Yellow Rice Recipe Arroz Amarillo

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H. Yellow rice is different from other rice dishes you may be used to, offering a nice change-up to your regular meal rotation. There are a few different ways to make yellow rice, depending on the spices used, and which part of the world you’re channeling. This particular version is a Cuban style yellow rice, or “Arroz Amarillo”, which uses a spice blend called “Bijo” to add both color and flavor to the dish. You’ll find similar versions to this all over Latin America and the Caribbean. It is not traditionally spicy in terms of heat, though you can easily adapt to make a spicy version if you want to. If you can’t find bijo seasoning, I offer a number of alternatives in the Recipe Tips & Notes section toward the end of the post. Let’s talk about how to make yellow rice, shall we? Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the rice is lightly toasted brown. Add Tomato and Spices. Add the tomato sauce, chopped pimientos, bay leaf, salt, and bijol (or substitute). Season with black pepper to taste. Cook 2-3 minutes. The mixture will look very soupy/watery at this point. Do not stir during this time, and keep covered. Finish Cooking Off Heat. Remove from heat. Let the rice sit another 5-10 minutes, covered. Fluff the Rice. Fluff with a fork and serve. A fork works best for fluffing rice. Using a spoon or something similarly blunt can make the rice clumpy. Boom! Done! Your yellow rice is ready to serve. Easy enough to make, isn’t it? This is a perfect side dish, or you can serve it with added proteins to make it a fuller meal. Curried Yellow Rice. You can also make a version of yellow rice with the flavors of curry, which is more common in Indian cuisine. See my Curried Rice Recipe to learn more. Yellow Rice Serving Ideas. Yellow rice is perfect as a simple side dish with just about any meal. Try it with Classic Stuffed Peppers. However, I love to add proteins to make it more of a full meal. Consider adding chopped chicken, pork loin or ham, seafood like whitefish or shrimp, or vegetables like potato or sweet potato, or beans (black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans). You can also freeze it for 2-3 months. That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this yellow rice recipe, and that your family loves it as much as we do. Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!

Memories of a Cuban Kitchen, by Mary Urrutia Randelman and Joan Schwartz (affiliate link, my friends!)