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You literally cannot even imagine how excited we are at our house for grilling this delectable Arroz Poblano made with fresh corn, onions, and poblano peppers, of course! It is Corn and Poblano Rice grilled to perfection. Fire up the grill and let this Arroz Poblano Recipe with Grilled Corn be your kick-off celebration to summer — you won’t regret it!

arroz poblano in a bowl sitting on a decorative plate on a table.

Then follow with more nights of grilling and smoking main dishes like Blueberry Blue Cheese Bacon Burgers or my Grilled Panzanella Skewer Salad!

And what else is the perfect grill partner for grilled corn? None other than my Smoky Chicken Kabobs. Finish up with the yummiest summer treat, Homemade Peace Ice Cream. Ah, sweet summertime!

ingredients for arroz poblano (corn and poblano rice) on a table.

Key ingredients & substitutions for Poblano Pepper Recipe

  • Poblano chile pepper — Mildly spicy, it offers just enough flavor for those who shy away from the hot and spicy.
  • Sweet corn — Fresh corn is the best, of course. Look for the husk to be bright green, tightly wrapped, and moist. Frozen corn is the next best thing if you can’t get fresh.
  • Onion — Yellow onions are best for cooking. If you like the onion flavor but not the onion, add about one tablespoon of onion powder instead. 
  • Chicken broth — No chicken broth on hand? Use one chicken bouillon cube for 1 cup of broth to make your own. Personally, I keep a jar of Better than Bouillon in my pantry at all times for emergencies!
  • Rice — Arborio rice is the secret ingredient because it’s creamier, nice, and chewy.
  • Butter — The staple of cooking, but if you need a substitute, try using Ghee. 
  • Kosher salt — Pink salt is a good salt, as well as coarse sea salt and Redmond Real Salt.
  • Chile-jack cheese — This cheese is a spicier bite, for sure. Use Monterey Jack for a similar texture and less of an edge. 
  • Extra virgin olive oil — EVOO is the better option since it’s made from pure olives, and olive oil is made from a blend. 

How to make Grilled Corn and Poblano Rice

corn on the cob and a poblano pepper on a grill.

STEP 1 | Heat grill and cook veggies

Start by preheating your grill to medium high heat. We’ll grill the poblano pepper and corn whole, so brush them with olive oil before placing them on the grill.

Place them directly over the heat with the grill closed, turning occasionally. The poblano chile pepper will become blackened and blistered.

process for peeling the skin off a blistered poblano pepper.

STEP 2 | Remove and cool

When nicely marked with grilling goodness, remove the veggies to cool.

The chile’s skin needs to be removed, so go ahead and scrape it away. Next, remove the seeds, stem and dice the pepper.

tips

  • A little trick: If you put the chile in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap for about 10 minutes, it makes removing the skin easy. Yay for easy!

STEP 3 | Warm broth

Warm the chicken broth in a large saucepan until it simmers and keep it warm. You want that creamy mixture combo created by the warm broth when it’s added to the rice. 

cut off corn; sauteing arborio rice in a skillet.

STEP 3 | Chop and Dice

Cut the cooled corn off the cob and place in a separate bowl and dice the onion. Now, you’re ready to start cooking the rice.

STEP 5 | Sauté and stir

In a large skillet, melt the butter on high and sauté the onion and rice together for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is slightly opaque. Make sure you stir it often — butter burns quickly. Then measure one cup of the broth and stir until all the liquid is absorbed.

adding chicken broth to risotto in a skillet.

STEP 6 | Cook rice

Repeat adding the simmering broth in the same manner, ensuring the broth is absorbed before moving on to the next cup. After cooking, the rice will become tender and will be creamy with no liquid remaining.

Then you can add in the remaining chopped vegetables and the salt to taste.

stirring veggies and cheese into arroz poblano in a skillet.

STEP 7 | Add cheeses

It is time to remove the arroz from the heat and stir in the chile-jack cheese until it’s all melted. Then sprinkle the feta cheese on top and get ready to serve.

Serving suggestions

If you’re looking to create a one-dish meal, this poblano rice recipe is a great stand-alone, or add a protein like shrimp or chicken and mix it together. 

Pairing it is always important, of course. A fresh cool summer salad like the Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad is a crisp starter. Then either the BEST Electric Smoker Ribs or the Best Grilled Salmon will have your mouth watering. Pair the main dish perfectly with this risotto, rice, and poblano recipe.

Suggested toppings

You can top your bowl of creamy rice with sprinkles of bacon or another type of cheese like parmesan, or maybe add fresh green peas to get extra veggies in. 

stirring arroz poblano in a skillet with a wooden spoon.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find Arborio rice? 

Good news! It’s quite popular, so you should be able to find it at your local grocery store easily. 

Is the kind of rice I buy really important?

Yes. You want short-to medium grains with high starch content. It is one of the key ingredients and will determine the creaminess of your dish, which is what you’re looking for. 

Are poblano and jalapeño the same or similar?

Although the poblano pepper carries a mild to medium spice, it offers a much milder flavor than the jalapeño, which is hotter. If spice is your thing, add jalapeños to the topping, or incorporate them to taste!

a spoonful of arroz poblano.

Behind the recipe: Poblano Rice and Grilled Corn

The poblano chile (pronounced puh-BLAH-noe) is named after Puebla, Mexico, where it originated. The Aztec people used them as a staple ingredient because of their versatility and mild flavor. Known for being very rich in Vitamin C, which includes 95% of the daily recommended requirement, poblanos are one of the most popular Mexican peppers. 

arroz poblano in a bowl sitting on a decorative plate on a table with a spoon.
arroz poblano in a bowl sitting on a decorative plate on a table with a spoon.

Arroz Poblano (Corn and Poblano Rice)

Arroz Poblano is made with grilled corn, onions, and poblano peppers, of course! And it is so creamy and delicious — you'll want seconds.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Vegetables & Sides
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 298 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ears fresh sweet corn husked
  • 1 large poblano chile pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces Chile Jack cheese shredded

Instructions
 

  • Heat the grill to medium high. Lightly brush the corn and poblano pepper with olive oil. Grill over direct medium heat, turning occasionally and with lid closed, about 8-10 minutes, or until the poblano chile pepper is blackened and blistered all over and the corn is tender.
  • Remove vegetables from the grill to cool; place the chile in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to make removing skin easier.
  • Coarsely chop the onion and place in a separate bowl. Cut corn from the cob. Scrape skin from chile, remove the seeds and stem, and dice.
  • In a large saucepan, heat the chicken broth until it simmers. Keep warm.
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet on high heat. Sauté the onion and rice, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Rice should be slightly opaque. Add one cup of the simmering broth and stir until the liquid is absorbed.
  • Continue adding one cup at a time of the hot broth, cooking until the broth is absorbed before adding the next cup. Rice will become tender after about 20-30 minutes, and should be creamy, with no liquid. Add the remaining vegetables and salt.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the chile-jack cheese until melted. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Weber’s Way to Grill, 2011

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 13gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 389mgPotassium: 317mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 445IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 225mgIron: 2mg

Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Keyword grill, grilled corn, risotto
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was.
Sheila Thigpen, blogger

About Sheila Thigpen

Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer

Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.

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