Carrot Rice

This Brazilian carrot rice is delicious, adds beautiful color to your plate and works as a great way to sneak in extra veggies for the kids. This aromatic rice dish is filled with onions, garlic, carrots and herbs making it a great side for chicken, beef, or even seafood. It’s a fantastic way to upgrade your weekly dinners and take them to the next level (without hassle!)

a bowl of carrot rice

Arroz de Cenoura – Brazilian carrot rice recipe

Oi, Gente!

We Brazilians love rice, and if you’ve been around Brazilian Kitchen Abroad before, you’ll have noticed all the rice recipes I have here, from the basic Brazilian Rice Recipe to tons of other ones. Carrot rice, aka Arroz de Cenoura in Portuguese, is another Brazilian rice dish staple we love and adore. It’s customizable, delicious and super easy to make, which is probably why it’s so popular!

I grew up eating this dish a lot. My mom would make it as a way to sneak some veggies into our daily meals and it worked. A real win-win! It’s a frugal rice recipe that tastes great and looks high-class, so when we had some, we always thought we were in for a treat.

I hope you and your family like this arroz de cenoura recipe as much as I do!

Beijinhos xx

Bom Apetite!

Brazilian carrot rice being served

Brazilian Carrot Rice Ingredients

Brazilian Sofrito. If you don’t happen to have any on hand you can substitute it with garlic cloves.

Onion. Diced onion helps to give this dish its aromatic smells as well as some added sweet and savory flavors.

Carrots. Carrots make this rice turn to a vibrant and beautiful dish. They also help to give a nice sweetness to the overall flavors that work great with the other ingredients!

Long Grain White Rice. If you don’t have any white rice on hand this dish can be made with basmati or jasmine rice.

How to make carrot rice

Saute – In your saucepan, you’re going to heat up your oil and then cook the onions until they’re soft and then add in the Brazilian sofrito or garlic, and cook until it’s fragrant. Add in the rice, grated carrots, the salt and give it a little stir.

Cook & Steam – Then, add 1 3/4 cup of water and bring it to a gentle boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer and simmer until all of the water has been absorbed. Then, turn off the heat and let the pan sit covered for 10 minutes.

Fluff & Garnish – Open the pot to air it out, fluff with a fork and add in fresh parsley (if you’re using it). Serve and Enjoy.

Check out the recipe card below for more specific steps and times to follow!

sprinkling parsley on carrot rice

What should I serve with carrot rice?

This delicious and easy side dish recipe goes great with just about anything! It’s savory and sweet making it the perfect combination for chicken, pork, fish or beef. It can also give a nice cooling relief if served alongside a spicier dish.

How to store leftover carrot rice

Keep your leftover carrot rice stored inside of an airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days. For best results eat it sooner rather than later. You can reheat your rice in a pot on the stovetop with a tablespoon or two of added butter to help keep the rice from drying out.

carrot rice with parsley

Carrot rice goes great with:

Other rice recipes you’ll love:


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5 from 67 votes

Brazilian Carrot Rice

This Brazilian carrot rice is not only delicious, but adds beautiful color to your plate and works as a great way to sneak in extra veggies for the kids. This aromatic rice dish is filled with onions, garlic, carrots and herbs making it a great side for chicken, beef, or even seafood. It’s a fantastic way to upgrade your weekly dinners and take them to the next level!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 serv
Author: Aline Shaw

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced about half a cup diced
  • 2 tsp Brazilian Sofrito or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup freshly grated carrots
  • 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice unwashed
  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced optional

Instructions

  • In a medium sauce pan, heat up the oil.
  • Add the diced onion and cook until transparent, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook until fragrant – about a minute.
  • Add the rice, the grated carrots, and the salt and stir for about a minute.
  • Add 1 3/4 cup of water to the pan and bring to a gentle boil.
  • Reduce to a simmer, cover and let it simmer until all water has been absorbed (try not to peak – we don’t want to lose steam that’s precious for the next step!)
  • Turn off the heat and let the rice pot sit covered for another 10 mins – steam.
  • Open the pot, then "air" the rice for a minute or two. Then, sprinkle in the parsley (if using), fluff with a fork, and serve!

Bom Apetite!!

    Did you make this recipe? Show me how it turned out! Snap a photo and share with me on Instagram tagging @aline_shaw!

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    27 Comments

      1. 5 stars
        I tried this dish and can definitely attest to how delicious this is. I added some chili for some more spice and cardamom to mine but this was definitely a hit at home!

    1. 5 stars
      Yaaaass I have everything to make this right now! This will be great with the chicken I’m marinating right now! Looks so fresh and bright, can’t wait to try!

    2. 5 stars
      Brazilian rice? I say yes, yes and yes! Such an important recipe to have handy. The amount of aroma, the flavor…. everything about it screams MAKE ME! Super excited to do it over the weekend!

    3. 5 stars
      My family loved this rice dish with the sweetness of the carrots. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe while we are homebound.

    4. 5 stars
      What a colorful dish. I am always looking for ways to get my kids to eat more veggies and they love rice! They loved this!

    5. 5 stars
      What a tasty side dish! I can see this carrot rice pairing well with so many main dishes like chicken, steak, or fish.

    6. 5 stars
      What a great way to get carrots into our diet more! I love this healthy, delicious, and colorful side dish.

    7. 5 stars
      Yum!! This carrot rice is amazing! We have a similar dish in Middle Eastern cuisine and I was really excited to try the Brazilian version! so good

    8. 5 stars
      This was so flavorful! It’s always a struggle to find good side dishes that actually add to the meal, and this definitely did the trick! So yummy with the chicken I made.

    9. 5 stars
      We made this for Easter, and this rice was amazing. The color is brilliant and the flavor is equally wonderful! We’ll definitely make this again.

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