Arroz a la jardinera- Gardener’s Rice!
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White rice is an absolute staple of Costa Rican cuisine. We eat it with everything! So often in fact, that (spoiler alert!) sometimes it can get downright boring.
That’s probably where arroz a la jardinera comes in. Literally translating to “garden rice,” this dish is a refreshingly easy twist on traditional Costa Rican white rice. It gets its name from the fact that you add some vegetables from your garden to the traditional white rice. Fun, right?
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I LOVE arroz a la jardinera. It’s mostly served in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica (to the north.) You will find this dish in other parts of the country though, too. This is also the rice recipe that is used most often in traditional Costa Rican tamales.
I’m giving you the arroz a la jardinera recipe in Costa Rican style today- the way that I make it. Everyone does it a bit differently, but the bottom line is, this recipe is a great start.
Note: This recipe is also called arroz arreglado in Costa Rica.
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Costa Rican Arroz a la jardinera Recipe
Ingredients
(printable recipe below)
- white rice (I exclusively use Jasmine rice)
- water or chicken broth
- vegetable oil
- salt
- white onion
- cilantro
- red pepper
- carrot
- garlic
- achiote paste
Instructions:
In the bottom of your rice cooker, pour the vegetable oil and move it around so that it coats the bottom of the inner pot.
Press the cook button so that the pot begins to heat up. Next, add vegetables and achiote and lightly stir fry- for about 5 minutes, mixing gently every 1-2 minutes.
Add the dry rice and the water, and stir everything together. Put the lid on the rice cooker and push down the lever to cook the rice.
Once your rice is cooked, lightly stir the rice to evenly distribute the achiote paste. This gives the arroz a la jardinera a nice, even color.
Serve and enjoy- don’t forget the Salsa Lizano!
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Variations
The main variation of this recipe is to make it on the stovetop instead of in the rice cooker or the instant pot. Simply bring the rice, veggies, achiote, salt, and water to a boil on medium-high heat. Let it simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.
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Substitutions
For the rice in the photo, I used a yellow bell pepper instead of a red bell pepper.
You can also use any type of oil that you want- it doesn’t just have to be vegetable oil. I often use olive oil because that’s what I have on hand.
You can make this with brown rice and it is absolutely delicious.
Serving Suggestions
Like I sad before, this arroz a la jardinera recipe is a nice change from traditional white rice. But you can’t always substitute in any dish. For example, it wouldn’t taste too good in an Olla de Carne soup. It’s so good with a traditional Costa Rican casado, though- it really makes it fun! I love to eat this recipe with Costa Rican estofado, as pictured above, or with either Bistec Encebollado or Carne in Salsa. And, this is the rice used in traditional Costa Rican pork tamales, which we love to make at Christmas.
What type of rice should I use to make arroz a la jardinera?
Costa Ricans always use long-grain rice. However- almost all of their rice is grown in-country, and it has a distinctly different flavor and texture from the long-grain rice found in the United States. For that reason, I use Jasmine Rice. I prefer the texture and think it tastes better in the United States.
What do I serve with arroz a la jardinera?
Almost any dish that uses white rice as a side can also use arroz a la jardinera. A few of my favorites are: Shredded beef with red sauce, Oxtail in red sauce, Costa Rican tamales and to spice up a Costa Rican Casado.
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Printable Recipe
Costa Rican Arroz a la jardinera
Arroz a la jardinera is the gardener's rice: a twist on Costa Rica white rice that adds veggies and spices for a totally new flavor!
Ingredients
- You'll need a rice cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe
- 4 cups white rice (long grain or Jasmine)
- 4 cups water or chicken broth
- 3 TB vegetable oil (or other oil of your choosing)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
- 1/8 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red pepper, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
- 1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons achiote (found at most Hispanic grocery stores, or you can buy Costa Rican Dos Patitos Achiote on Amazon, link below)
Instructions
- In the bottom of your rice cooker, pour the vegetable oil and move it around so that it coats the bottom of the inner pot.
- Press the cook button so that the pot begins to heat up.
- Add vegetables and achiote and lightly stir fry- for about 5 minutes, mixing gently every 1-2 minutes.
- Add rice and water, and stir everything together.
- Put the lid on the pot and cook until done.
- Lightly stir the rice to evenly distribute the achiote.
- Serve!
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Christa Jimenez
Welcome! I’m Christa, a Spanish teacher married to a handsome Costa Rican and mother of two bilingual daughters. We’ve spent over 25 years living in and traveling to Costa Rica with our daughters, and this website is my love letter to all things Costa Rica- and to bilingual parenting too. You can read my full story here. Thanks for stopping by!
Most rice in CR is actually imported.
Oh how interesting- I didn’t know but it makes sense. Pura vida!