This is Arroz al Cilantro (cilantro rice) my mom made this once when I was little. Only once. I still remember it. It was delicious.
My mom is visiting again and I told her I really wanted to make her cilantro rice… she remembered immediately. Hey! I am not that old I guess, I mean, I was little just the other day.
To go with this rice we made Grilled Chicken Skewers. I used about 1 1/2 lb of boneless skinless chicken tights. I love grilling chicken tights because they cook fast, are juicy and flavor full (unlike chicken breast, IMO). I cut the chicken in about 1″ pieces and marinated it for a couple of hours. Click here for marinade recipe.
Once the chicken is ready, I cut a red onion in big chunks about the same size as the chicken. Then just thread the chicken and onion on the skewers, beginning and ending with onion. If you are using wooden skewers, you need to soak them in water for about 20-30 min. Another trick is wrapping the end of the skewer with foil. That will keep them from catching on fire.
Grill your skewers until chicken is completely done. About 5 minutes each side.
Let’s jump to the Cilantro Rice!
Place a large skillet on medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add 1 cup of long grain rice and cook the rice until it looks translucent. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic.
Once your rice went from translucent to light brown, turn your burner to LOW, and carefully add the cilantro water. Stir gently, just once. Now add the rest of the boiling water. Again, carefully. Season the rice with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and chicken bouillon. Stir again, once and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. Cover and let it cook until all the liquid has dissolved and the rice is nice and fluffy. About 20 minutes.
**Don’t stir the rice while is cooking. You will release the starch and make it mushy. Nobody wants mushy rice.
After 20 minutes, it should look like this:
This is how I served the Grilled Chicken Skewers and Cilantro Rice.
They are so delicious!!! I hope you give this recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed. Recipe for Cilantro Rice is below. Happy Eating!
Cilantro Rice/ Arroz al Cilantro
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup long rain rice
- 1/4 cup chop onion
- 1 big garlic clove (minced)
- A handful of fresh cilantro (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon of chicken bullion
- 1 lime (optional)
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan add 2 cups of water and boil. Place a large skillet on medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add 1 cup of rice and cook until the rice is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped onion and mince garlic and cook until the rice is light brown.
- While the rice is cooking blend the fresh cilantro with 1/2 cup of water until very smooth.
- Turn the heat to LOW and add the cilantro water to the rice and stir once. Carefully and slowly, add the rest of the boiling water to the skillet. Season with chicken bullion and salt. Stir once. Cover and let it cook undisturbed until all the water has evaporated and the rice is dry and fluffy. About 20 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice If desired. Enjoy!
