Easy Mexican Rice

Mexican rice is simple to make with pantry ingredients and perfect for those who aren't fans of Spanish rice. Pair it with your favorite Mexican main dishes for a complete feast.

We make Mexican food A LOT. It’s a weekly menu item but my hubby has never been big on Spanish Rice and I’m not big on box mixes for things I know I can easily make from scratch.

Plus it’s impossible to keep enough boxed mixes on hand for all of the times we make it. The ingredients are pantry staples and solve the chunky tomato issue that turns my husband off of traditional Spanish rice. 

You can serve this with your favorite Mexican main dish and some Horchata and Corn with Cumin Butter & Queso Fresco for an awesome feast!

Want to make more kid friendly Latin American recipes? Get my resource guide on how to make Kid Friendly Latin American Food.

ingredients arranged on a wooden cutting board

Ingredients needed:

  • long grain rice
  • white or yellow onion
  • fresh garlic
  • olive or vegetable oil
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • tomato sauce
  • chicken broth

Additions:

 For Spanish Rice style you can add 2 small chopped tomatoes at the end of the cooking time.

You could also add a mixture of diced carrots, corn and peas for restaurant style Mexican rice. I would add about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the veggie mix at the end of the cooking time and allow them to warm through.

collage showing steps to make the rice

How to make this:

  • Fry uncooked rice, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in oil until rice starts to turn golden brown.
  • Add tomato sauce and broth, cover.
  • Simmer until rice is cooked through and all liquid has absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Can I make Mexican rice in a rice cooker?

Yep! In my experience using a rice cooker, you’ll want to reduce the amount of chicken broth used by about 1 cup because there is less liquid lost during the cooking process.

The same is true if you are using a pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot or Mealthy Multi-Cooker, to cook rice.

A bowl of Mexican rice

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A bowl of Mexican rice sitting in front of a casserole dish

Mexican Rice

Mexican rice is simple to make with pantry ingredients and is an easy side dish to serve with your favorite Latin American main dishes.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 112kcal
Author: Jade Jones

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice
  • ½ onion diced
  • 1 garlic smashed
  • 1-2 Tbsp oil
  • 8 oz tomato sauce or 2 small tomatoes chopped (for Spanish Rice style)
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 pepper
  • 1/2 salt

Instructions

  • Fry uncooked rice, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in oil until rice starts to turn golden brown.
  • Add tomato sauce and broth, cover.
  • Simmer until rice is cooked through and all liquid has absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Notes

For Spanish Rice style you can add 2 small chopped tomatoes at the end of the cooking time.
You could also add a mixture of diced carrots, corn and peas for restaurant style Mexican rice. I would add about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the veggie mix at the end of the cooking time and allow them to warm through.

Nutrition

Sodium: 365mg | Calcium: 15mg | Vitamin C: 6.7mg | Vitamin A: 125IU | Sugar: 1g | Potassium: 177mg | Calories: 112kcal | Fat: 2g | Protein: 2g | Carbohydrates: 21g | Iron: 0.6mg
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8 Comments

  1. Yummy. I personally like the traditional chunks of tomatoes but I also like variety. Thanks for a new option.

  2. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe at the #RecipeSharingParty! I hope to see you next week. Pinned and Yummed. Please visit Over the Moon for more sharing fun! Don’t forget to comment your link #’s so I can be sure to visit.

  3. Exactly. It’s just like it without the chunks of tomato and I know a lot of people don’t dig on the chunks of tomato- my family included!

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