The BEST, truly authentic Mexican rice is so easy to make, and a necessary side dish for all of your favorite Mexican recipes.
Having learned how to make this Mexican rice from locals in Puebla, Mexico, I can promise this recipe is the real deal! Don’t miss my other popular Mexican recipes including Carne Asada Tacos, Esquites, and Chiles Relleño.
We never enjoy “Taco Tuesdays” without a side of this easy Mexican Rice that I learned to make while living in Puebla, Mexico during a college internship.
I was there with my husband, and we taught workshops to locals in the area that were interested in starting a small business. We met many amazing people while living there, including a chef who attended one of our workshops. I asked him if he’d teach me the right way to make a few authentic dishes, and he invited is into his home for a day.
We cooked up a storm, and I took detailed notes as we cooked this rice together, along with mole poblano, red and green salsas, and pozole.
Ingredients Needed:
- Long Grain White Rice: Washing the rice is crucial to remove the outer starch, allowing the rice to cook fluffy. If you’d like to use Brown Rice, increase liquid by ½ cup and cook for 40 minutes, following the same resting instructions.
- Oil: Canola or vegetable oil, for toasting the rice.
- Onion: a small piece, finely chopped.
- Garlic: one or two small cloves, minced.
- Tomato Sauce: I used this because it’s fast and easy, but for a more authentic version, add 1-2 fresh tomatoes to a blender with the onion and garlic, and blend before adding to the rice.
- Tomato Bouillon: granules or cubes, found in the Mexican aisle or online. This adds color and flavor to the rice. If you can’t find it, substitute chicken Bouillon.
- Water: Or use chicken broth, if you omit the Tomato Bouillon.
- Salt.
- Peas and Carrots: optional.
- Serrano peppers: It’s optional to add 1-2 on top of the rice while it cooks, to add extra flavor (it wont make the rice “spicy”.
How to make Mexican Rice:
1. Wash and Toast the rice: Add rice to a fine mesh strainer and rinse it until the water runs clear. Sauté the rice in hot oil in a saucepan until golden brown.
2. Add remaining ingredients: Add tomato sauce, garlic, and diced onion to the pan. Stir in tomato bullion, salt, carrots, peas, and water.
3. Simmer: Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Pro Tips:
- Rinse the rice. Take an extra second to rinse your rice with water to remove the starch film on the surface that can cause the rice to clump together.
- Toast the rice. When you add the rice to the oil, toast it really well! This extra step takes a few minutes, but it adds really great flavor to the rice.
- The trick to get that great color and flavor: Tomato bullion cubes add great flavor, and they’re what makes the rice turn that perfect orange color that you’re looking for. It should be easy to find at your local grocery store. I buy mine at Walmart, in the Mexican food aisle. You could also buy them from Amazon. They look like this. If you can’t find them, substitute chicken broth for the water in this recipe.
- Rest and Fluff. It’s crucial to give the rice time to rest after cooking, before serving, and to only gently fluff it with a work (don’t “stir” it). This will make the difference between wet, clumpy and mush rice, and fluffy rice.
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice: If you own an instant pot, I’ve adapted this recipe for Instant pot Mexican rice.
Serve Mexican Rice with:
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Recipe
Authentic Mexican Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice *
- 1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- 1 teaspoon garlic , minced
- 1/4 medium onion , finely diced
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce , or 2 pureed tomatoes*
- 2 teaspoons tomato bouillon granulated, or cubes*
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 carrot , diced
- 1/2 cup peas (frozen or fresh)
- 3 cups water
- 1-3 whole serrano peppers , optional
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once hot, add the rice and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly golden brown all over (about 10 minutes).
- Add tomato sauce, garlic, and diced onion to the pan. Stir. Add tomato bullion, salt, carrots, peas, and water (and serrano peppers, if using. They add a little flavor, but not spice.).
- Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed. Â Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Notes
Nutrition
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Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe September 2011. Last updated May 2021.
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Process photos by Nikole of The Travel Palate.
I’ve made this recipe about 5 times now and I absolutely love it. I always feel proud of myself after cooking it. My husband and two toddlers really like it and I will anonymously admit that it’s even better than my mom’s rice…and we are Mexican 🙂
What is the best way to reheat this if it’s made the day before?
Also what is in tomato buillon? I have powdered tomato skins from blanching that I’ve dehydrated and could throw some in for color at least.
Not enough liquid in recipe and rice took an extra 30 min to cook…20 min will not do it and I did pre-cook/brown the rice
It’s standard to use 2:1 water:rice for white long grain. You can actually use a bit more or less depending on the brand. In my experience cheaper rice takes more liquid and longer cooking time to be tender. That’s probably your issue.. not the recipe. Know your rice. With the addition of tge tomato sauce this recipe is not lacking liquids……
Thanks for recipe, my effort was similar. I invested time into a very fine roasted chicken stock, simmering bones and skin for 5 hours, then sautéed onion, red bell and garlic, then browned rice, then added vegetables and proceeded per your program. Result was satisfying and flavorful.
I used 1 C long grain brown rice w/ 2 C stock for 40 min.
I’ve tried this recipe twice and find that it calls for far too much water. Both times, the rice has come out sticky and very mushy.
I love this recipe!
Loved this recipe! Didn’t have the tomato bouillon on hand but I had some Mexican tomato sauce with spices in it that I used, and followed the recipe with the chicken broth and it turned out to be so good!
Just came here to say that Serrano peppers absolutely do add spice and to be careful using whole ones with seeds.
Did you cut them up? I’ve made this recipe several times and no issues.
First of all, I’ve never been a fan of Mexican Rice and have never made it before. I did, however, make several batches of this recipe to accompany a taco bar at a family reunion that I was hosting. I thought it was pretty good (not really knowing what it should taste like). But I think the real truth was in all of the positive comments and the number of requests for the recipe that I received. Not ever having made it before, I followed the recipe exactly using the tomato bouillon. I suspect that many of the negative comments about it being bland are because just chicken bullion was used.
Family loved it, even 2 year old wanted a second helping!! Son in law has claimed leftovers for his lunchbox next week!
I loved this recipe. Very easy to follow!
I blended tomatoes and added a jalapeño and the tomato bouillon to that! It reminded me of the El Pato tomato sauce with peppers. Sooo delicious! Of course I added the Serranos. Everyone loved it, including my sisters boyfriend who is from Mexico!
Thank you!