If you happen to have a bit of leftover salsa and are wondering how you might use it (other than finishing off those last corn chips in the bag), give this easy salsa rice recipe a try. It’s similar to my Sopa de Arroz recipe but saves time by incorporating prepared salsa. It is my favorite accompaniment to any Mexican meal.
If the salsa you are using is very chunky, give it a few pulses in a food processor or an immersion blender if you have one.
Any red salsa will work whether mild or spicy. Let your own taste be the guide.
It’s essential to rinse and dry the rice well. This quick step will remove excess starch which can make rice clumpy and overly sticky. You want fluffy, separate grains for this recipe.
Once the oil is hot, stir in the rice and continue stirring until the rice takes on a very light golden color.
The salsa is added to the rice and continuously stirred to coat each grain. Watch the bottom of the pan to avoid burning the salsa.
Finally, the broth, salt, and chile powder are added to the rice.
Left uncovered, the broth is absorbed by the rice until nearly gone. Small holes will appear on the surface of the rice. Now it’s time to put the lid on and cook the rice for 20 minutes. Absolutely no peeking. The lid must stay on for the duration of the cooking time as well as after the timer goes off.
The rice has rested in the covered pot for 20 minutes. Now it is ready to be fluffed and served.
The salsa rice is delicious in a burrito or served with your favorite Mexican dishes. Warm the rice up for breakfast with cheesy scrambled eggs and corn tortillas.
Ingredients
2 cups long grain rice
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon tomato salsa of your choice (if very chunky give it a few pulses in a food processor)
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon mild pure chile powder such as Hatch Mild Red Chile Powder from The Chile Shop online store) optional
Directions
- Rinse rice in a sieve to remove excess starch. Drain very well, tapping the bottom of the sieve to remove any water collected on the bottom. Place the sieve on a clean kitchen towel to drain further while you heat your pan. This step is essential for giving your rice a fluffy texture and grains that remain separate.
- Heat 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil in a large multi-purpose pot with lid or Dutch oven (wider bottom works better than narrow and tall pot) over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, turn heat to medium and add drained rice. Coat rice with oil and stir constantly until rice takes on a very light golden color, about 5 minutes.
- Turn heat down to low and add salsa. Stir continuously for a minute or two with a wooden spoon, coating the rice and scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid burning the salsa. Mix in 3 cups of chicken broth, salt and chile powder if using. Turn heat to medium-high and allow liquid to evaporate for about 6-7 minutes or until there is barely any liquid covering the rice and small holes appear on the surface of the rice. Turn heat to low and cover pot. Set your timer for 20 minutes. Do not open the lid while the rice is cooking.
- Once the timer goes off, turn off the heat. Do not open the lid. Allow rice to sit, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove lid (be careful of the condensation on the inside of lid) and fluff rice with a fork before serving.
Notes
- Leftover rices can be frozen for a few months.