Mexican Rice
Restaurant-style Mexican rice can easily be made right at home, and it tastes a million times better too!
Growing up in a very traditional Korean household, we had fried rice for dinner at least once a week. It was my mom’s go-to clean-out-the-fridge meal, especially on those busy nights where she was too tired to cook. Now I love fried rice just as much as the next person, but I realized it was time to change it up with this restaurant-style Mexican rice.
This Mexican rice comes together so easily and quickly in a single pot, which makes for an easy clean-up. You can also throw in your favorite veggies but I kept it simple with onion, corn kernels, peas and carrots. From there, the rice is simmered in tomato sauce and chicken broth, along with some cumin and chili powder for that extra kick of flavor.
You can serve as is or alongside some tacos or enchiladas. We loved it as a main dish, digging our way in with tortilla chips. Either way, we loved the change from our usual Asian-style fried rice and have made this at least 3 times this week!
Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup corn kernels
- ½ cup diced carrots
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in rice until toasted, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in tomato sauce and vegetable broth, and bring to a simmer, about 2 minutes. Stir in corn, carrots, peas, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes. Stir in tomatoes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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haven’t made this in awhile but i made it right now and it’s SOOOO good. make sure to wash your rice and soak it!!! i added a knorr tomato bouillon cube,i replaced the tomato sauce with el pato and i used chicken bone broth instead of veggie broth. made this with fresh off the grid’s cilantro lime tacos.
This Mexican Rice is absolutely deeee-licious! So glad that I found this recipe! I served it with baked enchilada meatballs and it was a fantastic meal! Super easy to make and it makes lots for leftovers!
My Mom made her mexican rice by blending tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt & pepper. She mastered making rice early in her marriage after burning the rice many times. She would whip up this rice quickly and top it with sliced hard boiled eggs or peas. This recipe was good but next time I’ll have to soak the basmati rice for the recommended 30 minutes because it took longer than 13-16 minutes to cook (covered) & I kept needing to add more water to prevent sticking/burning. This is a keeper recipe!
YUMMY
This might be the best rice ever! I used brown basmati so I upped the broth to 2.5 cups and it took longer but otherwise made as written and it was so delicious. Served this pulled chicken, baked beans and a no mayo coleslaw…happy fam
Simple yet wonderfully tasty, served with tortilla chips and avocado. Simple brilliant!!! Will make this again. Used long grain rice and also added baby sweet corn.
So impressed with this recipe. It tasted really good and surprisingly easy to make. I normally struggle with getting the rice perfect but i followed this recipe very closely and my rice came out perfect! Hubby was impressed. Can not recommend enough.
Simply loved it, tweaked a little n added cauliflower, still tasted good!! Thank you for this gem of a receipe!!
Tried this with little modification just some ancho chilli flakes for a bit of extra spice. Stuffed inside a red longitudinally cut red pepper topped with a little Manchego cheese and baked, served the Cajun spiced chicken wings and a green salad on the side.
Kids love it and its an easy way of getting veg into then.
I wrote this recipe down directly to my recipe book, expecting to adjust things as I went along. Well, for once, I didn’t need to adjust anything. It was just fantastic and exactly what I wanted. I had it with some 15 hour slow cooked goat mexican style, with some mushrooms and guac. Seriously yum and I will make it again.
We make this fairly often. It’s five stars as written but it’s versatile and you can change things up if you’re feeling like something new. Want to get rid of some random vegetables you have before they go bad? Toss ‘em in!
We usually use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth for a little extra flavor.
And as others have said, getting the rice toasted properly is key
Tasty! I stuck to the recipe mostly but omitted carrots and peas (didn’t have them) and added black beans to make it a meal and jalapeno for a bit of a kick. My very picky 3 year old loved it!
Made for the first time this evening and served it with salmon – delicious!
Great flavor! We loved it. I did end up adding more liquid to it. It absorbed too quickly. This recipe is a keeper.
Howdy, vegetarian cook here since 1972. :). I certainly would toss in the frozen diced carrots at the beginning, because frozen carrots remind me of tasteless cardboard that needs cooking (I mean, why doesn’t everyone have a 1-lb bag of fresh carrots in the fridge when they’re so cheap, always available, don’t take up much space, and a root vegetable keeps a long time in the fridge, have we become so lazy or impatient we can’t dice a carrot??). But I wouldn’t add frozen peas until a minute or two before removing from the stove for serving: they don’t need cooking, just warming, and will lose their bright color and texture if cooked any longer. Kids are fussy about texture, and less cooking also preserves their sweetness. Same for frozen corn niblets, add near the end of cooking, before the peas. And the fresh cilantro: I’d add some to the pot including the chopped stems, during cooking… and add more cilantro leaves on top for service, so they give slightly different flavor profile, bright color, and fragrance. A personal tip about basmati rice: rinse it two or three times, and let it rest in the strainer or soak for about 15 minutes before cooking, while you’re prepping the rest. It will enhance flavor and cook faster, and open the grains to cook all the way through and lengthen fully (real basmati is bred to lengthen when cooked), soaking also gets rid of a naturally protective chemical that many seeds have that inhibits absorption of stuff like zinc, iron and phosphorus. Get your money’s-worth of flavor, texture and nutrition by a quick soak after rinsing, to remove surface starch and debris. And by the way… if you’ve never tasted real basmati from India, I’d personally suggest you treat yourself to a bag of Dawaat brand basmati. It’s not that much more expensive than California or generic rice. If your rice never turns out as fluffy or separate long-grain as you’d like, or it’s sticky or blah… it might not be your technique at all, it could just be your brand of rice!
