Locrio - 18 Dominican Locrio Rice Recipes

What's locrio?

Locrio is a type of pilaf from the Dominican Republic. The word is exclusively Dominican, according to the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language.

Locrio combines rice with some protein, vegetables, and spices. The rice is colored using any of the ingredients we mention further down.

Puerto Rico also uses the same word for rice dishes, and has similar recipes, but I believe there may be more traditional locrio recipes in Dominican cuisine.

Locrio recipes

In our blog we have all the best-known locrio recipes, as well as lesser-known ones. And to prove how irrational the rules are, there is a wheat one, in which wheat replaces rice.

At the end of the list, you'll find some recipes that, although non-traditional, would be recognized by Dominican as locrios if served to them.

Locrio de pollo (Dominican rice and chicken)

Locrio de pollo is possibly our favorite and most commonly found locrio. A combination of tender, fall-off-the-bones browned chicken, rice, vegetables and spices. While this dish is very similar to Cuban Arroz con pollo, and Puerto Rican Locrio de pollo, there are some differences. You will love our recipe with video

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Locrio de camarones (Dominican shrimp and rice pilaf)

A deluxe locrio, this dish combines flavorful, colorful rice and shrimp in a dish that will be the star of any Dominican meal.

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Locrio de salami (rice and Dominican salami)

If you are confused why we are cooking salami, let me start by saying that Dominican salami (or Dominican salchichón) is very different from its European counterparts. A very inexpensive protein source, Dominican salami is the base of some of our most iconic dishes, and this locrio is one of them.

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Locrio de pica-pica (Dominican rice with spicy sardines)

This is possibly our most humble locrio dish, as pica pica (canned spicy sardines in tomato sauce) is and has always been a very inexpensive source of protein for Dominicans. It is also one of my favorites.

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Locrio de arenque (rice with smoked herring)

Another traditionally inexpensive dish, Locrio de arenque was derided as "comida de guardia" (soldier's food), and despised by some for the strong smell of arenque. It, however, has very enthusiastic fans. Count me among them.

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Locrio de chuleta ahumada (rice with smoked pork chops)

One of the most popular locrios in our repertoire, this inexpensive and very flavorful rice is enriched by the flavors of smoked pork chops, and the taste of herbs and spices in it.

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Locrio de puerco (rice with pork cracklings)

Locrio de chicharrones or locrio de puerco is the beautiful union of flavorful and colorful rice and crispy chicharrones.

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Locrio de longaniza (rice and Dominican sausage)

A true Dominican classic, and it's one of our favorite rice dishes. Try this authentic recipe for arroz con longaniza Dominicana.

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Locrio de molleja (rice and chicken gizzards)

Though not amongst the best-known Dominican locrios, this is one of my favorites. Flavorful, and combined with a special cut of chicken, I could have it any day of the week.

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Locrio de queso de freír (rice with cheese)

If you're looking for an unusual locrio, this meatless choice is a twist on a traditional but less-known Dominican locrio. As a bonus, the preparation time is shorter than most other locrios.

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Locrio de berenjena (rice with eggplant)

Another great meatless locrio, I have made some changes to this unusual Dominican locrio and made it so good that meat lovers will enthusiastically enjoy it.

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Locrio de trigo (bulgur pilaf)

A locrio that breaks the rules: instead of rice, ths juicy and tasty dish is made with bulgur wheat.

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Locrio de salchichas (Rice & Viena Sausage)

An inexpensive and humble dish that I have dressed up with colorful vegetables and a rich color using our ancient bija.

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Moro-locrio (rice with beans and pork)

The marriage of two of our most popular dishes, this popular recipe deserves a spot on your table.

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Arroz con camarones y longaniza (Dominican "paella")

We took two of our favorite locrios and combined them with a few more criollo ingredients, and the result is a very sophisticated dish that some have called the "Dominican paella".

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Locrio de maíz (rice with corn)

Also known as moro de maíz, and better known as arroz con maíz, this multi-name dish is one of our favorite side dishes.

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Locrio de fideos (rice and noodles)

Most people call this dish Arroz con fideos, but Locrio de fideo is another name I have heard for it, so if you were looking for it, you've found it.

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Oven-cooked rice with chorizo

For a lazy weekend, this is the perfect dish, arroz con chorizo al horno is quick, easy and tasty. Add more of your favorite vegetables if you like.

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What to serve with locrio

Tostones (fried green plantains) or Fritos maduros (fried ripe plantains) are a classic addition to a locrio meal, as are a few slices of Dominican avocado. You can serve it with a simple Dominican salad, too.

Habichuelas guisadas is a matter of deep disagreement. Throughout the years, we've polled our readers, and the answer remains pretty unchanged: about half of Dominicans like habichuelas with locrio, and the other half doesn't.

I am curious where you fall in that divide. Let me know in the comments!

Locrio ingredients

As you can see above, locrio can be made from nearly every kind of meat or protein available in our traditional diet, though some ingredients will appear in almost all locrio recipes:

Rice

We use long-grain (Carolina) rice. Most Dominicans would rinse the rice beforehand, but I typically don't if it's good-quality rice, as rinsing it will eliminate nutrients in the already nutrient-poor grain. Rinsing the rice eliminates the free starch and produces "arroz graneado," the preferred consistency of grains that are cooked-through but firm and separate. I get the same result by adjusting the amount of water in my recipes and the time to simmer it in the instructions.

Vegetables

This will vary from recipe to recipe but mostly from home to home. How complex and vegetable-rich your locrio is will depend on the time you have to cook and the family budget. Some vegetables are ubiquitous, like mashed garlic cloves, diced ajíes (bell pepper or cubanelle pepper), olives (pitted green olives), and minced or sliced onion (used in some of the recipes, but not all).

Some other vegetables are a matter of taste and convenience, like green peas (petit pois), sweet corn, diced carrot, capers (alcaparritas), celery, and lime juice - which are used to make the chicken marinade.

Herbs

Cilantro (cilantrico in the DR), cilantro ancho (culantro en PR), oregano, and parsley (verdurita) are the most commonly used herbs.

Spices

Salt and black pepper appear in all our recipes, but some other spices can be added, like bija (achiote, annatto), which is used to color the rice in some recipes, though tomato paste or tomato sauce can also be used.