One Pot Mexican Risotto

This one pot Mexican risotto gives this traditional Italian classic a run for its money in flavor, it makes a punchy good spice laced dinner!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Does your family LOVE spanish rice like our family does? Or tacos? We're big mexican food fans in this house- it's the one cuisine our kids won't ever turn down. They also LOVE rich, thick and creamy risotto… so we decided to mix up some of our favorite flavors and make this good One Pot Mexican Risotto!

Yes, we know that risotto is Italian, and not a cuisine native to Mexico. Yes, we are lumping green chili, cumin, and other taco seasonings as being mexican food when there are so many more flavors intertwined into good delicacies from south of the border. But this meal will make you care about none of that- it is a good combination of smoky, slightly spicy flavors that mix wonderfully with good vegetables- like a thick, creamy version of Spanish Rice- mixed with a bit of taco seasonings.

While we made this as a meatless base, you could add fajita meat, chicken, ground beef, seafood… pretty much anything you like in a taco, burrito or fajita. You could also add beans (which our daughter wanted and thought was solid as an addition.)

Other good Dinners

If you're looking for some other good risotto recipes, please check out some of the other variations we have made right here on Avdaye- our one pot chicken risotto, antipasto risotto, jambalaya risotto, and butternut squash risotto.

Mexican Risotto Recipe

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Ingredients

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 ½ cups arborio rice
• ½ cup dry vermouth, optional
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
• 28 oz vegetable stock
• ¼ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ cup green onions, diced

Method

1. Heat a large pan or ceramic dutch oven over high heat.
2. Add 1 tbsp olive oil.
3. When oil is shimmery, add diced vegetables.
4. When vegetables are slightly browned, lower heat to medium-low
5. Add rice and all the spices, stir well.
6. Let rice and spices cook slightly about 2 minutes.
7. Add a little bit of stock and vermouth (optional!!)- enough to keep the consistency liquid.
8. Stir frequently until rice thickens.
9. Add the diced green chili tomatoes and stir to combine.
10. Add a ladle's worth more stock until it is barely liquid. Repeat stirring frequently until thickened and adding enough stock to keep it from burning or becoming too thick.
11. When your stock is gone, and the risotto has become thicker, taste a bit of it. Add the salt and pepper, add more after tasting if you prefer.
12. If the rice is too crunchy for your taste, add a little water and proceed with the steps above. Risotto should be slightly al dente- a slight, teeny crunch when bit. If you over cook the rice, it will become a bit gummy- but its all individual tastes.
13. Add diced green onions before your risotto is done cooking- you won't want them to overcook.
14. When risotto is thick enough to not spread all over a plate, but not so thick you can shape it like mashed potatoes, it is ready.
15. Grate fresh parmesan cheese over the top and enjoy warm!