Red Rice

This isn’t the tomato-based red rice you see everywhere. The red color comes from roasted red bell pepper and jalapeño pureed together and stirred into the cooked rice. Roasting the peppers first adds a smoky sweetness you can’t get from raw peppers.

The rice cooks undisturbed in chicken broth for exactly 16 minutes with the lid on. No peeking, no stirring. Every time you lift the lid, steam escapes and the rice cooks unevenly. Once it’s done, the roasted pepper puree gets folded in, and the whole pot sits covered for another 10 minutes to steam and absorb all that color and flavor.

The result is fluffy, separate grains stained a deep red-orange with gentle heat from the jalapeño and hot sauce.

Chef Tips

• Roast the peppers until the skin is fully blistered and black. Under-roasted peppers don’t peel easily and lack that smoky depth.
• Don’t stir the rice during the 16-minute simmer. Stirring breaks the grains and releases starch, turning your rice sticky instead of fluffy.
• The 10-minute rest after adding the pepper puree is doing real work. The residual heat finishes cooking any slightly firm grains while the pepper flavor soaks in.
• Adjust the heat level by removing the jalapeño seeds before roasting. Seeds in means spicy, seeds out means mild.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of cumin to the broth for a more traditional Mexican rice flavor.
• Roast a poblano pepper instead of jalapeño for a milder, earthier heat.
• Stir in fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime after the rest for a brighter finish.