Easy Mexican Rice
Posted Apr 12, 2024, Updated Apr 21, 2024
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This Mexican rice recipe is easy to make in 30 minutes! It’s bold, flavorful and even more delicious than your favorite restaurant.
Whenever we have taco nights with friends, my soul sister always brings over the best Mexican rice. My oldest daughter bugged me to ask her for the recipe, and we’ve made it countless times since.
Of course, I put a my own spin on it (because that’s what I do), and I truly believe it’s the best Mexican rice ever – even better than my favorite restaurant.
Onion and garlic are sautéed in olive oil, then cooked with rice, tomato sauce and spices until perfectly fluffy and delicious. We love serving this easy Mexican rice with our favorite Mexican recipes!
Mexican Rice: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Olive oil. any neutral oil works well, including avocado oil and canola oil.
- Onion & Garlic. If desired, you can skip sautéing and instead add 1 teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon onion powder to the spice mixture.
- White rice. brown rice works well too, it just takes about double the time to cook.
- Water & bouillon. you can sub chicken broth for the water and bouillon, or vegetable broth. I recommend the better than bouillon brand.
How to Make Mexican Rice
Let’s walk through this recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by whisking together water, bouillon, cumin, chili powder, paprika, sea salt and black pepper in a 2-cup measuring cup (or small bowl).
Then, heat the olive oil, onion and garlic over medium-high heat in a 5 quart saucepan. Cook until the onion is soft (about 3 to 5 minutes).
Then, add the water/seasoning mixture and tomato sauce, cover and bring to a boil.
Then, add the rice to the boiling mixture, cover and bring to a boil again. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer.
Cover the pot and and simmer the Mexican rice for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, stir the rice then cover it again.
Then, turn off the heat and leave the pot of rice on the warm burner for 10 minutes.
Serve
Fluff with a fork and serve garnished with fresh cilantro. I suggest serving this as a side dish to your favorite Mexican Recipes. Here are some suggestions:
- Beef enchiladas or chicken enchiladas.
- Chicken quesadillas
- Ground beef tacos, chicken tacos or sweet potato tacos.
- Don’t forget the guacamole, salsa or refried black beans.
- Use it to make this Mexican casserole recipe.
Store/Freeze
Store leftover Mexican rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months
Mexican Rice Recipe FAQS
It’s a white rice cooked with broth, spices and tomato sauce (which gives it the red color).
If you cook the rice in the olive oil it will make the rice mushy, or if you add too much water.
Yes, you can double this Mexican rice recipe easily.
Absolutely. To do this, put all the ingredients in the rice cooker and let it cook. Fluff it with a fork at the end of the cook time.
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Easy Mexican Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion finely diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup tomato sauce 4 oz
- Garnish: 1-2 TBS fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a 2-cup measuring cup (or small bowl) whisk together water, better than bouillon, cumin, chili powder, paprika, sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a 5-quart saucepan, heat olive oil, onion and garlic over medium-high heat. Cook until the onion is soft.
- Add water/seasoning mixture and tomato sauce, cover and bring to a boil.
- Then, add rice, cover and bring to a boil again. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, stir the rice then cover it again.
- Then, turn off the heat and leave the pot of rice on the warm burner for 10 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and serve garnished with fresh cilantro.
Video
Notes
- Olive oil. any neutral oil works well, including avocado oil and canola oil.
- Onion & Garlic. If desired, you can skip sautéing and instead add 1 teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon onion powder to the spice mixture.
- White rice. brown rice works well too, it just takes about double the time to cook.
- Water & bouillon. you can sub chicken broth for the water and bouillon, or vegetable broth. I recommend the better than bouillon brand.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love Better than Bouillon, too. I wonder if I could figure out a way to make your rice in an Instant Pot.
You can make it in a rice cooker, so I’m sure you can make it in an instant pot – however I don’t own a pressure cooker (gasp)! If I was going to try it I’d just add the ingredients except for the cilantro and let it cook the same way you make other rice dishes!
Simple and flavorful! We made it for taco night tonight and it was an excellent addition. Super easy to make and great flavor.
I personally would prefer a little less tomato flavor but the family all devoured it and that’s really saying something with picky eaters!
I’m so glad your family loves this recipe as much as we do, Ryan!