I looove this recipe! I’m making it for the 2nd time and fixed it up for my tatstes. (I sauted all the veggies plus zuch, extra garlic, red pepper flakes. I also used some hatch enchilada sauce I hooked up instead of Tom sauce, I also added some lime juice and honey, and finally I added black beans and chicken stock to make it healthier as a main dish. Bc tbh I’m not making Mexican rice and anything else. I’m way too ADD for that.) The first time I made it I stuck closer to the og recipe and it was total fire. But I also love adapted recipes to fit my palate. Also this is a great recipe if you’re not a huge fan of brown rice but want to be healthier. I used brown rice the first time and my kid didn’t even notice and normally she complains when I use brown rice. Also I used an instant pot. Sauté function first then after adding the liquids and the peas and corn, I cooked on manual for 15mins. For brown rice. For white 4-6 depending on what texture you like. Also changed the liquid ratio for the rice I was using. (I like former rice so I tend towards less liquid.)
Very tasty. Perfect with fajitas tonight. I added some cheddar cheese to it just for a little something xtra but delicious
Absolutely delicious. My son loves anything to do with any rice but this is one his absolute favourites now. Husbands a but picky where food is concerned but he loved this too.Mine stuck a little but other than that it was perfect and I followed the recipe exactly. It needed the 16 minutes because after 13 it was still slightly crunchy. But this is a keeper for me. Going to look on here for more recipes for sure. Thankyou.
Great recipe – made it on a rainy night in Ontario cottage country! I didn’t have chili powder so I took chili flakes, paprika and I ground them with a mortar and pestle along with the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin – and a chicken bouillon. I put wine into the carrots and onions after they softened, then added the paste. I used canned diced tomatoes and some water. It all tasted great. I agree with the other reviewer re: basmati getting kind of pasty. I used basmati and that’s what happened. Great flavour though. Definitely recommend it with a change in the rice. I also added sweet potato to it – a little “extra” but my family likes sweet potato and it was ok with it. Maybe that contributed to more pastiness. One more thing – I used 1.5 cups of rice vs 1 cup and adjusted measurement of the other ingredients. It made WAY too much for 7 people – but hey, we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Has anyone doubled, tripled, or more this recipe? I’m making for a group of 35, so am wondering if I can do 3 batches of doubling or 2 batches of tripling the recipe.
Make sure you toast your rice well. The main reasons for toasting rice is to bring out that aromatic nutty flavor and cut down the liquid required for normal rice. I’m sure if most of you tried the recipe again and toasted your rice longer it won’t need as much water and the flavor (nuttiness) will enhance . I always toast the rice first (3/4 of the way) then add onions etc. hope this helps some of you.
I made this using a rice cooker instead of a skillet because I’m shamefully lazy, and it turned out surprisingly good!
I used 2 measuring cups of rice (about 1 1/2 “regular” cups) for 1/3 L broth (about 1 1/2 “regular” cups) and it turned out perfect – but keep in mind that rice cookers need less water than skillets! As MDS said in the comments, if you’re using a skillet you probably want more broth than this recipe says. (Basically, I added as much liquid as the rice cooker said, and then added the tomato sauce and the veggies.)
Really easy and was just as easy to make in the UK (sometimes American recipes are hard to replicate here).
We love the recipes from this site but there’s something wrong here. The amount of rice and liquid is way off and the rice comes out crunchy. I thought my husband made it incorrectly the first time but then I made it with the same results. Really wish I could have left a more positive review as we do love other recipes on this site.
The same thing happened to me as well and I followed the recipe to a T. Thanks for commenting because After reading all of the comments I thought what on earth went wrong. I added triple the water and cooked it for twice as long, added more seasoning and then it tasted good. I will make again but change the recipe.
Yum! Loved this as-is…The only thing I did that may or may not be a change is that I used the measuring cup for rice that came with my rice-maker instead of an actual 1&1/2 cups rice (rice maker measuring cups are smaller than actual)…To be clear, I didn’t cook the rice in the rice-maker – just used that adjusted measurement for the rice…I mention this because others say they didn’t have enough liquid…Mine turned out very well, so maybe that adjusted amount of rice is what was intended all along…Regardless, this was delicious and we will make it again.
