This simple but flavorful Colombian Rice recipe features onion, garlic, and toasted pasta, similar to a rice pilaf or arroz con fideo recipe, and it pairs perfectly with any weeknight main dish.
Just like his beloved Sudado de Pollo, my husband John could happily eat rice every single day. His favorite? Colombian-style rice, or arroz con fideos. This dish takes rice to the next level with the addition of finely chopped onion and garlic, plus toasted thin pasta like angel hair or fideo, for incredible flavor and texture. Everyone who tries John’s Colombian Rice raves that it’s “the best rice” they’ve ever eaten, and I couldn’t agree more!
After years of watching him make it, I finally wrote down the recipe so you can bring it into your kitchen, too. According to John, the secret lies in the finely chopped onions and garlic—they melt into the rice, enhancing its flavor in a big way. A mini food chopper works great for this, but if your knife skills are sharp, feel free to chop by hand!
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe, and any known substitutions. The recipe card lists the full recipe with quantities below this text.
- onion + garlic (use only the small onion and one garlic clove as called for—while I know people love to add these aromatics with abandon, less is more with this dish.)
- olive oil (or avocado oil)
- fideo / fidelini pasta (this is thin, short pasta, usually about 1 to 2 inches long, though it's not necessary to buy it, you can easily make your own by breaking angel hair pasta into small pieces.)
- long-grain rice (to rinse or not rinse...while I don’t always rinse, John insists on it, and since this is his recipe, that is what is called for... ultimately you can decide based on your preference.)
- water (or stock)
- unsalted butter (or more oil)
- coarse kosher salt (This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half.)
Step-By-Step Visual Overview
This is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. If you are looking for the full recipe, keep scrolling!
Step 1: Chop the onion and garlic until finely minced. Using a mini chopper makes it easy!
Step 2: Rinse the rise. But if you don't feel the need to, that's ok too. Do whatever you normally do.
Step 3: Heat the oil, add the dried pasta and toast until the pasta is light golden brown.
Step 4: Add in the onions and garlic and saute until they're beginning to soften.
Step 5: Add rice, water, butter, and salt and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
Step 6: Lower the heat, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through and the water absorbed. Let it sit off heat for an additional 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.
How to Make the Pega
A pega is the crispy, caramelized layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pot during cooking—a prized delicacy for its irresistible texture and flavor. In my husband’s family, this golden crust is so beloved they often playfully argue over who gets the biggest share.
If you want to make a pega, cook your rice as directed until it’s nearly done. Then, reduce the heat to low, uncover the pot, and let the rice cook undisturbed for an additional 10-15 minutes. This creates the signature golden, crispy layer at the bottom. For an extra crispy pega, add an additional tablespoon of butter or oil to the pot before bringing the rice to a boil.
More Colombian Recipes
Full Recipe
John's Colombian Rice
- Prep Time: 00:05
- Cook Time: 00:25
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Side Dish
Description
Everyone says my husband John makes the best rice, and this is his recipe. It’s a simple but flavorful Colombian-style rice featuring onion, garlic, and toasted pasta, similar to a rice pilaf or arroz con fideo, and it pairs perfectly with any weeknight main dish.
Ingredients
- ½ small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 cup fideo / fidelini pasta (see note)
- 2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
- 3-½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
Instructions
- Using a small food chopper or processor, chop the onion and garlic until finely minced.
- Heat the oil in a medium to large pot over medium. Once hot, add the dried pasta and toast until the pasta is light golden brown. Remove the pasta from the pot and set aside.
- Add the minced onion mixture and sauté for 3 minutes until just beginning to soften.
- Add the rice, water, butter, and salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Cover and reduce the temperature to the lowest heat possible and cook for 15 minutes.
- If you’d like to make a pega, you can leave the rice on low heat without the cover for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Shut off the heat and let sit for a few minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
- To serve the pega, scrape the rice from the bottom of the pot.
Notes
Fideo and fidelini are thin, short pasta, typically about 1 to 2 inches long. If you don’t have them, you can make your own by breaking angel hair pasta into short pieces. Fideo and fidelini pasta can typically be found in the pasta aisle or the international foods section of most grocery stores, often near other specialty pastas. In some stores, they may also be located in the Hispanic or Italian food sections.
A "pega" is the crispy, caramelized layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pot during cooking. This delicious treat is highly prized for its texture and flavor. It’s my husband’s favorite part of the rice, and in his family they lovingly argue over who gets to eat it. To achieve it, cook your rice as usual, then reduce the heat to low once it’s nearly done and let it cook undisturbed for about 10-15 minutes. For an extra crispy pega, add an additional tablespoon of fat (either oil or butter) in with the water mixture before bringing it to a boil.
To bump up the flavor even more, use chicken or veggie stock in place of some or all of the water.
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