Mexican Rice
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<Restaurant-style Mexican rice made right at home! The best side dish for tacos, burritos, enchiladas + so much more. So good!
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This Mexican rice has been our go-to side dish again and again in our house. It’s been tested, perfected, and made at least a hundred times since 2014 when this recipe was first posted. HUNDREDS, I tell you.
why i love this recipe
- One pot meal. A true one pot meal, the rice soaks up all the flavors of the tomato-infused broth with cumin and chili powder for that extra kick of flavor. Not to mention, one pot means less dishes, less clean up!
- Clean out the fridge meal. This is a great recipe to throw in any lingering veggies that need to be used up ASAP.
- Pairs well with many dishes. Mexican rice can be served alongside so many dishes, pairing well with chicken, seafood, carne asada, enchiladas, tacos and burritos to name a few.
- Freezer-friendly. This recipe is very freezer-friendly and can be kept for 3 months, making it great for meal prep.
You can serve as is or alongside some tacos or enchiladas. Personally, I love it as a main dish, digging my way in with my favorite tortilla chips.
tips and tricks for success
- Rinse the rice prior to using. Using a fine mesh strainer, rinse the rice under cold water to remove any excess starch.
- Toast the rice. Toasting the rice beforehand will add a nutty richness to the rice. Watch out for burnt grains.
- Make it vegetarian. Vegetable broth can be used for the chicken broth.
- Gently fluff. Fluff the rice using a fork to gently separate the grains without breaking them, never stirring. Stirring will lead to mushy rice.
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Mexican Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
Tomato sauce, in the US, is tomato puree typically cooked down for a thick, smooth consistency with a relatively sweet flavor. Passata is simply uncooked tomato purée. You can use passata in place of tomato sauce, but it is not a completely equal substitute.
You can substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
You can omit the cilantro altogether or substitute parsley.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop or microwave, adding a splash of broth or water as needed.
Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup corn kernels
- ½ cup diced carrots
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in rice until toasted, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in tomato sauce and vegetable broth, and bring to a simmer, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in corn, carrots, peas, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.
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Chung-Ah I love your blog, your photography is top notch. I am such a fan of Mexican food and this rice looks amazing. Beautiful!
I’m a huge sucker for mexican dishes…making and pinned 🙂
I like to add little chunks of cooked chicken and diced bell peppers (different colors) to mine. I agree that the veggies really make this rice delicious!
Oh my, that looks amazing! I love Mexican rice. I’m definitely going to have to give this a try. 🙂
Please, what’s a ‘can of tomato sauce’? We buy tomato sauce in bottles (it’s more or less equivalent to your ketchup) in Australia. Is it passata? Or would a can of crushed tomatoes do the job? Someone once said we were two countries divided by a common language, and it’s never so true as in the kitchen! I’ve sorted out biscuits (scones) and cookies (biscuits) but a can of tomato sauce has me flummoxed. HELP!
MaryAnne, a can of tomato sauce is not the same as ketchup. I like to use this brand of tomato sauce for my recipes. Hope that helps!
American tomato sauce is basically a thin tomato puree with spices… sounds like it could be similar to passata? It is cooked and has a smooth texture though, not chunky.
Tomato sauce is thicker than passata, perhaps adding a few tablespoons of tomato paste would work.
This looks so yummy! I like the idea of using chips as a utensil. ; ) That’s definitely how I would eat it too!
I could make a meal off of this delicious rice. Love!
This looks insanely good. My husband and daughter would love it.
This is my favorite kind of rice! Thanks for posting. :0)
I think I need to try your recipe… I love Mexican rice and have been looking and testing recipes for years. Yours looks fabulous!
When I go to a Mexican restaurant, I love the flavored rice. I always thought it is hard to make. But your recipe looks very easy. I would love to try it!
Beautiful and love all the ingredients and flavours in this one!
I love Mexican rice. I like the vegetable additions to make wholesome dish. Yum!
Tell me must the rice be boiled first( mexican rice)
Gavin
No, the rice does not need to be boiled first.
I’ve made this twice now. The rice does not get fully cooked in the time period specified. Both times, I’ve had to cook it at least 45 minutes
What kind of rice are you using? I’ve made this a dozen times now and have never had an issue with the rice cooking through by the 15 minute mark.
Having cooking time issues as well. Using the Basmati rice called for in the recipe and am nearing the 40 minute mark as well.
I just made this for the first time and I had the issue with the rice not cooking through as well. Next time I’ll try and give it closer to 40 minutes I guess.
All you have to do is fry the rice along with garlic and onion before boiling until the majority of the rice turns a different shade of white.
Its best if the lid is not removed during the cooking process. Not even once. Letting out the steam interrupts the rice cooking process which can be very sensitive and cause it to not get done. My rice comes out perfect everytime.
I, too am having cooking time issues. Just passed 45 min. and not done. Meanwhile the veggies are looking over cooked. Used Basmati rice. Since I live on the Arizona desert, altitude is not an issue. I regularly use a rice cooker and don’t have this trouble. Next time I’ll precook the rice somewhat. Looks and smells good.
For those having a time issue with the rice, there is a definite reason for this. I am a HVAC contractor and former instructor. Water boils at 212 degrees farinheight at sea level. For very 1000 feet in elevation, that drops the boiling temperature by 2 degrees. The higher you area above sea level, the lower the water boiling temperature drops and thus, the longer cooking times will be needed due to a lower boiling temperature. If one is cooking off the coast of Florida, the cooking time will be less than say in Colorodo. Hope this helps and Happy Cooking!
Interesting!
my family is off white rice, can brown rice be subbed instead?
Yes, absolutely. It’ll make it a bit healthier too!
That looks so yummy! My husband always teases that if I weren’t Chinese, I’d be Mexican. I just put some leftover pork fajitas in rice porridge. Fusion dish 😉
I love Mexican rice, what a great skillet recipe!
I confess that I’m guilty of buying those packets of Mexican rice at the grocery store. But this look seriously simple, being made all in one pot. I can do this. And I will – I’m making Sonoran hot dogs this weekend, and need a side dish!
I have a question, can you use long grain rice to make this dish?
Yes, absolutely. I highly recommend long grain rice for this dish.
Your pictures are gorgeous! Love that you added corn 🙂
Thank you for such a great recipe!
OK, being a full blooded Mexican, my mother’s rice was the best. When ever my friends wanted to go out for Mexican food, I would sigh, knowing that it could not compare to my mom’s rice and my dad’s beans. Even as an adult, I still haven’t found a Mexican rice that will do my mother justice so I am very eager to try Chung-Ah’s version. I have made several recipes thus far, and they have all been great, so I am super excited to try this Mexican rice, and I will update on my tastings!
Let me know how it turns out, although I bet it’ll be a bit difficult for me to beat your mother’s cooking!