Prepare a Delicious Arroz Tapado: Peruvian Beef and Rice

Arroz Tapado is a traditional Peruvian dish that artfully combines layers of seasoned ground beef and fluffy rice, often served with a fried egg or plantain on the side.

Discover the rich history of this popular Peruvian dish and learn how to prepare it in your own home.

What is Arroz Tapado?

Translating to "Covered Rice," Arroz Tapado is a beloved Peruvian dish that features layers of seasoned meat, vegetables, and white rice. Simple to make and incredibly versatile, it's often served with a side salad, fried plantains, eggs, or sarza criolla.

With its robust savoury flavours, this dish is the perfect comfort food and an easy meal to prepare for family gatherings or to use up leftovers from the previous day.

How to make Arroz Tapado

Want to prepare this classic Peruvian dish? Follow these step-by-step instructions to cook up this delicious meal in no time!

1. Chop the Vegetables: Finely chop the onions, tomatoes, parsley, and black olives. Boil an egg and chop it into cubes.
   

2. Cook the Rice: Add oil and garlic paste to a pot, then add water and rice. Cook for about 18-20 minutes until the rice is tender.
   

3. Season and Fry the Meat: In a large bowl, season the ground beef with salt, pepper, and cumin. Fry the beef in a pot for about 5-6 minutes until browned, then remove it from the pot.
   

4. Cook the Vegetables: In the same pot, add garlic paste and fry the onions, tomatoes, aji panca, tomato puree, bayleaf, and a little water.
   

5. Combine Beef and Vegetables: Return the beef to the pot and mix everything together. Add the chopped egg, raisins, and black olives. Cook until everything is well combined and heated through.
   

6. Fry the Plantains and Egg: In a pan, fry the sliced plantains until golden brown. Fry an additional egg if desired.
   

7. Assemble the Arroz Tapado: In a bowl, add a layer of rice, then the ground beef filling, and top with another layer of rice.
   

8. Serve: Serve the dish with the fried egg on top and the fried plantains on the side.

Arroz Tapado Recipe

Arroz Tapado Ingredientes:

• 1 tablespoon of garlic paste

• 2 cups of rice

• 2 3/4 cups of water (depending on type of rice)

• 1 bayleaf (optional)

• Salt to taste Filling:
  

• 500 gr of ground beef

• 1 1/2 tablespoon of aji panca

• 1 tablespoon of tomato puree

• 400 ml of tomato passata

• 2 teaspoons of oregano

• 1 tablespoon of garlic paste

• 1 boiled egg

• Raisons or black olives

• 1-2 bayleaves

• Parsley and coriander to taste

• Salt, pepper and cumin to taste