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This authentic Mexican rice recipe is easy to make, made with simple ingredients, and way better than the rice you’ll find at a Mexican restaurant! It’s the perfect side dish for all your favorite Mexican recipes.
If I had to pick one side dish to serve at every meal, it would be this authentic Mexican rice! Made with easy-to-find ingredients and ready in 40 minutes, this rice is perfect alongside Mexican and Tex-Mex favorites like chicken enchiladas, chile rellenos, and carne asada.
Mexican rice is a staple in my Mexican family. As a kid, it was one of those dishes that was always on the dinner table alongside refried beans and the salsa of the day that my mom always made from scratch.
This recipe is exactly how my mom used to make it for me and my brothers and sisters, and I’m so excited to share it with the world!
Did You Know?
While arroz rojo, or Mexican rice, is the most popular type of rice in Mexican cuisine, there’s also a different variation called arroz verde which is green in color and made from roasted and blended poblano peppers and fresh herbs such as cilantro and parsley.
Ingredients in Mexican Rice
- Long grain white rice: The long grains of this rice give you that perfect fluffy and light texture that you want from Mexican rice. Just be sure to rinse the rice under water to remove any extra starch.
- Oil: Canola or your favorite vegetable oil for toasting the rice.
- Onion and garlic: For added savory flavor.
- Tomato: One diced Roma tomato is all you need.
- Tomato paste: This adds more tomato flavor as well as that beautiful orange-red color that is so distinct in Mexican rice. There are other variations that use tomato sauce or tomato bouillon instead. My mom always used tomato paste, so that’s what I’m using today.
- Broth: I like using vegetable or chicken broth instead of water for even more flavor. But if you don’t have broth in the pantry, water will work in a pinch.
- Peas: I like adding frozen peas at the end and fluffing them into the rice so they keep their beautiful vibrant color. You could also add frozen corn, carrots, or green beans for extra veggies.
- Salt: Added during the cooking process, and you can always add more once it’s done if you think it needs more.
How to Make Mexican Rice
Rinse and toast: Rinse the rice under running water until the water runs clear, then saute it in hot oil until the rice begins to brown lightly and gets toasted.
Add onion and tomato: Stir in the onion, tomato, garlic, and salt, and cook for 30 more seconds.
Add broth and tomato paste: Stir in the broth and tomato paste. Continue mixing until the tomato paste has completely dissolved.
Cook: Bring the rice to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Then uncover and let it sit for 5 minutes without touching it.
Add peas: Add the frozen peas and gently fluff them into the rice with a fork. The peas will thaw and warm up with the heat of the rice.
Recipe Tips
- Rinse. Make sure to rinse the rice under running water until the water runs clear. This helps remove any extra starch and helps get the rice beautifully separated and fluffy when cooked.
- Toast. Toasting and browning the rice in oil before simmering it in broth is what gives Mexican rice that savory melt-in-your-mouth flavor that you can’t get enough of!
- Fluff. Fluffing with a fork instead of stirring helps keep your rice nice and fluffy instead of mushy and clumpy.
- Need a foolproof method? If you have an Instant Pot, try my Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe!
- Add a jalapeño to the pot for extra flavor! This doesn’t make the rice spicy, and is removed before serving. You could also use a serrano for a hint of spice instead.
- Make this a full one-pot meal and make Arroz con Pollo (Mexican chicken and rice)! It cooks all together and is such a crowd-pleaser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Spanish rice is typically yellow and gets its color from saffron, whereas Mexican rice is more orange and red and gets its color from tomatoes (either tomato sauce, tomato paste, or tomato bouillon). Spanish rice is also a bit firmer, whereas Mexican rice is softer and almost melts in your mouth.
Mushy rice is typically a result of absorbing too much water and overcooking. If your rice always turns out mushy, try adding a little less water or liquid next time.
1 cup of uncooked rice serves 3-6 people. When cooked, 1 cup of uncooked rice makes about 3 cups. One serving of cooked rice is about 1/2 cup as a side dish and 1 cup as a main dish.
