Our Mexican Rice recipe is from a friend's Mexican grandmother. Once you've learned how to make Mexican rice, you'll make it all the time! It's that easy.
Recipe by Kaitlin on April 29, 2019
Cook time: PT30M
Total time: PT30M
Rating
4.76 stars (25 reviews)
Keywords
Mexican rice
Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
2½ cups uncooked long grain white rice ((450g))
3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock, or water + 1 bouillon cube ((710 ml))
2 tablespoons tomato paste ((or 1 cup plain tomato sauce))
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Categories
Rice
Cuisine
Mexican
Steps
First, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir constantly until the rice begins to turn golden brown. The toastier your rice, the tastier it will be (information gleaned from my friend, via her grandma of course).
Next, add the chicken stock. The mixture will bubble up, and should be followed immediately by the tomato paste or tomato sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and salt.
Bring to a boil, stirring the tomato paste to dissolve it if using, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Immediately turn the heat down to low and set a timer for 20 minutes.
During or when the rice is done cooking, you may want to check moisture levels. If you smell a hint of a burnt scent, your heat is too high! In this scenario, if the rice is cooked, remove from the heat. If it’s not cooked, lower the heat, and add water ½ cup at a time to continue the cooking process. If it’s too wet, leave the lid slightly ajar or off the pan entirely.
When the rice is done, fluff it with a fork and serve!
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 297 kcal
Carbohydrates: 51 g
Protein: 7 g
Fat: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 3 mg
Sodium: 311 mg
Sugar: 2 g
Reviews
Liam on 2025-05-31 (5 stars): Caitlin, thank you so very much for this simple recipe.
Simple, though enormously versatile, and a great base for so many dishes.
Peasant food at its simplest and very best.
I use the term' peasant food' in a very complimentary way.
All the best food is peasant food.
My wife was raised on authentic Mexican food and will adore this recipe, although I strongly believe she will add more spice.
For me, this recipe is the bringing together of my two favourite ingredients.
For my tastes, I would up the garlic.
Heidi on 2025-04-28 (2 stars): Flavorless as written.
Anna on 2024-11-19 (5 stars): This truly is the best Mexican Rice recipe. My family loves it!
