This Arroz Chaufa Recipe is the perfect step by step guide to show you how to make traditional Peruvian fried rice.
What is Arroz Chaufa
One of the most incredible things about Latin American cuisine is the influence from other countries. Arroz chaufa translates to Chinese rice. It’s a classic Peruvian dish that was introduced by Chinese Peruvians who immigrated to Peru in the 1960’s to late 1990’s. This explains the heavy Chinese influence in a lot of Peruvian food. The combination of Chinese and Peruvian cuisines are referred to as Chifa.
Chaufa, which means, fried rice, can pair as a side dish to almost every protein. It is also packed with veggies and a protein which means that it can even be a meal on its own.
Arroz Chaufa is also an excellent way to breath new life into your leftovers. It’s the perfect go to move with leftover rice. In this recipe of Arroz Chaufa we opted for tender pieces of meat, because we like the color it lends to the rice. But we encourage you to use previously cooked chicken, pork or even hot dogs. If you want to keep it vegetarian sub with a hearty vegetable such as broccoli or zucchini.
Arroz Chaufa is very similar to the Cuban Arroz Chino we all grew up with. The typical Cuban Arroz Oriental was loaded with onions and beef broth. Arroz Chaufa is more about the spices and fresh herbs coming together in the rice.
Our Tips for Making Arroz Chaufa
- Cut the fat off the meat before seasoning it.
- We are cooking a lot of different things in this recipe, so you want to use a pan that has a lot of surface area, so that you can have everything can get hot and cook as evenly as possible.
- You do not have to cook the meat all the way through initially. Remember you are throwing it back in with the rice a little later and you don’t want it to be overcooked at the end.
- When you add the rice, allow it to crisp up at the bottom by letting some of it sit for a few minutes. The crispy rice adds a nice little texture.
We would serve it with our Garlic Lemon Fish, Instant Pot: Shredded Chicken or Camarones al Ajillo.
Arroz Chaufa (Peruvian Fried Rice)
Course: Sides, EntreeCuisine: PeruvianDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes15
minutesIngredients
3 cups of cooked rice, cooled
4 to 6 ounces of beef tenderloin or strip steak, cut in small bite-sized pieces
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cubanelle pepper, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons of soy sauce or tamari
¼ cup avocado oil
6 green onions, sliced
¼ – ½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Garnish with cilantro or parsley and more soy sauce
Directions
- In a small bowl add the soy sauce, sugar and green onions to a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, add the oil to the meat and season with salt and pepper.
- Turn your stove to medium heat and add a little bit of oil. Add the meat. Brown and sauté for 2-4 minutes, but you don’t have to cook it all the way. Remove from the pan onto a plate and set aside.
- Then add the onion, red and cubanelle peppers. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with all the flavor the meat left behind. Cook down the onions and peppers until they have softened for 6-8 minutes on medium. If it looks dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the pan.
- Once your onions and peppers have softened, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the rice and allow it to mix together with everything for a minute. Let the rice settle a little on bottom to try to get parts of the rice crispy. Once the rice is mixed in, add the cooked meat pieces back in.
- Add the soy sauce mixture and allow the rice to soak it up for 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt, pepper, cumin or soy.
- Push the rice to the side and add the beaten eggs. Scramble them and once they are cooked, incorporate them into the rice.
- Garnish with herbs and serve warm.
