Arroz Valenciana Easy Recipe (2024)

Arroz Valenciana.Arroz Valenciana is the ultimate in easy comfort food and this delicious rendition uses the simplest ingredients and methods to make the perfect meal in no time!

What is Arroz Valenciana?

Many classic Filipino dishes have evolved from the diverse population in the Philippines. Many expats from around the world have found a home in the Philippines and brought with them their own styles of cooking. One delicious Filipino dish that has evolved from the Spanish style of cuisine is Arroz Valenciana.

Technically, “Arroz Valenciana” refers to a style of preparing rice that originated in Spain, but in Filipino cooking, this dish takes on a new life! The delicious Filipino rendition of this dish uses sticky rice, bell pepper, and coconut milk to make an irresistible medley of flavors. It’s a simple dish with so much flavor!

What Makes Arroz Valenciana so Great!?

Filling and Flavorful!

• Usually, when you think of rice it’s not the star of the meal, but this delicious recipe for Arroz Valenciana turns the spotlight on the tasty rice. The rice is able to toast and become a whole flavor that you will be totally hooked on! This is no side dish, but rather a satisfying rice dish that will fill you up with plenty of meaty and vegetative flavors.

Easy Any Night of the Week!

• Arroz Valenciana is such a simple dish that you can even make it on a weeknight. It’s such a cheerful and comforting dish after a long day at the office or school that the whole family will get excited to hear what’s for dinner!

Filipino Flair!

• Many different cultures have their own take on Arroz Valenciana, but nobody makes it like Filipinos! Our delicious take on this dish uses the amazing flavor of coconut milk as well as chicken and bell pepper to make the flavor even more bold and more delicious. It’s a truly fantastic showcase of traditional Filipino flavors!

Ingredients for Arroz Valenciana

• Glutinous Rice-This type of rice is an essential ingredient for Filipino cooking. It’s a particularly sticky style of rice that gives this dish its signature texture.
• Jasmine Rice-Jasmine rice is a great choice because of its long grains and delectable aroma. The cooking will make its tasty aroma bloom and grow!
• Skinless Chicken Thighs or Chicken Breast-Chicken is one of the key proteins in this dish and it helps to give the recipe some substance. You can also choose another cut of chicken, but whichever style you choose be sure to cut it into small pieces for this cook.
• Chinese Sausage-Chinese sausage is a great style of sausage with a nice sweet and not overly salty flavor. You will sometimes find this sausage labeled with its Chinese name “ lap cheong.”
• Green Peas-Green peas add some color and texture to this dish. Fresh peas are perfect but you can also use frozen peas.
• Paprika-Paprika gives the rice a sweet and smoky pepper flavor as well as a nice dash of color.
• Turmeric-Turmeric is a classic ingredient in this recipe. It adds a nice spiced flavor as well as great orange/yellow color.
• Chicken Broth-Chicken broth is the ultimate trick to use to make rice wonderfully bold and flavorful. Alternatively, you can use water and a bouillon cube instead of the broth.
• Coconut Milk-This ingredient gives the rice a delightfully creamy flavor and texture. Use your favorite brand of this velvety smooth liquid.
• Onion-A small onion adds a ton of savory flavor to this rice dish. Use white or yellow or in a pinch you can swap this ingredient for a shallot.
• Tomato-A small tomato adds great freshness and color to this recipe. Choose a petite tomato just a bit larger than a ping-pong ball.
• Garlic-Garlic is the ultimate savory food enhancer; Its flavor will make anyone’s mouth water! Use fresh cloves or the jarred version of this ingredient.
• Red Bell Pepper-The bell pepper in this recipe adds a great level of vegetable sweetness and peppery punch, as well as a bright color. In a pinch, you can swap this ingredient for yellow or orange bell pepper.
• Cooking Oil-Use your favorite neutral cooking oil and don’t be afraid to add a little extra to the pan after cooking the meat!

Fish Sauce, Green Onion, Hard-Boiled Eggs (For Garnishing)

These simple dressings and garnishes can add a lovely bit of color and flavor to your rice!

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat cooking oil in a medium-sized flat pan and saute’ chicken thigh and cook until soft. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
2. Cook Chinese sausage and cook until it changes its color. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add cooking oil, if needed, in the same pan and saute’ garlic until brown and onion until transparent. Add the tomato and pepper. Season with paprika and turmeric powder and cook until pepper and tomato are soft. Add the rice and mix to coat with the sauce.
4. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk. Cover and let cook on low heat until the rice is done and the liquid evaporated.
5. Add the chicken, peas, and Chinese sausage mix with the rice gently.
6. KEEP AN EYE ON THE RICE AS IT TENDS TO STICK AT THE BOTTOM. When it does, just scrape it and mix. You’ll find yourself mixing the rice all the time to equally cook the rice grain and that’s okay. I found that the liquid here is enough as there is steam from covering the Arroz Valenciana while cooking.

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Add extra oil to the pan if needed when sauteing the meat and vegetables,
• Coat the rice well before adding the liquid.
• Watch the rice closely and stir/scrape it when needed to avoid sticking.

What to Serve with Arroz Valenciana?

This dish is a true all-star, but you can add a few sides to take it really over the top! Try serving this Arroz Valenciana with fried plantains or sweet potatoes for a nice balance of texture and flavor. Crusty bread is always great to have on hand when serving this dish! Any way you pair this rice up, it will come out delicious!

How to Store and Reheat Arroz Valenciana

• Storing this delicious rice is easy. Allow the dish to cool completely before transferring all the leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days.
• There are two suitable ways to reheat this dish, in the microwave or in a pan.
• To reheat in the microwave simply transfer the desired amount of leftovers to a microwave-safe container and heat for up to 2 minutes. To reheat in a pan, heat a wok over medium heat, add the Arroz Valenciana to the hot pan, and stir it up for a few minutes until it is warm throughout.

What is the Difference between Arroz Valenciana and Paella?

Arroz Valenciana is technically a method and not a dish. It’s a way of cooking rice with aromatic and colorful ingredients like turmeric or saffron. Paella is a type of Arroz Valenciana from Spain that typically uses saffron and green beans; whereas, this Arroz Valenciana is made in the Filipino style, with sticky rice and coconut milk.

More Recipes You’ll Love

If you loved this rich rice dish you will love these recipes!

• Minced Chicken Eggplant Rice Instant Pot
• Easy Yakisoba Noodles
• Instant Pot Vietnamese Pork Skewers
• Banana Lumpia
• Best Turmeric Yellow Rice with Chicken

Equipment Needed

• Flat pan- to ensure that the rice is fully cooked equally.
• Spoon/Spatula- use to mix the ingredients.