The food turned out to be very tasty but sadly there is one major issue with the recipe and it may be down to the language difference between UK and USA. You state in the recipe to use corn kernels, so i went and looked for corn kernels as i have never heard this name before. I bought the hard versions used for popping as they were called kernels! Alas they never cooked and stayed hard so FYI the rest of the world calls them sweetcorn. If you want your recipe to be more internationally friendly that is…
I guess the assumption is you have some basic cooking sense. Actually the rest of the world understands that kernel is the correct word for a piece of the corn
I’ve made this I don’t know how many times now and it always comes out great. If we want a little extra spice I’ll use Enchilada sauce instead of the plain tomato sauce. Also if I’m pressed for time or just don’t have fresh corn on hand 2 cups frozen mixed veggies does work instead of the corn/carrots/peas. Not as good of course but it does work. The leftovers freeze well too (we’re only two people so that’s a big one for me). Another great recipe, thank you!
Awesome Mexican Rice!!! Just wondering if I can make this ahead of time
Thanks
Lise
Best Mexican Rice recipe I have ever tried. I made it as written with the exception of the Roma tomatoes. I didn’t have any and we like spicy, so I drained a can of Rotel and added it at the end at the same point I would have added the Romas. It was great and our guests loved it as well. After reading the reviews below, I have to say, I followed the complete recipe including all liquid. I did not have to add any additional liquid at all and the rice was perfect. I thought the vegetables added definite flavor and I considered even adding some beans to the rice, but I’ll save that for next time.
Personal preference, but I don’t want any veggies in my Mexican rice. So I left them out. I did not use basmati rice, but rather long grain. Mainly because I find things made with a as ati are a little pasty. Great for stirfry and other things but not what I want in my Mexican rice. I used a can of rotelle in place of the two Roma tomatoes, since I didn’t have them I’m glad I did because it gave a little bit more of a kick to this dish. I think I would’ve considered it bland without that. I don’t care for really spicy, but it’s got to have flavor. It’s not a judgment on this recipe since we all have different taste buds for what we like. I have an aunt that uses nothing but salt and pepper and I have no clue how she eats anything because it’s so tasteless. I have never had rice cook in less than 20 minutes. I also knew that it needed half half a cup of water more, based on experience. The tomato sauce really doesn’t impart enough liquid to take the place of water. I also kept it on a bare simmer. After sitting on the back of the stove, off the heat, with a lid on for about five minutes, the rice was perfect.
Made this dish, even though there’s alot of ingredients, it is super easy. The flavor is rich. Love it
Thanks for sharing.
The flavour is great and it’s quick to make. My only negative comment is that it needs at least DOUBLE the liquid amount. After 15 mins on the stove it started to burn on the bottom, the liquid had absorbed, and the rice was still crunchy. I had to add another 2 cups to what was initially called for. Flavour was bomb though.
Tried this for the first time and it turned out so well. Super pleased with the flavors. At the end though, the base of my rice was burnt, so I refrained from scrapping the bottom layer. But the rest of it was all good and absolutely delicious.
Note to self: Would probably try using another pot the next time.
This is a great basic Mexican rice recipe. My husband said it tasted like most other rice he has had. I’ll be reheating it in the oven tomorrow for Superbowl, since I’m doing a taco/nacho bar. I added some extra water for the reheating process so it doesn’t get dried out. Then I’ll add the fresh diced tomatoes and cilantro. Thanks!
My novio is Mexican. He loves this rice. It is the only recipe I make for him. Sometimes twice a week. He is not a potato man, unfortunately.
One of the best Mexican Rice recipe. We made once before and plan to make again this week. Directions are great. We used two cups of frozen mixed vegetables since that is all we had. Turned out great. Thanks for the recipe
AH-maZing!!
Very tasty
But I agree, unless you get instant rice it takes mine like an hour to cook and alot more liquid.
Very good but takes much longer to cook until rice is tender. I added bell pepper and some cooked crumbled sausage for a complete meal. I also stirred in an envelope of Old El Paso Fajita dry seasoning. Some finely diced jalapeño would be yummy but my husband does not like things too spicy. I added more broth and finished it up in the oven at 275 covered 15 minutes, uncovered 15 minutes
Loved this. One question what do you mean by tomato sauce? I’m in Australia and tomato sauce for us is more like American ketchup. Is it crushed tomatoes? Well, that’s what I substituted and it worked well.
It’s spaghetti or pasta sauce without any spices added, just tomatoes and salt. In the US it comes in a small can. The smooth kind of tomato sauce with no tomato chucks.
