Yellow Rice Mexican Arroz Amarillo, is the perfect side dish recipe. It’s quick, easy and packs a lot of flavor with pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
There are few ingredients in this recipe for Arroz Amarillo. You probably have all of them in your pantry right now.
- Rice
- Granulated (or powdered) Garlic
- Granulated (or powdered) Onion
- Turmeric
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
I know that you may be tempted to use cilantro but I prefer to use cilantro as a garnish. I know I may be outnumbered but I don’t really like the flavor of cooked cilantro. Fresh, raw cilantro is much better to me.
For extra flavor, I may also add a little bit of Knorr Chicken Bouillon. That would take it outside of a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, though. Keep that in mind when planning for your guests.
If you would like some spicy heat, you can add any other powdered spices like Chipotle, Jalapeno or even Habanero, if you’re especially brave. But, if you’re not that brave, just sprinkle a little bit when serving so you can adjust to your own taste.
Difference Between Red Rice and Yellow Rice
There are a lot of misconceptions about rice in Mexican dishes and restaurants here in the United States. I’ve done a lot of research on it, and I’ve been able to determine that there is Mexican Rice and Spanish Rice. In the US, they’re pretty much interchangeable at this point.
But, have you ever heard of Yellow Rice? Mom buys yellow rice packages from brands such as Vigo and Mahatma. It’s one of her favorites so I wanted to develop this recipe just for her.
You may be more familiar with Mexican Red Rice, which is also called Spanish Rice. My recipe for Mexican Red Rice is one of my most popular recipes and is delicious!
What Is Yellow Rice?
Like red rice, Yellow Rice is steamed with vibrant aromatics which include a yellow spice such as turmeric or saffron to give it that yellow color.
One of the stories about Yellow Rice is that it’s the true Spanish Rice from Spain. Spain brought the rice to Mexico and it became popular quickly. Saffron, though, wasn’t a common spice in Mexico so turmeric was used instead. That’s what I’m using today in this recipe because turmeric is so much easier and less expensive to get at the store.
How To Serve
You can serve this rice recipe with any Mexican dish, but don’t stop there. It’s very versatile and you can use it as most any side. I also use it when making burritos and chimichangas. It works especially well with chicken dishes but, honestly, use it with any fish, seafood or beef. You’ll love it.
Mom loves it so much that she will frequently have a bowl of the rice as a meal, with a squeeze of lime and crumbled Queso Fresco on top. Leftovers certainly don’t last long over here!
If you’re going to microwave the leftovers, add a couple tablespoons of water since the rice will dry out in the refrigerator even when refrigerated in an airtight container.
Behind The Scenes
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Recipe
Yellow Rice Mexican Arroz Amarillo
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan with Cover
Ingredients
- 2 cups Water see Notes below
- 1 cup Long Grain Rice rinsed until the water is clear
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric ground
- 1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic or garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Granulated Onion or onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper ground
Instructions
- Place water in medium saucepan over high heat until it comes to a boil.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, stir well. Cover and reduce heat to low. (Note: If you use a wooden or plastic spoon, it may be stained forever from the turmeric.)
- Cook about 12-16 minutes until the water has evaporated. Remove from heat.
- While off the heat, keep covered for about 10 minutes more, then open and fluff with a fork.
Notes
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. All amounts are estimates and 24Bite® takes no responsibility for actual figures since calculations vary by packaging and supplier. Please calculate the amounts yourself based on package labeling if you have specific dietary requirements. 24Bite®, Kim Guzman or Christian Guzman shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result. 2019-2026 Kim Guzman and Christian Guzman. All rights reserved. 24Bite®
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Christian, excellent job on the mexican yellow rice. this was really good. This will be my go to rice to serve with burritos.
That’s wonderful! I love adding it to burritos too. Rice is such a great ingredient and side dish. Thank you for writing!
easy & came out excellent!
So great to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed it and thank you for writing.
In my opinion, 1 tsp of Turmeric was too much. It’s all I could taste. 1/2 tsp would probably have been better for me.
Great tip for anyone sensitive to turmeric. Thank you for writing!
I thought this was excellent, and I will make this from now on instead of buying the more expensive yellow rice mixes. I used up about a cup of chicken broth that was in the fridge and the rest water; it was very good. Next time I’ll go a little easy on the pepper. Easy, inexpensive, and delicious.
I’m so glad it worked out for you. Thank you for writing!