Classic Mexican Rice Recipe
Mexican rice is, as recipe developer Catherine Brookes says, "A simple and fun way to jazz up rice." Although the dish is quite similar to Spanish rice, it's not exactly the same thing. Amigo Foods explains that Spanish rice has a yellow tint, usually from the saffron that's added, while Mexican rice has more of a reddish hue from the cumin. Mexican rice also tends to be cheaper to make, since saffron is one pricey spice.
Brookes describes the flavor of this Mexican rice dish as "savory with some natural sweetness from the tomatoes, and a hint of spice." Compared to other dishes, this rice recipe is very mild, as its only hint of spiciness comes from a pinch of chili powder. If you prefer your rice spicier, however, you could always sautée some chopped chiles along with the onions, or season it with hot sauce such as Cholula or Tapatío.
Gather the ingredients to make Mexican rice
The rice used in this dish is just plain white rice — uncooked, of course. You'll also need onions, garlic, olive oil, tomato purée, canned of fresh chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, and tomato sauce. To season the dish, you'll need chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, plus some chopped cilantro to give the dish a bit of extra color.
Sautée the aromatics
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat, then sautée the chopped onion for about 5 minutes, until it has softened to some extent. Toss the minced garlic into the pan, and cook it for 1 minute, until aromatic.
Cook the rice
At this point, add in the tomato purée, chicken broth, tomatoes, rice, cumin, and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down until it's simmering. Cook the rice, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
Finish the dish with cilantro
Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, and stir in the chopped cilantro. Your Mexican rice is now ready to eat. While it can, of course, be paired with a Mexican dish such as enchiladas, or used to make a Chipotle-style burrito, Brookes says you can pair it with many different dishes. "I like to serve [this rice] with spicy chicken wings."
If you have leftover rice, or you're a fan meal prepping, you'll be glad to know that this Mexican rice can be frozen. Whenever you want another helping, simply heat it up in the microwave.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 14.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups uncooked white rice
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sautée the onion for about 5 minutes, or until it softens.
- Add the garlic to the pan with the onion, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato purée, chicken stock, tomatoes, rice, cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring the rice mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat until it's just simmering. Cook the rice uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed.
- Stir the cilantro into the Mexican rice, and serve.