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!)
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 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!
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 goes great with:
- Steak and Onions
- Pan Seared Chicken Breasts
- Ribeye Steak Marinade Recipe
- Garlic Baked Chicken Legs
- Baked Lime Salmon
- Instant Pot Pinto Beans
- Chimichurri Salmon
- Brazilian Collard Greens with Bacon Recipe
Other rice recipes you’ll love:
- Walnut Rice
- Pineapple Rice Recipe
- Arroz Maluco – Brazilian Fried Rice with Ham and Egg
- Brazilian Christmas Rice
- Instant Pot Brown Rice Recipe
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Brazilian Carrot Rice
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!
I love how bright and cheery this rice is! So good and the leftovers stir up a quick and amazing fried rice!
This is perfect and healthy, a great way to enhance a typical rice dish!
I am here for ALL THINGS RICE! Loved this!
This carrot rice is so colorful and delicious!
This carrot rice is such an amazing side dish! It’s an awesome spin on everyday white rice. The best!
This looks really good! Definitely a good idea to sneak some veggies in for my son!
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!
Perfect side dish for dinner!!
Carrot rice is the perfect side dish!!
I love rice so much I am always looking for new ways to make it. This carrot cake was so delicious!
This was awesome – I loved how the carrots add that extra great texture. Nice job!
Yummy!!!
I love the simple ingredients in this rice! And thanks for the storage tips.
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!
Its a beautiful dish and perfect timing. Since its Easter carrots are very much in!
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!
My family loved this rice dish with the sweetness of the carrots. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe while we are homebound.
Yay!!! So happy your family loved it, Analida. Thanks for letting me know!
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!
What a tasty side dish! I can see this carrot rice pairing well with so many main dishes like chicken, steak, or fish.
What a great way to get carrots into our diet more! I love this healthy, delicious, and colorful side dish.
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
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.
YUM! This recipe is so clever! It’s so flavorful and made a perfect side dish.
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.