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This vibrant Mexican Green Rice is loaded with fresh herbs, roasted poblano, and just the right amount of flavor to steal the show. It’s the perfect side for tacos, burrito bowls, or honestly… just eating straight from the pot.
Green Rice That Goes with Everything
This Mexican Green Rice is one of those side dishes that quietly steals the show.
We’re blending up fresh cilantro, onion, garlic, and a roasted poblano pepper to give the rice its vibrant green color and big flavor—nothing too spicy, just bright, flavorful, and very hard to stop eating. It’s perfect next to grilled chicken, tucked into burrito bowls, or served with beans and tortillas for the simplest weeknight dinner that still feels like something special.
Ingredients Needed
- White Rice– long grain white rice is best for this type of dish. You can also use a Jasmine white rice, which is my favorite rice when cooking.
- Oil– the rice is fried in a small amount of oil to toast it before adding the liquid. Use an avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- Poblano Pepper– this is a very mild pepper with little heat. Feel free to substitute with a green bell pepper for less heat, or jalapeño for a little more.
- Broth– chicken broth adds a nice flavoring to the rice as it cooks.
- Onion & Garlic– adds a savory flavoring to the rice.
- Cilantro & Lime– adds a bright freshness, and acid to the rice.
- Cumin & Coriander– gives an earthy flavoring.
How to Make – In Photos
Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.
- Roast the poblano peppers either on the stovetop or in the oven under a broiler. Once the skins are blackened, place the peppers in a sealed container to allow the steam to soften them until they are cooled to the touch. Remove the charred skins, stems, and seeds from the middle.
- Blend the green sauce for the rice by adding the roasted poblano, cilantro, onion, garlic, lime juice, and seasonings.
- Toast the rice in a skillet with a small amount of oil. Stir the rice while heating over medium heat, once the rice is getting slightly tanned, then add in the blended green sauce to stir around.
- Pour in the broth and stir everything together. Bring this mixture to a simmer, then cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low.
- Cook the rice on low for 25 minutes. After the 25 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat, keeping the lid on. Allow the rice to sit for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff up the rice before serving.
Tips for Perfect Rice
- The type of pot you use matters! I have always found that using a wide skillet works best for fluffy rice, and come to find out there is a science behind why this happens! Check out that linked article for more information.
- Keep the lid on, the steam is important to get the perfect fluffy texture to your rice.
FAQs
Not really.. It does add some spice to the rice. But poblano is a mild pepper. It is milder than jalapeno. Other options would be to use a green bell pepper for less heat, or use a jalapeño if you want the heat.
Use a long grain rice. Short grain rices are starchy and will cook up sticky. Long grain rice has less starch and will cook up drier with more defined grains, which is what we want. Jasmine, Basmati and regular long grain white rice are good options.
Although this is my preferred method to make this rice, everyone has their own way. Other ways I have seen this rice made is to use half cilantro and half parsley. Or half cilantro and half fresh baby spinach. If you don’t want any cilantro, sub for spinach and parsley.
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Mexican Green Rice (Arroz Verde)
Ingredients
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 cups rice long grain white rice*
- 2 cups cilantro (one bunch)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 white onion quartered
- juice 1 lime fresh
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 4 cups chicken broth no sodium
Instructions
- Roast the poblano pepper in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook the pepper on all sides until the skin is blistered and the pepper is soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once the pepper is cooled to the touch, remove the stem, slice open and remove the seeds.
- Add the pepper, onion, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, salt, cumin and coriander to a food processor or blender. Pulse until no large chunks remain.
- In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the rice. Stir to coat the rice in the oil. Continue to cook over medium heat until the rice is lightly browned and toasted.
- Add the blended greens to the rice and stir to coat the rice in the mixture.
- Pour the chicken broth into the skillet with the rice. Stir to combine.
- Bring the rice to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat, keep the lid on and allow the rice to cool for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir the rice. Most of the greens will have floated to the top during cooking. Stir and fluff the rice before serving.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe first published January 28, 2020. Updated May 2, 2025.
Photography by KJandCompany.co
