rice before adding the blended green sauce, a step that seals the grain and prevents it from becoming mushy. Green rice is the perfect accompaniment for mole dishes, chicken in cream and seafood, adding freshness and color to the plate.

Estimated cost

$6.42

Total cost

$1.07

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

220

Calories

Protein

38g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fiber

350mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Soak the rice in hot water for 5 minutes. Rinse under the chorro of cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well.
💡 Soakr and enjuagar the rice elimina the excess starch and logra a grano more suelto.
2
Blend the poblano chiles roasted, the spinach, the cilantro, the onion, the garlic and the chicken stock until you get a green sauce completely tersa.
💡 The sauce should be well blended so the rice has an even green color with no bits.
3
In a pot or cazuela with oil hot, brown the rice drained over medium heat restirring constantly for 3-4 minutes until it is slightly golden and suene to the removerse.
💡 El rice should dorarse without quemarse. When is listo, suena como si movieras canicas of cristal.
4
Pour the blended green sauce over the browned rice. The mixture will bubble vigorously. Add the sweetcorn kernels if using. Season with salt.
💡 Be careful when adding the sauce to the hot oil; it splatters a lot.
5
When it boils, reduce the heat to minimum, cover the pot and cook without uncovering or stirring for 18-20 minutes until the rice absorbs all the liquid.
💡 Do not uncover the pot during cooking. The trapped steam is what cooks the rice evenly.
6
Remove from the heat without destapar and leave to rest 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff the rice gently with a fork and serve como garnish.
💡 El reposo final with the cover puesta permite that the rice termine of cocerse with the calor residual.

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Edmond Bojalil

Founder, Recetas Mexas

Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.