Yellow Rice (Arroz Amarillo)
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This Yellow Rice recipe is fluffy, flavorful, and the perfect side dish for any Latin-inspired meal! Called arroz amarillo in Spanish, this simple rice dish is made with white rice, bell pepper, onions, and homemade sazon seasoning, which gives it the signature golden color. It’s easy to make on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot, and it pairs perfectly with chicken, seafood, or veggies!
After making the best homemade sazon seasoning, of course I had to make an incredibly flavorful grilled sazon chicken recipe with the seasoning. After that came this yellow rice, also seasoned with the sazon seasoning, to pair perfectly with the flavor of the grilled chicken.
What started as a new seasoning recipe turned into an entire meal, but not just any meal, one of my new all-time favorite meals! This yellow rice is so incredibly flavorful. While similar to my Mexican Rice recipe, the difference lies in the sazon seasoning that gives this dish it’s signature bright yellow color and bold taste.
If you’re looking for a simple side dish to serve with any Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Latin meal, this is the side dish you want to make! I prefer to make it in the Instant Pot because it’s quick and easy, but it’s also simple to make on the stovetop, and I’ll show you how to make it both ways.
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this yellow rice recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Green bell pepper – if you’d like to spice things up, you can use a diced jalapeno instead of the bell pepper.
- Long-grain white rice – basmati rice or jasmine rice both work great. You can also use brown rice, but you will need to increase the cook time from 3 minutes to 15 minutes in the Instant Pot or add 15 minutes to the cook time on the stove.
- Chicken broth – feel free to use a can or box of chicken broth from the grocery store, or simply add water and chicken bouillon powder to the recipe. To make this recipe vegetarian, use vegetable broth.
- Diced tomatoes – one can of petite diced tomatoes works perfectly in this recipe. You don’t want to drain the can of tomatoes as the liquid in the can is used to cook and season the rice.
- Sazon seasoning – click the link for my homemade seasoning made with a combination of garlic powder, ground cumin, coriander, Mexican oregano, salt, black pepper, turmeric and ground annatto. You can mix it up ahead of time and store it in the pantry for up to 6 months. If you prefer not to make your own spice blend, Goya sazon seasoning, sold at most grocery stores, is a good substitute.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make it in an Instant Pot
- Cook the diced veggies. Press the “saute” button on an Instant Pot and set it to “normal” heat. When the screen reads “hot” add oil to the pot. Add minced onions and bell peppers and cook them in the Instant Pot for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure they don’t burn. The Instant Pot tends to get hotter than most stovetops when it’s set to the “saute” fuction.
- Add the other ingredients. Once the vegetables are cooked until tender, press the “keep warm/cancel” button on the Instant Pot. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold water for 30 seconds, or until the water runs clear. This will help remove excess starch from the rice. Shake out any excess water, then add the rice to the Instant Pot. Add chicken broth, a can of diced tomatoes, and sazon seasoning.
- Cook the rice. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the steam valve is in the “sealing” position. Use the “manual” button to set the Instant Pot pressure to high for 3 minutes. Once the Instant Pot finishes and beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, move the steam valve to “venting” and release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
How to make it on the stove
- Cook the diced veggies. Heat a large pot, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the oil and diced vegetables. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the other ingredients. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold water for 30 seconds, or until the water runs clear. Shake out any excess water, then add the rice to the pot with the vegetables. Add 3 cups of chicken broth, this is one more cup than if you’re making the recipe in an Instant Pot, a can of diced tomatoes and sazon seasoning.
- Cook the rice. Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered, 40 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes off the heat.
What to serve it with
My favorite way to serve this arroz amarillo is with grilled sazon chicken thighs. This was the original inspiration for this recipe and is still my favorite pairing!
That being said, I’ve also found a lot of other ways that I love to serve this yellow rice. Here are a few suggestions, but honestly it’s great with any Mexican or Latin meal.
- As the base of a bowl – swap out white rice or cilantro lime rice with this flavorful yellow rice in these recipes for veggie fajita bowls, carne asada bowls or vegetarian burrito bowls.
- With these Mexican meals – serve it as a side dish with Mexican meatloaf, chicken enchiladas, or air fryer chicken fajitas.
- Pair it with tacos – it’s a great side dish to serve with quesabirria tacos, pork tacos, cauliflower tacos, mushroom tacos, or grilled shrimp tacos.
Storage and reheating
Store yellow rice leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
To reheat the rice in the microwave, add 1-2 tablespoons of liquid to the rice. Vegetable broth, chicken broth or water will all work. The added moisture will help keep the texture of the dish, so that it doesn’t dry out while reheating. Place the rice in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir, then microwave for an additional minute.
To reheat the rice on the stove, place the rice in a skillet with 1-2 tablespoons liquid. Once again, vegetable broth, chicken broth or water will work. Turn the heat on the stove to medium-low. Cover the skillet and allow the rice to reheat on the stove for 5-10 minutes.
More flavorful sides
Want to add another easy and flavorful side dish to your next meal? Look no further than these recipes!
Yellow Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup minced onions
- ½ cup minced green bell pepper
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth, or 2 cups water mixed with 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons sazon seasoning
Instructions
- Press the “saute” button on the Instant Pot and set it to “normal” heat. When it’s hot, add the olive oil.
- Add the minced onions and bell peppers, and saute for 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on the vegetables to make sure they don’t burn. The Instant Pot gets hotter using the sauté function than most stovetops.
- Press the keep warm/cancel button on the Instant Pot.
- Rinse the rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer for 30 seconds, or until the water runs clear. Add the rice to the Instant Pot.
- Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and sazon seasoning.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the steam valve is in the “sealing” position. Use the “manual” button to set the Instant Pot pressure to high for 3 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot finishes and beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, move the steam valve to “venting” and release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
Notes
- Heat a large pot, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the oil, minced onion and minced bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold water for 30 seconds, or until the water runs clear. Add the rice to the pot with the vegetables. Add 3 cups of chicken broth, this is one more cup than if you’re making the recipe in an Instant Pot, a can of diced tomatoes and sazon seasoning.
- Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer covered for 40 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes off the heat.
Nutrition Facts
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