Hot Sauce Recipes for Rice
Around the world, people eat a lot of rice, and hot sauce is one of the most common condiments to add to a favorite rice recipe. Rice is a popular side dish, an addition to soup, and even creates desserts like sticky rice with mango or rice pudding. Join us as we take a closer look at rice and some of the best rice recipes using Légal Hot Sauce.
Facts About Rice
In 2022 and 2023, 510 metric tons of rice were harvested around the world. China and India produce the most rice at 145.95 and 135.76 million metric tons, respectively. Rice is a staple food for more than 50% of the world’s population.
There are 40,000 varieties of rice, and they’re found in four main types:
- Aromatic (23 to 25% of global trade): These are rice types like Basmati or Jasmine.
- Glutinous and Other Specialties (2 to 3% of global trade): This includes Forbidden and wild rice.
- Indica (62 to 66% of global trade): This is the most common subspecies of Asian rice and comes in long-grain, medium-grain, and short-grain.
- Japonica (9 to 10% of global trade): Another subspecies of Asian rice that’s grown in cooler climates, but it’s similar to Indica.
Brown rice is whole-grain rice that’s had the hull removed. White rice has both the hull, bran, and germ removed. You might also encounter parboiled rice. It’s steamed for a short time with the husk on. This process helps retain some of the nutrients that rice loses during processing.
Some rice is also produced in the U.S., specifically in the Arkansas Grand Prairie, the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Delta, and Sacramento Valley in California. Long-grain rice is the most commonly grown in the U.S. at 75%. Medium-grain rice accounts for 24% of U.S. rice production, which leaves short-grain at 1%.
No matter what type of rice you have, we recommend rinsing off the starch first. Starchy rice is more likely to clump and stick into a gluey mass. It also helps rinse away any dust, dirt, and other particles. Once rice is rinsed, it’s ready to go into your favorite recipes. Here are a few of ours.
Chicken and Rice Soup
When you live in a colder climate, simmering a pot of soup all day in a slow cooker or on top of your wood stove is a must and makes meal preparation incredibly convenient. If you have cheesecloth, put a broiler chicken in it to make it easier to lift the chicken out after a few hours. That’s our tip for simplifying the first step.
Put a broiler chicken in your slow cooker and add 8 cups of water, 4 cloves of garlic, 4 large carrots, 3 stalks of celery, 2 bay leaves, a few sprigs of thyme, and a large chopped onion. Set the heat to high and cook for 4 hours. Remove the chicken, herbs, and vegetables, and let the chicken cool. While it does, chop the vegetables, put them back into the pot of broth, and add:
- 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley that’s chopped
- 2 tablespoon Légal Hot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Juice from a lemon
When you can handle the chicken, remove the meat from the bones, shred it, and move it to the stock. Let that cook for 6 hours on low heat.
In a rice cooker or on the stovetop make 2 cups of rice following package directions. When it’s cooked, stir in 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 teaspoons of Légal Hot Sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Scoop a portion of rice into a soup bowl and top with the soup from the slow cooker.
Red Beans and Rice
If you need a hearty, affordable meal, red beans and rice is a great choice. It’s also the perfect rice dish for using a lot of Légal Hot Sauce.
Soak 1 pound of dried red beans in a covered bowl. You want enough water so that the beans are at least an inch below the surface. Add a teaspoon of baking soda and leave them overnight.
The next day, slice a pound of smoked sausage and dice 2 medium onions and 8 cloves of garlic. Fry those together and add:
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup of chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 large green pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon Légal Hot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
Drain the beans and add to the pot. Add 6 cups of vegetable stock. Simmer until the beans are tender. A slow cooker is great for this step as you can set it up and let it cook all day.
Meanwhile, cook 3 cups of long-grain rice following package directions. Add 2 teaspoons of Légal Hot Sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Portion the rice into bowls and ladle the red beans and rice over it.
Simple Yellow Rice
If you’ve ever been to a restaurant and had a side of garlicky yellow rice, you know the enjoyment this simple dish provides. Rinse 2 cups of your favorite long-grained rice and let that drain while you get everything else ready.
Chop 1 large Vidalia onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Move that to a large pan and add 3 tablespoons of butter or olive oil. Sauté those until the onion is tender. Add the rice and make sure it’s thoroughly coated in the butter or oil. Add:
- 3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 strands of saffron (If you don’t have saffron, use ½ teaspoon of turmeric.)
- 1 teaspoon Légal Hot Sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the rice cook for 20 minutes. You want a tight cover that doesn’t let a lot of steam out, as it’s the steam that helps ensure the rice cooks properly.
Standard Fried Rice
Cook two cups of dried long-grain rice and set it aside to cool completely. If possible, don’t cover it as you don’t want steam to make it soggy. While it cools, get the prep work out of the way. You want to dice the following:
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 stalks of celery
- 2 cloves of garlic
- A pound of shrimp or a protein like pork, beef, chicken, or tofu
Make a sauce using 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of Légal Hot Sauce, and 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil. Stir that and set aside.
Get a large skillet or wok and add 2 tablespoons of peanut or canola oil. Sauté the vegetables until crisp-tender and remove them to a bowl. Add more oil if the pan has nothing left and stir fry the protein you chose until it’s fully cooked. Add the vegetables and a cup of frozen peas or edamame to the pan along with another tablespoon of oil and the rice. Fry that until the rice is heated through.
Add the sauce and mix thoroughly until the rice has time to absorb it. Serve with sliced green onions and extra Légal Hot Sauce for those who appreciate more spice.
