Garlic Rice [Spanish Yellow Rice]

This golden garlic rice, AKA Spanish yellow rice (Arroz Amarillo), is fluffy, tender, vibrant, and packed with aromatic garlic flavor—a delicious, versatile vegan side dish. Stovetop, Instant Pot, and Rice Cooker methods included!

What Is Spanish Yellow Rice (Arroz Amarillo)?

Unsurprisingly, Spanish yellow rice is a yellow-colored rice dish made when rice is cooked with vibrant ingredients like turmeric, annatto/achiote, or saffron. These types of dishes are popular across the globe, including in Morocco, Ecuador, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, the Caribbean, etc.

For this version, though, we’ve made a super budget-friendly, vegan arroz amarillo (pronounced ah-ross ah-mah-ree-yo), which combines long-grain white rice with achiote powder and plenty of garlic (it tastes a bit like paella!)

Unlike boxed versions, this yellow Spanish rice is free from additives and is 100% vegan. Plus, it relies on just 7 ingredients (cooked with veg broth instead of water for heaps of flavor), 5 simple steps, one pan, and about 45 minutes for a colorful, flavorful, effortless side dish.

What Is Achiote Powder?

Achiote (referred to as annatto, roucou, achuete, and urucul across the globe) is a type of spice, also used as a natural colorant, from the seeds of the Bixa Orellana shrub. In minimal amounts, the powder impacts the color but not flavor.

However, you’ll notice an earthy, slightly bitter, peppery flavor when using more—such as with rice, soups, and stews.

The Ingredients and Substitutions

Rely on a handful of simple and inexpensive ingredients to prepare this homemade yellow rice recipe.

• Oil: We like to use olive oil or coconut oil.  
• Garlic: This yellow garlic rice recipe uses an entire small head of garlic for plenty of flavor. We don’t recommend using garlic powder instead.
• Rice: It’s best to use long-grain white rice, like Basmati or Jasmine rice. Brown rice will work but requires adjusting the cooking time.
• Vegetable broth: Helps to add flavor to the cooking rice.  
• Salt: Season to taste. Kosher salt/ sea salt is best.
• Achiote powder: You should be able to find this in the spice/International aisles of major grocery stores. Use achiote paste or omit it if you’re unable to find it.
• Orange zest: (Optional) While optional, we love the added zesty, bright flavor this lends to the achiote rice.

To garnish: You could sprinkle extra fried garlic slices and fresh herbs, like parsley, cilantro, or green onions, over the vegan yellow rice.

What Else Could I Add?

There are several ways you can ramp up the flavor in this Spanish yellow rice recipe/ garlic rice recipe, including:

• Bay leaf: For complex flavor, add 1-2 bay leaves. Discard before serving.
• Onion: Finely diced and sautéed until translucent before adding the garlic.
• Lemon/ Lime: For lemon garlic rice (or lime), replace 2 tbsp of broth with lemon juice, add zest for a more robust flavor. Optionally add more juice when serving.
• Vegan butter: Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of dairy-free butter before serving for extra richness and a new take on garlic butter rice.
• Tomato: Add 1-2 tbsp tomato paste for more of a tomato-based Spanish rice or diced Roma tomato for a subtler flavor.
• Vegetables: You can use several types of veggies in this vegetarian yellow rice, fresh or frozen. Just make sure any larger veg are finely diced, so they cook in time.
  • Bell pepper
  • Peas
  • Corn
  • Carrot
  • Zucchini
  • White beans/ chickpeas
  • Spinach (stir in right at the end)

If you use frozen veg, allow them to thaw while the garlic white rice cooks, then pop them in the pan (quickly) before leaving it to steam. For fresh veggies, sauté them in the pan for 5 minutes before adding the garlic.

How to Make Spanish Yellow Rice?

Using just one pot and a handful of low-effort steps, you can prepare this Spanish yellow rice recipe (arroz amarillo) in under 45 minutes!

• 1) First, heat a large, heavy-based stock pot over medium heat and add the oil, achiote powder (or turmeric), and chopped garlic. Sauté it for about one minute until it softens without browning.

• 2) Add the (rinsed) rice to the pan and stir to evenly coat it with the oil.

For an enhanced nutty flavor, sauté the rice in the oil mixture until fragrant.

• 3) Stir in the vegetable broth and the orange zest (if used) and bring to a boil.

• 4) Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid, and allow it to simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender and has absorbed the broth.
• 5) Remove the pan from the heat, leaving it with the lid on, untouched, to steam for a further 5 minutes. Finally, remove the lid and use a fork or a soft silicone spatula to fluff up the garlic rice—enjoy!

If there is a small amount of water left after steaming, replace the lid for a few more minutes.

How To Make Garlic Rice in An Instant Pot?

1. Rinse the rice and leave it to drain while using the SAUTE function to sauté the garlic, oil, and achiote powder.
2. Add the rice, and stir well to coat—sauté for a further minute.
3. Add the veg broth (for this Instant Pot method, use a 1:1 ratio of rice to broth) and orange zest (if using). Cook on MANUAL high pressure for 5 minutes, then allow it to pressure release for 10 minutes before using the manual quick release for any remaining pressure. Fluff with a fork and enjoy.

If you scale the recipe up, the cooking time will remain the same, but the time it takes for the IP to come to full pressure will increase.

Recipe Notes & Tips

• Rinse the rice well: It’s impossible to get the water running perfectly clear, but give it a good rinse, swishing it with your hand, to remove excess starch.
• Don’t peek: It’s important to keep the lid on while cooking the garlic rice, so it cooks properly and steams for fluffy results. We recommend using a pan with a clear lid to monitor its process.
• Leave it to steam: This will help evaporate the leftover liquid in the pan for super fluffy yellow garlic rice.
• The garlic amount: Feel free to increase or decrease it to personal preference.

FAQs

What To Serve With Garlic Rice?

This garlic achiote rice (arroz Amarillo) makes for a delicious side alongside all your favorite Mexican and South American dishes. However, its garlicky-forward flavor makes it just as delicious alongside most dishes.

We particularly enjoy this Spanish/Mexican yellow rice with:

• Tacos
• Enchiladas
• Burritos
• A rice bowl – with guacamole, pinto beans, cilantro, tomato, corn, and salsa

You can also enjoy it alongside marinated tofu, tempeh dishes, or curry, and the leftovers make for delicious yellow garlic fried rice with extra tofu and veggies!

Storage Instructions

Allow the cooked vegan yellow rice to cool, and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Alternatively, freeze it (in a container or Ziplock/Stasher bags) for up to 2 months, allowing it to thaw overnight in the fridge when needed.

We recommend reheating the rice over low heat on the stovetop, adding a splash or two of water or broth to bring back the fluffy texture. You can also use a microwave (with 1-2 tbsp of water and covered with plastic wrap) for 1-2 minutes.

More Vegan Rice Recipes

• Easy Vegetable Fried Brown Rice
• Healthy Sweet Potato Fried Rice
• Veggie Brown Rice Stir Fry
• Creamy Brown Rice Risotto
• Delicious Vegetable Rice Pilaf
• The Best Mexican Rice

Photos by Alfonso Revilla