Arroz Amarillo con Maíz (Yellow Rice With Corn)

By
Hector Rodriguez
Hector Rodriguez
A Puerto Rico native and former food service professional, Hector Rodriguez develops recipes inspired by the Caribbean and Latin America.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/10/22
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for the Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer and product tester at Food Network. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Arroz Amarillo con Maíz (Yellow Rice With Corn)

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
172 Calories
11g Fat
16g Carbs
3g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 172
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 379mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 21mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 110mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Yellow rice is served in virtually every Latin culture and there are so many ways to enjoy it. It can be served plain, with beans, diced ham, corn kernels, or other vegetables or additions. Many times saffron is used in place of annatto to create a distinctive yellow color. This is a simple and tasty recipe for yellow rice and corn. It goes well with just about any meal, whether it's Latin-themed or not.

If you are using annatto/achiote oil for the coloring agent, the sazón packet is not necessary. If you forget and use it anyway, the dish won't be ruined, but it may turn out orange instead of yellow. You can use premade commercial sofrito, but nothing beats the taste of homemade sofrito.

The secret to soft fluffy rice is to keep the lid on during cooking. The trapped steam in the closed pot cooks the rice perfectly. Every time you lift the lid, you let the steam out and lower the cooking temperature inside the pot.

1:34

Click Play to See This Arroz Amarillo y Maiz (Yellow Rice With Corn) Recipe Come Together

“I absolutely loved this rice. I would have been happy to eat this as a main dish with nothing else but a salad. The corn made it extra-tasty and lent the rice a bit of texture. I used chicken broth instead of water and doubled the number of olives because everyone in my family fights over them." —Diana Andrews

Arroz Amarillo con Maiz (Yellow Rice with Corn)/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or annatto/achiote oil

  • 2 to 4 tablespoons sofrito, homemade or store-bought

  • 1 packet sazón with annatto seasoning, optional, omit if you are using annatto/achiote oil

  • 10 pimiento-stuffed Spanish Manzanilla olives, whole or coarsely chopped

  • 1 bay leaf

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh, defrosted frozen, or canned and drained

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice

  • 2 cups water, or chicken broth

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Arroz Amarillo con Maíz (Yellow Rice With Corn) ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil or annatto/achiote oil over medium heat until it shimmers.

    pot with oil

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Add the sofrito and sauté lightly until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.

    sofrito in a pot

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. Add the sazón packet (if not using annatto oil), Spanish Manzanilla olives, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir the mixture to combine the ingredients.

    Add the sazón packet, Spanish Manzanilla olives, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the sofrito in the pot

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the corn kernels and rice. Thoroughly stir the mixture again to coat the rice and corn with color.

    corn mixed in with other ingredients in pot

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  6. Slowly pour in the water (or chicken stock), while stirring. Bring the ingredients to a rolling boil over high heat.

    bowl of water being poured into pot while wooden spoon stirs to mix with other ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  7. Allow it to boil undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes, then stir the rice mixture again.

    rice and water mixture being stirred with wooden spoon

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  8. Reduce the heat to low and cover with the lid. Continue to cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

    pot full of rice covered with lid

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  9. Remove the lid and fluff the rice.

    cooked rice in pot

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  10. Then cover again, remove from the heat, and let it sit about 5 minutes more. Remove and discard the bay leaf and serve. 

    rice in pot, with lid on, off of heat on counter

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Tip

Use any leftovers as a tasty side, burrito stuffing, or eat as is.

How to Store

If there are any leftovers, store the rice in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.