Arroz Negro
Squid-ink rice with tender squid and aioli.
Ingredients
- 350 g Bomba rice
- 400 g Squid
- 8 g Squid ink
- 2 Tomato
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 900 ml Fish stock
- 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
Method
- Clean and slice the squid, grate the tomato, and mince the garlic.
- Sear the squid in the olive oil, then add the garlic and grated tomato and cook over medium heat until they break down into a soft, jammy base.
- Stir the rice and squid ink into the base, then pour in the hot fish stock, add the salt, and spread the rice flat in an even layer.
- Simmer without stirring until the rice is tender and inky.
- Rest off the heat, then serve with aioli.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Arroz Negro
Arroz negro is the dramatic dark cousin of paella, a Spanish rice dish from the Catalan and Valencian coast where the grains are stained jet-black by squid ink. Bomba rice is the traditional choice because its short grains drink up flavor without turning to mush, and here they soak in a sofrito of seared squid, grated tomato, and garlic loosened with fish stock. The ink lends more than color: it carries a briny, faintly mineral depth of the sea that ties the whole pan together. Unlike a soupy risotto, the rice is spread flat and left undisturbed so the liquid reduces into each grain and a little crust can form beneath.
What you get is a plate that looks almost like squid ink pasta but eats with the savory, toasted character of a good paella, the tender rings of squid folded through soft, glossy rice. The classic finish is a spoonful of aioli stirred in at the table, whose sharp garlicky richness cuts the depth of the ink and pulls everything into balance. It's a dish for a leisurely lunch or a dinner with company, usually served straight from the pan with lemon on the side. This version keeps the technique honest: build the sofrito until it turns jammy, toast the rice and ink into that base, then simmer without stirring so the grains stay distinct.
Arroz Negro: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Arroz Negro?
A serving has about 581 calories — 27.1g protein, 75.5g carbs, 17.7g fat, 0.7g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 27.1g of protein, roughly 19% of its calories.
Is Arroz Negro gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Arroz Negro has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Arroz Negro take to make?
About 50 minutes start to finish, but only around 25 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Arroz Negro make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.