Easy, delicious red rice recipe for a quick gourmet weeknight dinner meal.
Note: post was updated since original date.
This red rice dish is an easy and flavorful go-to recipe for us. My Aunt Gail used to make a version served with sausage like boudin or kielbasa. Aunt Gail had about three recipes but her red rice was her best. I love it because it's economical, tasty, no fuss i.e. everybody likes it, and I always have the ingredients on hand.
A day like today, where I wanted to listen to more music than I did cook, I grabbed a Dallas brew from Lakewood Brewing Co., threw fellow Dallas St. Mark's alumni Boz Scaggs on the Sonos, and quickly pulled together this red rice and jumbo shrimp recipe. If you're ever in Dallas I highly recommend the Brewery Tour at Lakewood.
Ingredients for Red Rice Recipe
- Long Grain White Rice
- Canola Oil
- Red Onion
- Garlic
- Vegetable Broth
- Smoked Paprika
- Diced Tomatoes
- Cayenne
- Kosher Salt
- Pepper
- Dried Herbs (basil, thyme, oregano)
- Green Onions
How To Make Red Rice and Shrimp (Step by Step)
Step 1: Saute the vegetables
Heat large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot add the oil. Add the red onions, green onion whites, and garlic with half the spices (paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper) and cook, stirring often until softened (2 minutes).
Step 2: Cook the rice
Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until grains are opaque, 2-3 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, dried herbs and remaining spices and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered until rice is tender, 25-30 minutes). Remove the rice from heat and let stand, covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and fold in the scallion greens before serving.
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy red rice as a side dish. I typically do a quick saute of jumbo shrimp to layer on top of the rice for a main dish. Any other meat protein works well also including any of the following:
Nigerian Grilled Shrimp Skewers w/ Peanut Sauce
Red Rice Cooking Tips
- Be sure to season well at each step.
- Use good paprika, as it makes a big difference.
- Give the vegetables and the seasonings time to infuse the oil.
Red Rice Recipe Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you use other grains in this recipe?
Yes, this dish works with other grains or even brown rice. For a fancier, leveled up version, use farro. Otherwise leave the recipe as is, because rice not only tastes great, but also is cheap and no fuss.
Can this recipe made in an Instant Pot?
You can, but care will be needed. Tomato-based sauces tend to be thick and result in getting the dreaded "Burn" message. To avoid you'll need to dilute the tomatoes with either more stock or by adding water. You'll also need to add a bit more seasoning to make up for the lost flavor.
For other recipes like this you might like, try one of these:
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
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Ingredients
Shrimp Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
Rice Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 12 ounce diced tomatoes canned
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- kosher salt and black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried herbs basil, thyme, oregano
- 1 tablespoon green onions finely chopped
Instructions
Shrimp Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; cook 1 minute on each side or until almost fully cooked. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
Rice Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the red onions, white green onion parts, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with half the seasonings (paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper)
- Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until the grains are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, dried herbs and remaining spices and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, until the rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the rice from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and fold in the scallion greens before serving. Add shrimp
Notes
- Be sure to season well at each step.
- Use a good paprika, as it makes a big different.
- Give the vegetables and the seasonings time to infuse the oil.
Deborah
Sunday 15th of November 2020
Can i cook the shrimp with the rice in the same pot?
Marwin Brown
Sunday 15th of November 2020
You could for convenience, but you'll lose a little bit on texture with the shrimp.