Pesata or blend a tin plum tomatoes
Does a tin of plum tomatoes work the same. Where I live I have to get passata from a foreign shop so a bit pricey. Do you add anything to the plum tomatoes? Thanks
In coles you can find out called “pasata” in the isle with all the tinned tomato and pasta sauces
Just 1 question. How large an onion? Maybe a volume would be better.
Excellent recipe, very satisfying results.
Very tasty.
However apparently I bought rice that had to cook for 40 min, so it was still hard at 16 minutes. I had to add in many more cups of broth to accommodate this.
So be sure to check your rice package before making this.
Turned out beautifully but not enough chili powder, garlic nor comino for us. We’ll make modifications when we make it in the future so that it will more align with our Texas taste buds. Thank you for such a well done recipe that prints on ONE page!
I’m excited to find this site.
Overall a good recipe, but not enough liquid or seasonings for Texas style flavor and consistency. I also nix the vegetables- no need to add all the extras to a traditional dish.
So good! I added more broth and a tad less rice, used a little butter with the olive oil to cook the rice, also jalapeños, tajin seasoning and left over taco night beans and seasoned fake beef. Excellent!
Great recipe! I use it all the time as a base for burrito bowls and burritos. I however use long grain brown rice and canned diced tomatoes. It takes a lot longer (an hour or so) but a lot healthier. Such a good dish!
Love your Mexican rice recipe! I think it’s better than what my Tias made. I also recommended it to my daughter.
This is a very tasty recipe but even though I followed exactly the directions it doesn’t include nearly enough liquid 1 and 1/2 cups of the rice should take twice that much liquid and the recipe only calls for a cup and a half of Veggie broth and cup of tomato sauce. I just kept adding veggie broth until the rice was completely cooked
I am so happy I found this recipe, I will try and make it next time with all the ingredients…..I used just the tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder with some salt and chicken broth…added corn and it was amazing….got picky ones that are texture particular and they loved it….happy mom♥️♥️♥️
Tasty and easy recipe but needed to add more liquid at the end and cook longer.
I liked it and the recipe is easy to follow. I also added more water at the end to cook the rice. I had to substitute the tomato sauce for tomato paste mixed with water and the sauce was too thick. So, no big deal adding more water. I also substituted the spices for taco seasoning I had in my pantry. I used the rest of the package of taco seasoning to flavor up some left over baked chicken. And, then served the chicken on top of the rice.
This is a nice and easy weekday dinner recipe with leftover cooked chicken.
Turned out great! Super flavorful. I used 1 cup of rice instead and put it in the rice cooker. Thanks for the recipe!
Loved this! Like others, we needed to put a lot more liquid than the recipe said .. but it was really tasty!
Does it work with Jasmine rice ? Thx
I’m not a great cook, but I found this recipe to be easy to follow and full of flavor. Thank you for another great addition to our dinner rotation!
Yummy! Right amount of liquid for tender rice. A visiting baby really enjoyed – the parents were amazed and took the recipe home. Thank you for sharing.
This works like a charm! I’ve made it a couple of times and it’s worked and tasted great. I let it come up to a boil and pop it in a 350 oven for 20 minutes or so. I think I’ll try it minus the chili powder & cumin but with cajun spice for Jambalaya.
really delicious
I love cooking mainly because I love food. Your recipe was delicious. I appreciate getting the basics of a recipe and tweeking it to my taste. There is no reason to criticize your recipe as it is a contribution to the home chefs of the world. Keep up the great work.
Thanks awfully much appreciated thanks again
Swapped the tomatoe sauce for a can of chopped tomatoes. Added extra chilli and cumin and left out the carrot. Did it in a rice cooker just changed the amount of liquid I needed. Turned out perfect.
Any Basmati rice should be washed thoroughly until the water runs clear, and then soaked for up to half an hour before cooking once drained….therefore the rice doesn’t need as much liquid to cook it and it cooks very quickly, about 6 -8 minutes, watching closely towards the end….nobody likes gluggy rice..
This recipe was delicious, I added a very small scotch bonnet chili as we like quite spicy food…Thank you for sharing this recipe, will make again minus the carrot…nobody was a fan of that 🙂
I made tonight following recipe. It was ok. If I make again I would probably sauté rice first. Then onions, carrots and garlic at end. Maybe add some tomato paste too before adding liquids.
I’m only leaving this review to comment on the complaints about the Liquid not being adequate to cook the rice. You need to know how to cook rice for this. It has nothing to do with Chungah’s recipe. You don’t just pour water in rice and boil it off, you turn the heat totally down as soon as it bubbles. Turn it all the way down and a little liquid will steam a lot of rice, and keep all the flavour in too.
This is amazing! Rice dishes have never been a fave for me but I’ve been trying to throw in some variety and dishes with ways to add veggies for my 3 little boys. This is delicious and gets eaten up every time I make it. It’s nicely adaptable too and I’ve thrown in various veg on hand and omitted others on occasion. Thank you!! I also never write reviews but his warranted the 5 stars from me 🙂
Great recipe – I threw in south chipotle sauce too. Bloody lovely. I never write reviews.
