Trader Joe’s Chimichurri Rice

May 30, 2007 | Reviewer: Abi

Trader Joe's Chimichurri Rice Price: $3.59
Serving: 1/2 cup, 4 oz.
Calories: 120
Fat: 8%, 5g
Sodium: 26%, 620mg
Protein: 3g
Carbs: 5%, 16g
Fiber: 6%, 2g

Trader Joe says: In South America, chimichurri is perhaps as common a condiment as ketchup in America — albeit much more flavorful and distinctive. It’s nearly always served alongside grilled meat, and now we’ve blended it with basmati rice to create a one-of-a-kind side dish to go with everything from steaks to shrimp and chicken breasts to fish filets.

Cilantro, lime, creme fraiche, garlic, ginger, and Peruvian panca peppers combine to produce the unique flavor of the sauce, and diced tomatoes, peas, and shallots add further texture and flavor to the rice. Bring the taste of Peru to your table — in five minutes or less!

Abi says: Admit it, you’re surprised that I cook real food. That’s my dinner plate featuring an entree of pollo en mole with green beans and chimichurri rice.

Chimichurri rice is my new favorite Mexican food side dish. It is spicy and piquant and just about everything wonderful that Spanish rice is not. Even though I’m Hispanic, I am not a fan of Spanish rice. I find it unacceptable that people try to pass off that tomato-colored blandness as a side dish. When I’m eating food, I want flavor. I want the delicate frangrance of jasmine rice or the loveliness of saffroned basmati, I’ll even take regular rice seasoned with cilantro, lime, and a dash of salt and pepper. I do not want the pinkish mess that people try to tell me is somehow authentic or necessary. My people lived without ‘Spanish’ rice for generations, albeit surviving off of corn, a seriously inefficient food source.

Considering my lack of visits to South America and the lack of chimichurri in Peruvian chicken joints in DC, there’s no way for me to know if Trader Joe’s Chimichurri rice is in any way authentic. What I do know is that it is delicious, so delicious that spilling any on the floor will cause you to weep silent tears of anguish because the 5-second rule cannot possibly apply to rice.

If you have consumed both authentic chimichurri and this Trader Joe’s product, I’d love to hear about how they are different or similar.

comments

20 Responses to “Trader Joe’s Chimichurri Rice”

Maria on May 30th, 2007

Chimichurri is not a part of all Latin American diets. It is specific to Argentina, and even more specific to Argentine asados. The reason they don’t have it at Peruvian restaurants is because Peru offers Aji. Don’t make such general assumptions for an entire continent, please.
david on May 30th, 2007

@maria: learn to read.

@abi: can you share your recipe for pollo en mole? it looks delicious.
MaryAnne on May 30th, 2007

My boyfriend and I discovered this rice at Trader Joe’s about a year ago and fell in love (with the rice; we’re already in love although one could say the rice brought us closer). The flavor really is like a celebration in your mouth. We like to use it to make burritos with trader joe’s frozen pepper medley and carne asada. Yes, Trader Joe’s has DELICIOUS fresh take-home-and-cook carne asada. I’ll be honest- I’m not a huge fan of rice but this rice is like the king of rices. Also, Trader Joe’s has really good mole sauce. And salsa. Mmm.
Abi Jones on May 30th, 2007

Maria, I recommend getting in touch with Trader Joe’s. They are the ones who write the product blurbs, I just eat the deliciousness.

David, be nice. Also, here’s a great mole recipe (and cute story) from Homesick Texan: http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2007/01/on-mole-and-matrimony.html. If you feel lazy, just buy some chicken thighs and a couple of jars of mole from Trader Joe’s and throw them in a crock pot (slow cooker) on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

MaryAnne, you are so right. “The king of rices” is the perfect way to describe this stuff. I’ve never tried TJ’s carne asada. It is an intimidating amount of meat and I have but a small grill. Do you make it in the over or on a grill?
MaryAnne on May 30th, 2007

Abi- We buy the smallest package we can find because it’s just the two of us and it makes about 5 giant burritos. When you open the plastic wrapping, it is sometimes precut (not usually all the way through) into large chunks and if it’s not, we do it ourselves and then cook it on the stove top in a big pan. There’s absolutely no need to add anything because all the spices are already in there. In less than 10 minutes (depending on the amount you purchased) it’s done. We haven’t tried the pollo asade yet, but it’s on the list.

