Portuguese Rice
Bring the taste of Nando’s home with this easy Portuguese Rice Recipe. Fluffy, golden, and gently spiced with paprika and garlic, this copycat version is quick to make and perfect for weeknight dinners. Serve it with grilled chicken, seafood, or veggies for a complete meal the whole family will love. It is ready in under 30 minutes, uses simple ingredients, and keeps well for meal prep too. A versatile, flavorful side that might just steal the show!
Ingredients
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice (Note 1)
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped (Note 2)
- ½ red bell pepper finely chopped (Note 3)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon dried coriander leaves (Note 4)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2¼ cups broth/stock (Note 5)
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice (Note 6)
Instructions
- Place the rice in a bowl and cover with water. Use your hand to turn the rice over in the bowl, be gentle as you don't want to break the grains. Carefully drain the water away and repeat this process twice more. Once you have rinsed the rice three times, use a fine-mesh sieve to drain the rice. To ensure you have washed away as much starch as possible, place the sieve under the flow of running water for 10-15 seconds. Leave the rice to drain. (Note 7)1½ cups long-grain white rice
- Heat the oil in a saucepan (one with a lid) over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes until softened.4 tablespoon olive oil1 small onion½ red bell pepper
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.4 cloves garlic
- Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains in the oil.
- Add the spices and salt then mix to coat the rice.½ teaspoon paprika½ teaspoon smoked paprika½ teaspoon cumin powder½ teaspoon turmeric powder½ teaspoon dried coriander leaves1 teaspoon salt
- Add the broth and stir very gently to ensure the rice is all covered in liquid.2¼ cups broth/stock
- Bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat; you want large, gentle bubbles forming on the surface of the liquid. Once this happens, place a well-fitting lid on top and reduce the heat to low.
- Cook for 14 minutes and don't lift the lid during this time.
- Remove the pan from the heat and, without removing the lid, let it stand for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the lemon juice, then gently turn the rice over using a rubber spatula or rice paddle.½ tablespoon lemon juice
Notes
- Use regular long-grain white rice, not quick-cook or parboiled varieties.
- You can use any onion that you have available. I use a regular brown onion. But white or red works fine.
- You can use green, orange, or yellow bell peppers instead or red.
- You can find dried cilantro/coriander leaf with the jars of dried herbs and spices at the grocery store. If you can't stand the taste, you can leave them out.
- I use low-sodium chicken stock, but feel free to use vegetable stock if you prefer to keep the dish vegetarian. Be sure to use a low-sodium or reduced-salt broth/stock; otherwise, the finished dish will be too salty.
- Lemon juice adds a bright freshness to the rice. I am sure they add a little lemon at Nando's. But you can leave it out if you prefer.
- Rinsing the rice helps it retain a little extra moisture. For this recipe, rinsing is essential because the cooking liquid is measured with that extra moisture in mind, ensuring the rice cooks perfectly.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Nutrition
Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 733mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1006IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition is per serving
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