Arroz con huevo frito is white rice and a fried egg. This is a typical Latin lunch and it’s a popular Cuban dish. Fried eggs and rice is not something that you would order at a trendy Cuban eatery, but what you would find at your Cuban friend’s house at lunchtime, a busy night, or right before payday when money is a little tight.
This is a simple meal consisting of an egg cooked in oil (or butter) until the whites are cooked but the yolk is still soft. The egg is sprinkled with salt, maybe a little black pepper and served over plain white rice.
If you’re from a Cuban, or Latin family, odds are you are familiar with arroz con huevo frito already. If you’re not, you might be thinking “rice with eggs?” I’ll tell you, that this is a surprisingly tasty combination. As a bonus, it’s inexpensive and convenient; you probably have rice and eggs on hand.
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Ingredients
- White Rice – long grain white rice is the standard for this meal
- Seasoning – salt and pepper are the only spices needed, keeping things simple and cheap
- Eggs – use what you have on hand, if they are large that’s best, if not maybe make two per serving
- Oil – the eggs will be cooked on medium heat so many types of oil and butter will work; use your favorite (we use canola oil)
Recipe tips
- Avoid sticky, gummy rice by not over stirring; resist the temptation.
- To keep rice from burning on the bottom: once covered, let the rice cook on low heat, even if you are in a hurry. Raising the heat will not make the rice cook faster; it will only serve to burn it and make your pot difficult to clean.
- If you need a lot of rice: the water to rice ratio for white rice is 2 to 1. For example: if you’re making 2 cups of rice add 4 cups of water, adjust the salt and follow the same directions.
- Crack the egg on a flat surface instead of a rim to avoid getting shell pieces in the egg.
- For best results use a non-stick skillet to fry eggs.
- Wipe the skillet and add fresh oil/butter between batches. This is especially important if you are using butter.
White rice instructions
Bring the water to a boil, add the rice and salt to the pan, stir well. When the water comes back to a boil, lower the heat to medium.
Simmer the rice, uncovered until most of the water has cooked out and the rice can be seen on the surface, approximately 7-10 minutes. Stir the rice only 1 or 2 times to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom.
Give it one last good stir; lower the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook the rice for 20-25 minutes or until done. Do not stir after it’s covered.
Fluff with a fork and keep covered on low heat while you fry the eggs.
Fried eggs instructions
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. How many eggs to add at one time will depend on the size of the skillet.
Gently crack the egg on a flat surface and carefully open it over the hot oil (or open the egg into a small, shallow dish then slide it into the oil). Use the method you are most comfortable with.
Cook the egg for approximately 2 minutes until the egg white is set.
Use a spatula to gently flip it so that the yolk is face down and cook for 10-15 seconds for over-easy (an extra 30-45 seconds for over-medium). Leave the yolk soft so you can mix it with the rice.
Repeat with the remaining eggs, wiping the skillet and adding fresh oil/butter between batches.
Serve the fried egg over a bed of white rice. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper, if desired.
Side dish suggestions
This rice and egg dish is delicious on its own, but a side dish is always welcome. Popular sides include: fried sweet plantains (maduros), French fries, tostones (fried green plantains), plantain chips, yuca frita (yuca fries), sliced avocado, banana, bread (especially Cuban bread) and saltine crackers.
You may also like these Cuban food recipes:
Arroz con Huevo Frito
Ingredients
White Rice Ingredients
- 1 cup White Rice
- 2 cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Salt we used kosher salt
Fried Eggs Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons Oil divided – 1 teaspoon per egg (use your favorite oil or butter, we use canola oil)
- 4 Eggs large if available
- Pinch Salt for each egg
- Pinch of Black Pepper for each egg – optional
Instructions
Make the rice
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
- Add the white rice and salt to the pan, stir well.
- Lower the heat to medium when the water comes back to a boil.
- Simmer the rice, uncovered until most of the water has cooked out and the rice can be seen on the surface, approximately 7-10 minutes. Stir the rice only 1 or 2 times to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom.
- Give it one last stir; lower the heat to low and cover the pot.
- Cook the rice for 20-25 minutes or until done. Do not stir after it’s covered.
- Fluff with a fork and keep covered on low heat while you fry the eggs.
Fry the eggs
- Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Gently crack the egg on a flat surface and carefully open it over the hot oil (or open the egg into a small, shallow dish then slide the egg into the oil). Use the method you are most comfortable with.
- Cook the egg for approximately 2 minutes until the egg white is set.
- Use a spatula to gently flip it egg so that the yolk is face down.
- Cook for 10-15 seconds for over-easy (an extra 30-45 seconds for over-medium). Leave the yolk soft so you can mix it with the rice.
- Repeat with the remaining eggs, wiping the skillet and adding fresh oil/butter between batches.
- Serve the fried egg over a bed of white rice. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper, if desired.
Notes
- Don’t over stir the rice to prevent it from getting sticky.
- For best results use a non-stick skillet to fry the eggs.
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