Easy Mexican Rice

This easy Mexican rice recipe tastes just like the rice from our favorite Mexican restaurant! You won’t believe how simple it is to prepare. Our secret ingredient makes all the difference and adds loads of flavor.

My absolute favorite place to go is the Mexican restaurant down the road. My husband’s least favorite place to go? You guessed it…the Mexican restaurant down the road (or really, any Mexican restaurant).

We compromise by going there as often as possible. That’s just how marriage works. 😉

And on the days we can’t go, I am sure to cook my version of my favorite items from their menu.

We often serve up chips and restaurant style salsa or homemade guacamole along with our turkey tacos or fried tacos…and we always have those with a big dish of this easy Mexican rice. It’s just the perfect dinner, if you ask me!

This rice is simple to make, so fluffy, perfectly seasoned, and it goes great in burritos, as a side dish, or as the base for a burrito bowl.

The secret ingredient in our easy Mexican rice really makes all the difference…keep reading for the details!

Ingredient Notes:

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Rice – I’m using long grain white rice for this. Don’t use the Minute rice as it is already par-cooked and will not work in this recipe.

Olive Oil – You’ll toast the rice in olive oil along with the seasoning and tomato paste to infuse even more flavor into this easy rice recipe.

Seasoning – I’m using a flavorful mix of onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cumin. There is also seasoning in the tomato bouillon that will add flavor!

Tomato Bouillon – Tomato bouillon is our secret ingredient! It’s a big flavor bomb, adding loads of bright tomato flavor. It does have MSG so you may choose not to use it if you avoid this ingredient. We’ve done our own research and are very comfortable using MSG, but it’s a personal choice. Tomato bouillon can be difficult to find in store so we usually get it from Amazon.

Tomato Paste – We buy the squeeze tubs of tomato paste and keep it in the fridge. It doesn’t take long to go through a tube – add it to jarred marinara to boost the flavor, in rice, in marinades, and more!

Chicken Broth – This will add flavor and the liquid necessary to boil and simmer the rice in. There is salt in the tomato bouillon too so you can use low sodium broth if you are concerned about it being too salty.

Topping – Some salt to taste and some cilantro for garnish.

How To Cook Mexican Rice:

Toast: To get started heat some olive oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add in the rice and toast it, stirring often, for about 3 or 4 minutes. You want it to be just lightly toasted, not burnt! The edges should be lightly golden when you’re done.

Seasoning: Start adding in the seasonings along with the tomato bouillon and tomato paste with the rice. Stir to combine all those ingredients up as well as you can and then cook for another minute.

Broth: Pour in the chicken broth and give it a good stir to mix it up well with the other ingredients.

Simmer: Bring the mix to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover up the pan and let it simmer on medium low for 15 minutes. Finally, turn off the heat and leave it covered on the stove for 10 more minutes.

Serve: When ready you can remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. It should have absorbed all that moisture and now be nice and fluffy and full of flavor. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Try it with some cilantro!

What To Serve With Mexican Rice:

This easy Mexican rice is a great side dish that would pair well with pretty much any Mexican inspired dish, and most any other kind too that you’d serve with rice. Here are some good choices:

• Mexican Chicken Casserole with Doritos
• Chicken Chimichanga
• Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
• Mexican Shredded Beef
• Air Fryer Fajitas
• Chili Lime Chicken
• Air Fryer Quesadilla
• Ground Beef Enchiladas

Mexican Rice with Queso:

Every time we eat at the local Mexican joint, my daughter insists on getting a bowl of the white queso to dip her chips in and pour over her rice. Want the secret for how to make that at home?

Add white American cheese slices from your grocery store deli (we have Land o’ Lakes brand around here) to a small saucepan with a few splashes of milk and melt over low heat. It tastes just like the queso from the Mexican restaurant. Add more milk or cheese until you reach the consistency you like.

An even easier method? Just drop a few slices of white American over the top of your cooked rice, put the lid on, and let the steam melt the cheese for a minute or two. Absolute perfection!

What is the proper ratio of rice to water when cooking?

Different varieties of rice will need different amounts of water, but when cooking long grain white rice, you’ll almost always use a 1:2 ratio of rice to water (or broth).

Rinsing Rice:

We either rinse our rice before cooking or we toast our rice. I don’t usually do both as it’s hard to toast wet rice.

If you prefer to rinse rice before cooking it, you can skip the toasting step or you can go ahead and rinse and let drain well in a strainer and then toast.

FAQs:

• Rice Pilaf
• Greek Rice
• Bacon Fried Rice
• Spam Fried Rice
• Rice with Vegetables