Do you have Instant Pot directions for this recipe?
Recipe looks delicious; however we Texans prefer a bit more spice than your hybrid Korean mixture. We would use a lot more chili powder (preferably pure ground chilies, not that mess that Gebhearts sells), some added cumin, no carrots please, peas are ok. We would also substitute canned Tomatoes and Green Chilies instead of the vegetable broth and moderate the fresh tomato accordingly. I do not intend to fault your recipe; just wanted to make you aware of what REAL Mexican rice might be like.
ema39
“Hybrid Korean mixture”…questionable choice of words. To answer your question, you can adjust all recipes to your liking, Eugene.
This is why, although I cook very well, I could never be a food blogger. Kudos on exercising class and restraint.
This is a variation of Mexican Rice. There are so many different recipes. Don’t knock it saying that Texan Mexican Rice is the most authentic. TexMex is a variation of Mexican and New Mexican. The real deal is Mexican and the small, old Spanish towns in New Mexico. Real Mexican Rice is called Spanish Rice de Mexico. It has rice, onions, garlic, fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, green bell peppers, no corn, no peas, water (not chicken broth), no cilantro, and salt and pepper (no cumin or chili pepper). Adding in a ton of spices muddies up this side dish. Mexican rice is supposed to be a “cool” element on the plate when your mouth is hot from something like enchiladas.
will it work with microwave rice ?
Made this tonight. As always, so good!
I made a few minor adjustments. I cooked the carrots with the onion and garlic. I omitted the peas because my husband doesn’t like them. And I added the cilantro into the rice when I added the tomatoes. Fantastic!!
****Just a suggestion!!****
But maybe you could also try using tomato bouillon! (the Knorr brand makes a pretty good one)…instead of the tomato sauce + vegetable broth. It’s how my mom makes her rice. 🙂
The recipe must use instant Basmati. My dish took 40 minutes to cook too. Every Basmati Rice I have used say to cook for 40 minutes. This recipe should stipulate instant Basmati Rice if wanting the recipe to cook in 15 minutes.
I use basmati rice a LOT and have never ever ever had to cook it for 40 minutes…. It’s one of the quickest cooking rices out there. Try Royal Basmati. For every cup of rice use 1.5 cups of water. When the rice nd water come to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low and the rice will be done in no time.
My boyfriend and I love this recipe! However, we doubled the amount of broth and also didn’t use peas or carrots but added bell pepper. We also quadrupled the spice. It has become a staple in our meal rotation!
Wow! Another great recipe of yours that we love! I had to do some modifications based on what I had on hand. I had to use Italian style tomatoes in place of tomato sauce. I bet having regular would be even better! I had to sub basmati for instant rice (I know! I know!), BUT it actually worked! I toasted it like you did, and when I covered it I reduced the time down to 5 minutes. I LOVE this recipe. I’m going to use this from now on instead of the horrible pre-packaged rice mixes at the store. Thank you so much!
Wow. .. This Mexican Rice I cooked is delicious! Thanks for the recipe. Won’t be the last time I cook it. ..
I need to make this for a company party, like for 50+ people. Would the best way be to cook in batches & increase cooking time or should I cook up the garlic, onion, toast the rice and throw everything into a rice cooker?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer with certainty as I have never used a rice cooker for this recipe. It may be best to cook in batches. But as always, please use your best judgment.
Im Mexican and hubby Persian, I often use Basmati rice and love the idea of brings our rice together (Persian love Basmati). Question: I typically use chicken broth but only have beef broth, so you think that would be ok? Also, should i soak rice? perhaps that will help with the time to cook? Thank you!
Yes, beef broth should be fine! Although I don’t think you need to soak the rice. But as always, please use your best judgment.
What brand of basmati rice are you using? I had the same problem as other commenters where the amount of liquid and cooking time were no where near enough. I had to add at least another cup of water and cook it an addition 15 minutes. Came out fine. Just curious if there is a brand difference in the rice. I used Mahatma brand basmati rice. Thanks!
My mum used to make rice very similar to this called “red rice” when we were kids. I’m making it this evening for friends. It’s lovely with grated cheese on top.
I prefer long grain rice to basmati for this recipe, and it’s a whole lot less expensive too, I save the basmati for curries 🙂
Can you make this the day before for company and heat in the oven the next day.
Yes, you can reheat as needed.
I used brown basmati rice. I cooked it for over an hour, having to add more broth and tomato sauce of course and the rice NEVER cooked. It was awful and very frustrating.
Ann, brown rice can be substituted but cooking time will have to be adjusted accordingly.
Would adding hot Italian sausage change the flavor too much in your opinion? looking to add some meat to this delicious sounding recipe.
