Authentic Portuguese Tomato Rice Recipe You Need to Try

Tomato rice is one of the most iconic dishes in Portuguese cuisine. It smells like summer and tastes its best during tomato season, from June to September. It’s a regular presence on Portuguese tables, often served alongside grilled fish, small sardines, or codfish cakes. Comforting and full of flavor, it’s a dish that brings a sense of quality of life.

Besides being much loved and made at home, it can be found in countless restaurants across the country. It’s made with arroz carolino, a short-grain rice that becomes creamy when cooked. This is a soupy-style rice, known in Portugal as “arroz malandro.” It can be prepared with any variety of tomato, but the beefsteak tomato, meaty and full of pulp, is the best choice.

Simple, versatile, and easy to prepare, tomato rice is an excellent accompaniment to a wide range of proteins. Below, we share our step-by-step recipe for Tomato Rice.

Preparation

• Servings: 4
• Preparation time: 30 minutes (5 minutes for prep and 20–25 minutes for cooking)
• Difficulty level: Very easy.

Necessary Utensils

Ingredients for making Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice – Step-by-Step Recipe

1. Chop the onion and garlic, and cut the tomatoes into large pieces.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic in a large pot with one tablespoon of olive oil.
3. When the onion becomes translucent and slightly golden, add the tomatoes and the bay leaf—season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Let the tomatoes soften until they break down, forming a pulp. This process takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Add 1 cup of rice and stir well into the sautéed mixture, allowing the flavors to develop for a few minutes.

6. Add 3 cups of boiling water and adjust the seasoning as needed.
7. Let the rice cook over medium-low heat, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes.

8. When the rice is almost cooked and still slightly moist, turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes with the lid on. The rice should be soft and slightly soupy. Be careful not to overcook it, as it can become too dry.

Love tomatoes and want to discover more dishes? Find out how to make Tomatada à Alentejana, a typical Alentejo recipe that’s affordable and light. Step-by-step instructions with practical tips.

Sides and Serving

Tomato rice pairs well with almost anything, but it’s traditionally served with fried small sardines (petingas), fried cuttlefish, or grilled fish such as sardines, gilthead bream, or sea bass. It also goes well with classic snacks like codfish fritters (pataniscas), breaded cutlets, or codfish cakes.

When it comes to wine, tomato rice pairs exceptionally well with fresh white wines, such as Alvarinho or Loureiro, and it also pairs nicely with rosé wines. However, it’s best to avoid wines with high tannin levels, which are characteristic of full-bodied reds.

Tips

• This recipe is perfect for summer, when seasonal tomatoes are abundant. The best choice is beefsteak tomatoes, as they are meaty and full of pulp. However, if these aren’t available, you can use any other type of tomato, as long as they are ripe.
• If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can use tomato pulp or even a can of crushed tomatoes. Some people also add tomato paste, which enhances the flavor and gives the rice a richer red color.
• In this recipe, we don’t peel the tomatoes because we enjoy the texture of the skin. If you prefer them peeled, it’s easy: blanch the tomatoes in boiling water and then plunge them into cold water, allowing the skin to loosen and come off easily.
• There are versions of tomato rice that include red peppers. If you enjoy that flavor, you can add them at the same time as the tomatoes.
• If you can’t find arroz carolino outside of Portugal, you can substitute it with other short-grain rice varieties, such as Arborio or Carnaroli, which also absorb flavors well and create a creamy texture. Sushi rice is another possible alternative in a pinch.
• Tomato rice should be moist and slightly soupy; if you prefer it drier, let the water evaporate slightly longer. There’s no right or wrong — it depends on your taste. However, if you prefer a more soupy consistency, remember to remove it from the heat a little earlier, as the rice will continue to absorb liquid while it rests and cools.

Storage and Reuse

Tomato rice can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days, or frozen for a maximum of 1 month.

To reheat, use either the stove or the microwave, adding a tablespoon of water to loosen the rice and restore its moisture. Still, this rice doesn’t taste quite as good reheated — it tends to become softer and less soupy.

For this reason, I don’t recommend making large quantities with the intention of storing them for later use. It’s still tasty, but it won’t have that irresistible fresh-made flavor.

Conclusion

Tomato rice is the taste of summer — a dish that tastes best when made during the season of ripe tomatoes, when they are plentiful. It’s a versatile rice that pairs well with a wide range of dishes. Healthy, easy to make, and highly adaptable, it’s definitely worth preparing again and again.

It’s a great recipe to have in your everyday cooking repertoire and carries a very authentic taste of Portugal.

We hope you enjoy it — Bom Apetite!

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