Easy Mexican Rice Recipe (Restaurant-Style)
Mexican rice is so easily recreated right at home! You will wonder why you have never made it before now.
This Authentic Mexican rice was such a hit with my family that I couldn’t even tell you how many times we have made it since.
This recipe is so easy and makes a perfect complementary dish with any Mexican/Spanish entree.
We made this side dish for our favorite Mexican chicken burrito bowls. But I have also served it with tacos and wrapped it up in a burrito. Really it’s so flavorful you could serve this as a side dish with almost any entree.
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Ingredients
Let’s take a look at the ingredients—nothing out of the ordinary here. You probably already have all of this.
- Long grain white rice – Short grain rice tends to be too starchy.
- Oil -Vegetable or canola oil.
- Onion – White onion, finely diced.
- Garlic – 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, depending on your taste.
- Tomato sauce – We don’t use tomato bouillon or chicken bouillon in this recipe.
- Chicken stock – Or vegetable stock if you want to make it vegetarian.
- Cumin, salt, and black pepper
How to Make Mexican Rice (restaurant-style)
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. You will need a pan with high sides.
Saute onion for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the white rice and saute until golden brown.
Add minced garlic, chicken stock, cumin, tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. (Make it vegetarian Mexican rice by using vegetable stock.)
You could add peas and carrots if you like. I personally pick them out at restaurants, so I leave them out when making this at home.
Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Very few ingredients, very little time and you have the perfect side dish!
A few people in my home have been known to sit down with just a large bowl of this rice. They love Mexican food, and this restaurant-style Mexican rice does not disappoint!
Mexican Rice and Beans
This rice goes great with our Charro Beans! You will have the perfect sides for taco night!
Tips
- Use a large saute pan with relatively high sides.
- It is best to use the stovetop method. A rice cooker just does not lend the same results.
- Browning the rice before adding the liquids helps with the absorption of flavors and delivers a nice tender texture.
- Feel free to add chopped fresh tomato, corn, green chiles, peas, and carrots. We prefer it without the extra vegetables.
- For spicy Mexican rice use your favorite spicy salsa to replace the tomato sauce.
- Just as with cooking any rice dish, resist opening the lid. Rice needs steam to cook properly.
FAQ
Long-grain white rice is best. You can substitute brown rice, but it will require another 1/3 cup of chicken stock and about 10 to 20 minutes more cooking time.
Yes. Let it cool completely. Store in an air-tight freezer container for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. You may need to add a little more chicken broth or water.
Actually, no. While similar Spanish rice is more yellow and uses saffron, Mexican rice does not use Saffron and is redder in color from the use of tomato sauce.
More Delicious Recipes
These Mexican dishes listed below pair perfectly with this rice.
- Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
- Crispy Pork Carnitas Recipe
- Grilled Adobo Pork Tenderloin Recipe
- Baked Chicken Chimichangas
- Street Tacos
Easy Mexican Rice Recipe (Restaurant-Style)
Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup onion, diced small
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat.1/4 cup oil
- Add onion and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.1/2 cup onion, diced small
- Add rice and cook until golden brown.2 cups long-grain white rice
- When rice is golden brown, add stock, tomato sauce, salt, garlic, cumin and pepper to pan.8 ounces tomato sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- Stir and cover pan.
- Let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Until rice is cooked through.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from lilluna.com
Looks and sounds delicious! I’ll have to try it soon! Thank for sharing the recipe! Blessings, Janet
Thank you, Janet! 🙂
We love Mexican Rice and your recipe looks delicious. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
Miz Helen
Thank you, Miz Helen!
Mexican Food is my favorite and this looks amazing!! I’ll take rice over beans any day!! Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! See you later this week!! Pinned!
Thank you, Elaine! My daughter can’t seem to get enough of this rice. I seem to be making it every week. 😉
Wow, this looks really good! I never can make good Mexican rice, but I’m going to try it this way. I am terrible at cooking rice in general! Lol! Thanks for sharing; I’m pinning.
Thanks, Martie! This rice turns out perfect every time, I hope it works for you.
This Mexican rice looks so yummy! Cant wait to try it caus my girls love rice!
Thank you! Let me know if you try it and how you like it. 🙂
My daughter and I would love this. My husband, for some odd reason, doesn’t like tomato in his rice. I think his mother broke him. LOL She canned her own tomatoes and even made their own ketchup, the highlight of his and his sister’s Christmas was getting store bought ketchup as a gift! LOL She broke him! But we can make this for us and make extra beans for him. This looks delish! And I love a great bowl of rice, topped with cheese, salsa and sour cream! It’s a great lunch or warmed up dinner for one!
Awww, your poor husband! I hope you try the recipe and let me know what you think.
Never made my own Mexican rice before, looks great! Pinning!
Thanks, April! I hope you give it a try.
Wow this looks so good, I am going to have to try this! Thank you. I would love for you to come participate in our Blog Hop. The Homesteader Hop every Wednesday, I do hope you will come out and join us. https://www.floydfamilyhomestead.com/2016/06/08/homesteader-hop-6/
Thank you, Shane! I hope you like the recipe. I will be stopping by the blog hop in just a little bit. 🙂
Delicious I need to try it, thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop, pinning and tweeting.
Thanks so much, Swathi! 🙂
Thank you for joining Delicious Dishes Recipe Party. Hope to see you again tomorrow!
I made this after scouring the internet for authentic Mexican rice . I’m guilty of using box mixes until now .. never again! This is the real deal and reminds me of the rice at our favorite restaurant. Thank you so much for posting such an easy and delicious recipe !