Regards,
Hi Chungah, my husband is craving Mexican rice so I thought I’d give your recipe a try. I’m more of a lover of Asian food, myself. I’m hoping yours if the best of both worlds.
Cheers!
Hi, I want to try and make this tomorrow… i want to know if i can use sweet corn or not for this? maybe this is a dumb question but i am a real beginner at cooking and i dont know how to use anything with anything haha.
thanks!
Brikena
Yes, sweet corn kernels should work just fine.
I found this recipe probably three months ago and I have probably made it once a week since then! I love it! I use all frozen vegetables and decrease the rice and increase the broth because my rice always takes a long time. It’s seriously the best Mexican rice I have ever had!
Made it tonight and it was very good.i added more vegetable broth,an other cup because the rice was not cooked.i used fresh carrots instead of a can and the carrots were not totally cooked, next time I will use a can or cook the carrots before .i will do it again.
Stumbled upon your site a while back, but this was the first recipe I had tried. Finally, a mexican rice that wasn’t mushy!! I doubled the cumin and chili powder and added a half-cup of a leftover flat mexican beer – great flavor to go with our homemade refried beans and turkey enchiladas.
Thanks and I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Hi Chungah, I recently discovered your site & I have made your One Pan Mexican Quinoa (twice!) which even my one year old loves as well as your Baked Brown Sugar Chicken Wings (YUM!!). I would like to make the Mexican Rice tonight although I only have the pouches of the Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice on hand. Do you think I can use that by taking it out of the pouch still frozen and cook it according to your instructions? I believe one pouch equals two cups so I’d have to adjust the seasonings a little. Thank you!!
Jocelyn, that sounds like a great idea but I can’t really say for sure how or if these will turn out as I have never tried this product myself. Please use your best judgement.
I was very excited to try this recipe in lieu of the boxed variety at the grocery store. I followed the recipe to the letter and it just didn’t turn out very well. Not sure what I could or should have done differently since I didn’t deviate from the recipe at all. The main issue as another person mentioned was, 1 1/2 cups of the vegetable broth to 1 1/2 cups of the basmati rice just wasn’t enough liquid. I added another cup and it helped but still doesn’t seem to be enough. And then to compensate for the added liquid, more spices had to be added because it became way too bland after adding additional broth.
By adding more liquid, it’s not surprising that the spice flavors were off. If more liquid needs to be added to taste, it is best to increase the spices accordingly.
This was excellent- I added a Tbsp of sriracha and it was just the right amount of spice!
I love your site
This has become my go to mexican rice recipe. I add diced poblano peppers – black beans- cilantro- green onions- and whatever else I have on hand.
A squirt of siracha also kicks it up a notch!
This recipe is so good!!!
YUM! Can’t wait to make this! Your recipe calls for vegetable broth but then in the directions states to add chicken broth. Which do you use?
Thanks for pointing that out! You can actually use either or – it depends if you want to keep this strictly vegetarian or not.
Just made this tonight and it was a great base for me to experiment with. I did not have basmati rice and try to use brown grains when possible so I used brown rice. When using brown rice it will need at least twice the cooking time (40-45 minutes) and twice the liquid. I continued adding chicken broth as it was cooking and used about 3 cups. Because of the increased liquid, the seasonings became dull. Next time I make it, I will use two cans of tomato sauce and at least twice the chili powder and cumin with a little extra chicken broth. I used frozen mixed veggies because it’s what I had on hand but would love to try it with bell peppers and corn. This went wonderfully beside Mexican style shredded chicken stuffed crescent rolls. YUM! Thank you for giving me a base for expanding my cooking skills 🙂 LOVE your site!
I noticed you marked this under “vegetarian” but then added Chicken broth. I would assume vegetarian broth would work the same and taste the same for this recipe?
Yes, that’s exactly right!
Is it fine if i leave out the chicken broth? Are there any substitutes? I want to make a vegetarian version
You can use vegetable broth/stock to fit your dietary restrictions.
This looks so good! Can I use 5 minute brown rice or will it be too mushy? I can’t wait to try it!
You can certainly try substituting 5 minute brown rice but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. It is always best to use the ingredients listed in the recipe to obtain the best results possible.
Very nice recipe! Thank you.
made this tonight and need to add twice the amount of chicken stock!
That’s a lot of stock to add in, but glad it worked out!
I tried this recipe and the rice was not cooked thoroughly. What might have gone wrong? Would appreciate ideas. I was thinking maybe there was not enough liquid…for basmati rice, typically, I do parts water to 1 part rice. This recipe says equal parts water (broth) and rice. Could it be that? I should have added more broth or water and cooked rice longer? Would appreciate guidance. Am a beginner cook and need feedback. Does basmatic usually require double liquid?