Long-grain white rice is the best rice to use for Mexican rice. Basmati and Jasmine also work.
No, Mexican rice is not traditionally spicy. If you’d like to add some spice, you can add in some jalapeno or serrano peppers to give the dish some heat.
Storing and Reheating
This rice can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
To reheat, heat in the microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between each, until fully heated through.
What to Serve with Mexican Rice
Mexican rice pairs well with a variety of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. Here are some of my favorites:
Authentic Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ medium onion, finely diced
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3 ½ cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
Instructions
- Add rice to a fine mesh strainer or colander and rinse under running water until the water runs clear. Drain well.
- In a large saucepan or pot over low-medium heat, add the oil. When hot, add the rice and saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice begins to lightly brown.
- Add the onion, tomato, garlic and salt. Stir and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the broth and tomato paste. Stir together to mix until the tomato paste has completely dissolved.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and let cook for 20 minutes. Remove the saucepan or pot from the heat, uncover, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the thawed frozen peas and gently fluff them into the rice with a fork. Don't stir. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.
Video
Notes
- Instant Pot: If you have an Instant Pot, try my foolproof Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe.
- Want to add some spice? Add in a chopped jalapeno or serrano pepper when you add in the onion.
- Optional vegetables: I used frozen peas, but you can also use frozen corn, or a frozen pea, corn and green bean mix.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very mushy and flavorless. This recipe was sadly a waste of my time, effort, and money. I ended up throwing it all away and now I’m hungry. I would not recommend this to anyone.
I just had a question. On your directions, you state to begin to brown the “rinsed” rice in oil. I’ve seen this done before and I’ve tried it with no success. The rice became clumpy. What is the best way to rinse the rice before cooking? Does it have to dry before browning?
Hi Martha! That’s odd, I would recommend rinsing it in a strainer and shaking the bowl to really get out the excess liquid. Rinsing it helps remove the starch on the rice which can make it clumpy and should instead help give you fluffy rice. I’m not sure about needing to dry it after rinsing, but you may pat dry it and see how that works. Let us know!
I love this recipe! I do use a little less oil and use canola instead. I also add three tablespoons of paste (or half cup tomato sauce) and one full caldo de tomate cube for the salt. I use just a little bit less than the 4 cups of water because of the paste/sauce. Turns out perfect every time, but may need a bit more salt for some people.
amazing, wife and I are supposed to go out every friday for dinner. can’t because the vir keeping us home so i made a couple things that you have your beans were turned into beef and bean burritos along side this rice. thanks so much.
I’ve been searching for the perfect rice recipe for 10 years and this is it the only thing I did different was I added a cons-mate cube this was amazing with your chile colorada recipe thank you so much for both even my picky husband loved both recipes.
I overcooked it. Totally my own fault as the rest of the meal wasn’t ready when the rice was. Next time I will try putting it in my rice cooker when it’s time to add the water. My “generous pinch” of salt was probably less generous than it should of been. I prefer recipes to give me a starting point for salt, rather than “to taste”. I will try it again, as I can see the potential.
Loved it! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I’ve been trying to make my family’s rice recipe for years but since no one actually has it written down or…measures things…its been pretty hit or miss. Mostly miss.
But this was super easy to follow and turned out great. Used red onion because I didn’t have white and it’s just as tasty. Will need some more salt but I’m just a salt fiend. My kitchen smells like my granny’s house now and it’s so nice!
I’m so happy you like the recipe! And also makes me smile that it reminds you of granny’s house 🙂
Cooked this to have as a side with chicken and fish tacos and it was yummy. Love getting your family recipes down here in Australia Isabel. Thanks
Thank you so much! So happy to hear my recipes are being made in Australia!
Delicious! I added a little achiote powder for color & used chicken stock instead of water, but otherwise, stuck to the recipe. The rice cooked perfectly & made a great addition to tamales & beans.
Thank you, April! I love that you added achiote powder – such a great idea!
Thank you to you and your mom. In my family my aunt made the best rice but no one knew her recipe. Using your recipe and tips from other good cooks I found a good recipe for our house. So glad I found your little corner of the blog world.