Serve Mexican Rice with your main entree for a delicious meal! This fluffy Mexican rice recipe is amazing in burritos and pairs magically with any Mexican main dish, like carne asada, Chile Colorado, tacos, and more.
When my husband and I go out for Mexican food, I’m either ordering an entree that comes with Mexican rice or a side of Mexican rice 10 out of 10 times.
I enjoy it so much, I could eat it by itself all day every day. It even rivals Cilantro Lime Rice in my book.
This to say, a great Mexican rice recipe goes a long way in adding a pop of flavor to a meal and serves as a perfect tool for soaking up various sauces.
The key to fluffy Mexican rice is taking the time to sauté the rice in oil for 10 to 15 minutes prior to adding any liquid.
In this sense, a little bit of extra work contributes greatly to the light texture of the rice.
My family makes Mexican rice or Spanish rice on a regular basis when we get together for family dinner and make burrito bowls.
It turns out just like your favorite Mexican restaurant rice, so the next time you’re celebrating Taco Tuesday, be sure to include this yummy rice dish.
But before I get ahead of myself, let’s cover some basics.
What is Authentic Mexican Rice Made Of?:
Authentic Mexican rice features long-grain white rice cooked in broth with tomato paste, tomato sauce, or tomato juice, which is what gives it the red color or makes it look orange. Onion and garlic are often included, as are sometimes green peas and even carrots.
While some people add chili powder to Mexican rice, I’ve found this may be more of an American adaptation than a traditional approach.
Mexicans typically refer to Mexican rice as arroz rojo, or red rice.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for Mexican rice.
Ingredients for Mexican Rice:
Long-Grain White Rice – The reason we’re all here! Be sure to use a long grain rice for the right texture. While you can make the recipe with brown rice, it won’t have the same fluffy texture as regular Mexican rice.
I use two cups of rice, which is enough to feed 8 to 10 individuals, assuming there is a main course and other sides involved.
Tomato Paste – The ingredient that gives arroz roja its unmistakable color. If you’ve every wondered why Mexican rice is so orange or red, it’s because there is some form of tomato cooked into it.
I use tomato paste but some use tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, or tomato juice.
Onion and Garlic – Both fresh onion and minced garlic cloves add tons of flavor to the rice. Don’t skip them!
Chicken Broth or Chicken Bouillon – Rather than using plain water to cook the rice, we use chicken stock, vegetable broth, beef broth, chicken bouillon or tomato bouillon cubes. This ingredient is paramount in adding flavor to this great side dish.
Avocado Oil (or high-temperature cooking oil of choice) – Used to fry the rice to golden brown perfection, we need a high-temperature cooking oil like avocado oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil. I don’t recommend using olive oil because it has a tendency to burn when it’s being used to cook at high temperatures.
Canned or Frozen Peas – An optional addition that sometimes shows up in Mexican rice and sometimes doesn’t. I like adding green peas for the pop of texture but if you don’t like them, skip them. You can also add other fresh vegetables like bell peppers, jalapeño peppers or chili peppers.
Optional Additions:
- ⅔ cup of chopped carrots (add at the same time as the broth).
- 1 roma tomato, diced
- 1 cup of tomato salsa such as pico de gallo
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 small can green chilies
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon onion powder or garlic powder
While all of the additions above are not typically included in an authentic Mexican rice recipe, they result in flavorful rice for a delicious side dish.
Tips for Perfect Mexican Rice:
Be sure to soak the rice ahead of time and rinse it well.
Don’t skimp on oil or skip the sauté time.
It’s the sautéing process that gives Mexican rice its light and fluffy texture. For this reason, don’t skimp on the oil, or the sauté time! Set your timer to be sure the rice is cooking for a full 10 minutes before the broth is added.
How to Make Mexican Rice:
Heat the oil in a large thick bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the uncooked rice and sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until the rice is golden brown. For the best results, be sure to sauté for the full 10 minutes and monitor the rice closely so that it doesn’t get too brown or burn.
This cooking process is what ensures you end up with fluffy rice rather than mushy rice.
Add in the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.
Add the broth and tomato paste to the pot and bring the mixture to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook covered for 20 minutes undisturbed.
The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the type of rice you use, the temperature your stove cooks at and the amount of liquid.
Remove the pot from the heat and add in the green peas but don’t stir them in just yet. Allow the rice to sit for another 10 minutes then use a fork to fluff rice and incorporate the peas.
Serve Mexican rice with your Mexican dishes along with any other sides like refried beans or black beans, and enjoy.
Store leftover rice in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Why do we need so much oil to make homemade Mexican rice?
At a certain point in the sautéing process, the rice will want to stick to the pot. Not only does the oil bring rich flavor to the Mexican rice, but it also ensures the rice doesn’t burn or become overly brown while it is frying.
For the best Mexican rice recipe, don’t skimp on the oil and you’ll end up with restaurant style rice.
What to Serve with Mexican Rice:
- Crock Pot Birria Tacos
- 5-Ingredient Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Crock Pot Chile Colorado
- Crock Pot Beef Barbacoa
- Copycat Chipotle Chicken
And that’s it!
An easy Mexican rice recipe the whole family will love. Whip it up every time you make Mexican food for a the perfect side dish to complete your Mexican meal.
Easy Mexican Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 5 large cloves garlic
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 3 ½ to 4 cups chicken broth *
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
- 2/3 cup green peas frozen or canned, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large thick bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the uncooked rice and sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until the rice is golden brown. For the best results, be sure to sauté for the full 10 minutes and monitor the rice closely so that it doesn’t get too brown or burn.
- Add in the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.
- Add the broth and tomato paste to the pot and bring the mixture to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook covered for 20 minutes undisturbed. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the type of rice you use, the temperature your stove cooks at and the amount of liquid.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add in the green peas but don’t stir them in just yet. Allow the rice to sit for another 10 minutes then use a fork to fluff rice and incorporate the peas.
- Serve Mexican rice with your Mexican dishes along with any other sides like refried beans or black beans, and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
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How long do you soak the rice in advance?
Hi Helen! I soak the rice for at least 10 minutes, but you can soak it for up to 24 hours in advance if you’d like 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
If I were to add black beans during cooking phase, at what point would I add them? Thanks!
@Michelle,
I want to add beans too. Add them at the beginning after the rice boils?
Hi Kathy! If you’re cooking beans from dry, I would cook them separately because they need 45 minutes to an hour to cook but the rice only needs about 20-30 minutes total. Once the beans are cooked, you can stir them in once the rice has finished cooking (at the same time as the peas). On the other hand, if you’re adding canned beans that have been pre-cooked, you can add them at the same time as the peas. I wish I could say everything could be made at the same time in the same pot, but unfortunately rice and beans have different needs when it comes to prep. Hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy the rice!! It will be so tasty with beans mixed in too. xo
Hi Michelle! Are you looking to add dry (uncooked) black beans, or canned black beans that have already been cooked. If you’re adding canned beans that have already been cooked, you can add them at the same time as the peas. If you’re trying to cook black beans from dry, I would actually cook the beans first as they take much longer (upwards of an hour). After cooking the beans, I would mix them into the finished rice. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Sounds wonderful. What amount of green peas are used? They are missing from the ingredient list. Thanks!
Ah, my apologies, Traci! I add 2/3 cup. I just fixed the recipe card to include the measurement 🙂 Thanks for catching that!