I love Trader Joe’s. You can make amazing meals without much effort but still feel like you’re cooking.
Jeri on May 30th, 2007

Speaking of pinkish messes…when I bought a bag of this rice, I didn’t realize it was so tomato-heavy. I still think it’s very tasty, but I had about a quarter cup of pale pink nastiness (tomato pieces) off to the side after I was done eating. The paleness of the tomatoes in the bag I got might even put off tomato lovers.
Amity on May 30th, 2007

I’m w/Jeri. I actually hated this rice and threw it away. I’m not a tomato fan, and I felt like the tomato flavor permiated. I say stay away if you have a tomato aversion like me.
Crow on May 30th, 2007

It has the demon weed, cilantro in it, and gave it five stars? What the hell is the matter with you! Now we’ll have to go back and fact check all your previous reviews for similar lapses in journalistic ethics.
Abi Jones on May 30th, 2007

I must not have had a very tomato-ey bag because I’m a tomato-hater and I liked this rice. I will have to pick up another bag.

Crow, how do you survive Cinco de Mayo?
Crow on May 30th, 2007

Dunno, I really think Cinco de Mayo is a mostly made up holiday for the gringos. I’ve never celebrated it. Of course, the only holiday I really bother to celebrate is Turkey Day…
May on May 30th, 2007

how many servings are in this bag?
Jessica on May 31st, 2007

DAMN Trader Joe’s for not having a store near my home. And shame on HeatEatReview for rubbing in it’s greatness on us poor Joe-less people.
Kristin on May 31st, 2007

Sound delicious. I’m totally addicted to TJ’s Chimichurri sauce (in the fridge section next to the hummus) and could eat it with a spoon. It’s particularly good on steak sandwiches, and sometime I splurge and mix it with some mayo and make a creamy chimichurri sauce. So it sounds like the rice is something I could get behind, and also doesn’t contain a ton of fat like the regular chimichurri. Hurrah!
Abi Jones on May 31st, 2007

Sadly, I did not record the total number of servings for this product. That’s what happens when I make things that come in pouches rather than cardboard boxes. Pouched items on HER have alargmingly little nutritional info posted.

The entire pouch made 4 decent adult servings, but these were probably not a 1/2 cup each.
Marvo on June 1st, 2007

If anything is that delicious, I will give it the 10-second rule, stick it under some running water, and then eat it, because it would be a total waste to throw it away.
CherryLane on June 2nd, 2007

i think there are some good peruvian chicken places around dc. check out the el pollo ricos and chicken ricos.
TF on June 22nd, 2007

This rice is great in Trader Joe’s Red Pepper Soup (which comes in a cardboard box).
Jose on March 19th, 2008

Chimichurri Rice is not Peruvian. Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce that is used as a marinade to steaks. As a Peruvian-American, I have never heard of Chimichurri as part of peruvian foods. Go to an Argentinian steak house and you will see Chimichurri sauce. Not sure why people are passing this rice as Peruvian rice, etc.
Joey on May 20th, 2008

“In South America, chimichurri is perhaps as common a condiment as ketchup in America” - TRADER JOE
(WHAT??? - that is an incoherence!)

However, This is a very tasty review, even though, it was made by a slightly confused cook :] and tasted by some skeptical guests….
So, anyways… I ended up reading it and somehow I felt myself invaded by the necessity of sharing my experience with the lovers and non-lovers of this dish/fact…
I am 100% peruvian and 2 days ago I had the chance to try the so famous “Trader Joe’s Chimichurri Rice”…
1.- It is Delicious.
2.- It made me laugh…. Basmati Rice, Peruvian Style, Product of France…. what a wonderful multicultural experience!
3.- No matter how it was named, It does have the exact flavor of a very peruvian dish that, unfortunately, I can’t recall…
4.- Chimichurry sauce it is made of basically cilantro which is something used in many peruvian dishes.
Therefore… there is no reason why some people should feel affected by the Name of a product…. when it is clearly said: CHIMICHURRY RICE - Peruvian “STYLE”…. ;]

Bonn Appetit!
joey on June 25th, 2008

I love Trader Joes. I really hope those that don’t have one get one soon. Go bug them on their site, you never know…. Anyway, I live in the southwest and I’m used to foods that have flavor and a kick and this rice really does. It rocks. There is definitely a symphony of flavors.