Shazam, I cannot answer what might have gone wrong as I was not in the kitchen with you. Did you follow the recipe exactly as written? And no, there is more than just equal parts broth and rice. There is also one 8-ounce can of tomato sauce. And basmati rice does not always require twice the liquid – it really depends on your preferences. I typically like to do 1 1/4:1 ratio. Hope that helps!
I just tried this recipe and it came out fantastic! Thank you! I normally don’t care for most jambalaya/spanish rice recipes that involve rice and tomato, but this was a home run. The only major difference was that I used fresh tomatos from our garden that were overripe instead of the can of sauce and roma tomatos, and boiled them down first in the stock. The wife was pleased!
This is bubbling on the stove top as I write this. I used brown basmati rice and the cooking time is significantly longer than written so I’ve been adding additional water as it cooks. I added some red pepper flakes to the oil, garlic and onions for some heat. I’m going to serve this with plenty of cilantro, black beans, and whole wheat flour tortillas.
Edited: yum! My family loved it.
What a delicious looking recipe! Did you use fresh, canned or frozen veggies?
Thanks!
I used a combination of all 3! It just really depends on what you have on hand.
Hello that dish looks lovely having a bbq on Saturday can this dish be eaten cold
I personally think it’s best served warm but it’s really based on personal preference.
Just made your mexican rice…delicious! Although I ended up taking the peas out, it was nice that they added colour but I found their taste/texture detracted from the rice. I think that next time I might use some finely diced green pepper instead. Thanks for the tasty and easy recipe!
Could this recipe be made ahead and frozen? Also, I would like to make it for a large party, would it work to quadruple the recipe at one time and make it in a large pot? Thanks
Unfortunately I have never tried freezing this so I cannot answer this with certainty. As for quadrupling the recipe, that should work out just fine but you may have to adjust cooking time as needed.
I made this for my family and they LOVED it!! It was amazing!!!
Hi, your recipes look amazing and I can’t wait to try them. I do however have a stupid question. I live in Australia so I am just wondering the can f tomato sauce, is that the usual tomato sauce you would have with burgers and chips? We don’t sell sauce in a can simian just trying to see what I should be using.
Not a stupid question at all! I’ve received similar questions from others overseas. Now in response to your question, you should not be using the tomato sauce for burgers and chips. Tomato passata would be your best bet.
Ok great, I can get that passata everywhere. Thank you 🙂
Just made this! So yummy. Better than a Mexican resturaunt says the hubs! I used a can of diced and fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies instead of tomato sauce and a little extra chicken stock.
Hi, thank you for your recipe. Can’t wait to try it but can I use extra long grain rice? Thank you.
Yes, that should be fine. Although you may have to adjust cooking time as needed.
Can we use tomato paste? I can’t figure out the sauce here.
http://portofood.com/img/p/2/8/4/284-home_default.jpg
It is best to use tomato sauce for this recipe. Tomato paste is not an appropriate substitute.
This was delicious!!! I made it with Colorado Burritos and it made an awesome side dish. BTW: Have you ever had a day in the kitchen when nothing is going right? I had no frozen peas (my bad as I almost always do) so to compensate I had a bag of mixed vegetables and picked out by hand the peas. Crazy!! Also, I ran out of chili powder so I got a crash course on how to make my own. I must have every spice ever invented/made so I saved the day by making my own. Hope everyone enjoys this as much as we did. I did pin this recipe as it is well worth it. Thanks Chung-Ah.
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this looks amazing! as a 17 year old, I can bake very well but I’m just starting to learn how to cook and this recipe is perfect for beginners! gonna make this for dinner tomorrow, and I cannot wait to taste it
Can I use cooked rice or just use rice straight from the bag?
I recommend using uncooked rice for this recipe.
I used at least triple the amount of liquid than the recipe says with a lid on, it also took over half an hour to cook.
In the end it was delicious but the basmati rice was not cooked at the time stated i would suggest cooking your own recipe again.
If the rice is quick or if you need to soak first you should state that on the recipe.
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I love one dish meals. This is fabulous! Pinned & shared!
I love homemade mexican rice 🙂 it is so full of flavor! Saving this recipe!
Chung-Ah I love your blog, your photography is top notch. I am such a fan of Mexican food and this rice looks amazing. Beautiful!
I’m a huge sucker for mexican dishes…making and pinned 🙂
I like to add little chunks of cooked chicken and diced bell peppers (different colors) to mine. I agree that the veggies really make this rice delicious!
Oh my, that looks amazing! I love Mexican rice. I’m definitely going to have to give this a try. 🙂
Please, what’s a ‘can of tomato sauce’? We buy tomato sauce in bottles (it’s more or less equivalent to your ketchup) in Australia. Is it passata? Or would a can of crushed tomatoes do the job? Someone once said we were two countries divided by a common language, and it’s never so true as in the kitchen! I’ve sorted out biscuits (scones) and cookies (biscuits) but a can of tomato sauce has me flummoxed. HELP!
