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by Lisa Bryan
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Sep 02, 2023
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This Mexican rice recipe turns your basic white rice into a vibrant and flavorful side dish. It’s a simple combination of onion, bell peppers, garlic, jalapeno, tomato sauce, broth and spices. Pair it with seared seafood, grilled chicken, or tacos for the ultimate Mexican-inspired meal.
Living in Southern California, Mexican cuisine is a pretty big part of the lifestyle here. From guacamole to carnitas and ceviche, we’ve got it all. But a dish that never fails is a simple chicken or fish plate with a side of Mexican rice and beans.
I’ll save the beans for another day, but today I’ll walk you through how to achieve that deliciously fluffy and zesty rice with a kick of spice. The red color is unmistakable in Mexican recipes a tasty way to switch up your white rice or cilantro lime rice routine. You’ll definitely be going back for seconds on this one!
Mexican Rice Ingredients
This recipe comes together easily with ingredients you likely already have stocked in your pantry. Here’s what you’ll need:
- White Rice: Grab long-grain white rice. Don’t swap in brown rice in this recipe as brown rice takes longer to cook.
- Yellow or White Onion: You can use either a standard yellow onion or a sweet white onion.
- Jalapeno: A small jalapeno that’s diced up gives that kick of that unmistakable spicy flavor.
- Red Bell Pepper: Dice up half of a red bell pepper to boost the red color and add flecks throughout the rice.
- Tomato Sauce and Broth: The rice simmers gently in a mix of tomato sauce and broth. You can use either vegetable broth or chicken broth.
- Spices and Aromatics: Some minced garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper add to the flavor.
- Chopped Cilantro: I always love to add a little chopped cilantro on top for a pop of green, which also contrasts beautifully with the red rice.
How To Make Mexican Rice
Making this rice dish couldn’t be any easier. Just toss everything into a sauce pan, give it a quick saute, and let it simmer. But before you throw everything in, the key here is to make sure you get your rice nice and toasted.
- Thoroughly wash and drain the rice with a fine mesh sieve.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, bell pepper and jalapeno and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the onions become translucent.
- Toss in the rice and saute it until it’s lightly toasted and golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the cumin, salt, tomato sauce and chicken broth, then stir everything together.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked all the way through – about 15 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
What’s The Difference Between Spanish Rice And Mexican Rice?
While many consider Spanish and Mexican rice to be the same thing, they’re actually not. These two colorful dishes are made with similar basic ingredients such as rice, tomatoes, onion, and chicken broth. But what differentiates them are the spices being used.
Spanish rice uses saffron, which gives it its lightly sweet flavor and bold yellow coloring. And Mexican rice uses cumin for an earthy and spicy aroma.
What To Serve With It
Mexican rice pairs beautifully with a wide variety of meals. Serve it as a plate or put together a burrito bowl with some black beans, guacamole, and pico de gallo!
- Simple Proteins: Serve the rice as a side dish to tried-and-true Mexican mains like carnitas, carne asada, or barbacoa.
- Fajitas: Enjoy a sizzling platter of chicken fajitas, steak fajitas or shrimp fajitas alongside this Mexican rice.
- Seafood Tacos: For your next Taco Tuesday serve up shrimp tacos or fish tacos and a a few big spoonfuls of Mexican rice.
How To Store And Reheat
- To store: Store it in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Just make sure to place it in an airtight container. To reheat it, simply pop it in the microwave or give it a quick stir in a saucepan on the stove top.
- To freeze: Store the rice in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, you can either thaw it in the fridge overnight or cook it right away in the microwave. Just toss it into a bowl and microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring it through halfway.
More tasty Mexican Recipes
If you’re craving Tex-Mex flavors or prepping for Cinco De Mayo, take a peek at my full list of Mexican recipes. But, here’s a few fan favorites that definitely won’t disappoint!
- Carne Asada Fries
- Classic Margarita
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Taco Soup
Mexican Rice Recipe (Easy and Flavorful)
4.94 from 66 votes
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 20 minutes mins
Total: 30 minutes mins
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan
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Description
This easy Mexican rice recipe turns your basic white rice into a vibrant and flavorful side dish. Watch the video below to see how I make it!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- kosher salt, to taste
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- optional: finely chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Thoroughly wash and drain the rice with a fine mesh sieve.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapeno and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the onions become translucent.
Add the rice and saute until it's lightly toasted and golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Add in the cumin, salt, tomato sauce and chicken broth, then stir everything together.
Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until rice is cooked all the way through, about 15 minutes.
Remove the rice from the heat and use a fork to fluff it up.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
Lisa’s Tips
- While I think the jalapeno gives this recipe enormous flavor, if you’d like it less spicy you can omit it or add 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 509mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 878IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: How To Make Mexican Rice, Mexican Rice, Mexican rice recipe
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Recipe originally published March 2020 but updated to include new information.