Portuguese rice. Simple, easy and ready in just under 15 minutes - this delicious rice recipe is perfect for quick weeknight meals. The hint of spice from the chilies gives a unique touch and flavor to this classic rice.
The fact is I am really into quick and easy recipes these days. And I’m totally excited to share this super easy and delicious recipe with you today. I cook with rice very often, and I’m always thinking about new ways to enjoy this humble ingredient.
So say hello to this mildly spiced Portuguese rice recipe.
It’s basically a very classic Portuguese style recipe, and I love the idea of infusing rice with so many spices to make it super flavorful and pretty. In short, this recipe is all about getting a little creative with humble rice to make it look beautiful as well as taste very delicious.
The traditional Portuguese rice is very spicy, but feel free to add more or less chilies depending on your taste. In this recipe, the heat comes from dried red chili flakes. However, you can also add a few birdseye chilies to make it more authentic.
The recipe starts with a quick stir-fry of onions, bell peppers (capsicum), and crushed garlic in hot oil. You’ll also need to add in few spices like ground turmeric, ground cumin, and smoked paprika. Give it a quick stir, and stir-fry rice in this mixture for a few minutes.
Now it’s time to cook this Portuguese rice. Cover with plenty of water, season with a chicken cube (or veg cube if you’re vegetarian), and squeeze in lemon juice. When rice is nearly done, add in green peas, and let it cook along with the rice.
Finally, garnish with plenty of coriander (cilantro) or parsley leaves for that final touch. I served this rice with a side of an extra special dish I’ll be sharing with you in my next post. So stay tuned. Meanwhile, serve this beautiful yellow rice with your favorite curry.
This Portuguese rice is seriously so good, you must make it for dinner tonight.
More Rice Recipes
- Indonesian Fried Rice
- Veg Fried Rice
- Lemon Rice
- Egg Fried Rice
- Ginger Capsicum Fried Rice
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Saffron Rice
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- 10 Minute Broccoli Carrot Rice
- Indian Rice
- Curry Rice
Portuguese Rice | Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil olive oil preferred
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper capsicum, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes or 4-5 birdseye chilies chopped (optional)
- 2 cups rice rinsed (long grain rice or basmati rice)
- 1 chicken stock cube or veg stock cube, crushed
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup green peas frozen or cooked
- Salt
- Coriander cilantro leaves or parsley leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until tender. Add ground turmeric, ground cumin, smoked paprika and chili flakes. Stir to combine.
- Add rice. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add stock cube, water and lemon juice. ( Please check the rice package instructions for the exact amount of liquid you will need) Season with salt. Stir gently. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes or until rice is nearly done.
- Add green peas. Cook, covered, until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Garnish with chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves or parsley.
Video
Nutrition
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Amy Wilson says
I made this last night and the recipe was perfect. Everybody in our family liked it. Thanks for the recipe.
Elsy Mathews says
This looks scrumptious!
Nicole says
Amazing. 5 stars. I used brown rice so this had to cook for longer but still came out amazing. So much flavour. I had no smoked paprika so I substituted cajun spice instead.
Stephanie says
Delicious and accompanied my roasted chicken and vegetables! This will be a recipe I take with me to Australia to enjoy with my family/Grandkids.
Valerie says
Unfortunately the rice was undercooked by following the method. I added 2 extra cups of liquid and it was still a little crunchy. Not sure what went wrong but next time I will halve the rice quantity.
Rose Mary George says
Cooking times may vary depending on the type of rice you use (I used basmati rice). Please refer to the instructions on the rice package.Hope that helps!
Nisha paul says
What is smoked paprika
Rose Mary George says
It's a red spice with different range of heat levels, very similar to red chilli powder. 🙂
Thomas says
Easily the best rice I have ever made. Such a simple recipe but super tasty, fluffy and great for batch cook meal prep. Highly recommended! Side note: I had to add extra water and cook for slightly longer but that was based on the rice brand I was using. Thanks so much!
Gopal says
Today I made this Classic Portuguese Rice for our son and his family. They all loved it. Our grandchildren had second helpings. Thank you for the excellent recipe.
Instead of cooking in a pot, I cooked in a rice cooker. The rice turned out to be perfect. I doubled the recipe as there were 7 of us.
Gopal Chandran says
I cooked this Portuguese Rice for my son and his family and our grandchildren throughly enjoyed. I did not cook the rice in a pot but used the rice cooker instead. The amount of water stated in the recipe was sufficient.
Thank you for the recipe, Nish
sue bond says
loved it can you freeze this rice please many thanks love your recipes,I Am fairly new to your site, but have found loads i want to try many thanks love from the UK