MaryAnne, a can of tomato sauce is not the same as ketchup. I like to use this brand of tomato sauce for my recipes. Hope that helps!
American tomato sauce is basically a thin tomato puree with spices… sounds like it could be similar to passata? It is cooked and has a smooth texture though, not chunky.
Tomato sauce is thicker than passata, perhaps adding a few tablespoons of tomato paste would work.
This looks so yummy! I like the idea of using chips as a utensil. ; ) That’s definitely how I would eat it too!
I could make a meal off of this delicious rice. Love!
This looks insanely good. My husband and daughter would love it.
This is my favorite kind of rice! Thanks for posting. :0)
I think I need to try your recipe… I love Mexican rice and have been looking and testing recipes for years. Yours looks fabulous!
When I go to a Mexican restaurant, I love the flavored rice. I always thought it is hard to make. But your recipe looks very easy. I would love to try it!
Beautiful and love all the ingredients and flavours in this one!
I love Mexican rice. I like the vegetable additions to make wholesome dish. Yum!
Tell me must the rice be boiled first( mexican rice)
Gavin
No, the rice does not need to be boiled first.
I’ve made this twice now. The rice does not get fully cooked in the time period specified. Both times, I’ve had to cook it at least 45 minutes
What kind of rice are you using? I’ve made this a dozen times now and have never had an issue with the rice cooking through by the 15 minute mark.
Having cooking time issues as well. Using the Basmati rice called for in the recipe and am nearing the 40 minute mark as well.
I just made this for the first time and I had the issue with the rice not cooking through as well. Next time I’ll try and give it closer to 40 minutes I guess.
All you have to do is fry the rice along with garlic and onion before boiling until the majority of the rice turns a different shade of white.
Its best if the lid is not removed during the cooking process. Not even once. Letting out the steam interrupts the rice cooking process which can be very sensitive and cause it to not get done. My rice comes out perfect everytime.
I, too am having cooking time issues. Just passed 45 min. and not done. Meanwhile the veggies are looking over cooked. Used Basmati rice. Since I live on the Arizona desert, altitude is not an issue. I regularly use a rice cooker and don’t have this trouble. Next time I’ll precook the rice somewhat. Looks and smells good.
For those having a time issue with the rice, there is a definite reason for this. I am a HVAC contractor and former instructor. Water boils at 212 degrees farinheight at sea level. For very 1000 feet in elevation, that drops the boiling temperature by 2 degrees. The higher you area above sea level, the lower the water boiling temperature drops and thus, the longer cooking times will be needed due to a lower boiling temperature. If one is cooking off the coast of Florida, the cooking time will be less than say in Colorodo. Hope this helps and Happy Cooking!
Interesting!
my family is off white rice, can brown rice be subbed instead?
Yes, absolutely. It’ll make it a bit healthier too!
That looks so yummy! My husband always teases that if I weren’t Chinese, I’d be Mexican. I just put some leftover pork fajitas in rice porridge. Fusion dish 😉
I love Mexican rice, what a great skillet recipe!
I confess that I’m guilty of buying those packets of Mexican rice at the grocery store. But this look seriously simple, being made all in one pot. I can do this. And I will – I’m making Sonoran hot dogs this weekend, and need a side dish!
I have a question, can you use long grain rice to make this dish?
Yes, absolutely. I highly recommend long grain rice for this dish.
Your pictures are gorgeous! Love that you added corn 🙂
Thank you for such a great recipe!
OK, being a full blooded Mexican, my mother’s rice was the best. When ever my friends wanted to go out for Mexican food, I would sigh, knowing that it could not compare to my mom’s rice and my dad’s beans. Even as an adult, I still haven’t found a Mexican rice that will do my mother justice so I am very eager to try Chung-Ah’s version. I have made several recipes thus far, and they have all been great, so I am super excited to try this Mexican rice, and I will update on my tastings!
Let me know how it turns out, although I bet it’ll be a bit difficult for me to beat your mother’s cooking!
I just discovered your blog, I love it. Thank you for your yummy recipes, really inspiring !
Thank you for the nice recipe. Have a Great and Happy Day!
Yum, I’d love a huge bowl of this!
This rice looks EXACTLY like the one at my fav little Mexican Joint! I am super pumped to have a recipe that I can make at home…especially one so simple.
I don’t know how ya made rice so dang pretty…but you did! Pinned
Will be making this very soon, sounds so yummy and easy!! Better than that cable car city stuff in a box!!!
Add more water!
Really simple recipe of Mexican rice. Thanks for sharing.
I bet this is packed with so much flavor! And it’s so you! The skillet, the flavors, the lighting, it’s just…such a signature dish for you! I love that you have a style that is so unmistakably YOURS. That is awesome!