Mexican Rice
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Infused with garlic, onions and spices, this Mexican rice tastes just like the one from your favorite Mexican restaurant.
My family loves Mexican food so this easy Mexican rice makes a regular appearance at our dinner table. It’s not really authentic — true Mexican rice is more complicated and time-consuming to make — but my kids claim it tastes just like the rice served at their favorite Mexican restaurant. That’s good enough for me! I typically serve it with my Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce, Peruvian Chicken, or Chicken Chili.
What you’ll need to make Mexican Rice 
How to make Mexican Rice
Begin by finely chopping the onion and mincing the jalapeño pepper. To keep the rice on the mild side, cut the flesh of the jalapeño pepper away from the seeds, ribs, and stem, leaving the spiciest part of the pepper behind. If you think you might like more heat, I recommend holding onto the seeds and adding them at the end to taste.
When handling jalapeño peppers, be sure to keep your hands away from your eyes and wash your hands immediately afterwards so the juices don’t irritate your skin.
Cook the minced jalapeño and chopped onions in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the rice, tomato paste and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is evenly coated with oil, 2-3 minutes.
Add the broth and seasoning and bring to a boil.
Cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender, then stir in the peas, cilantro, and fresh lime juice.
Serve with lime wedges.
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Mexican Rice
Infused with garlic, onions and spices, this Mexican rice tastes just like the one from your favorite Mexican restaurant.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 large jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ cups white long grain rice, such as Uncle Ben's Original
- 3⅓ cups low sodium chicken broth (see note*)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ cup frozen peas, defrosted
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and jalapeño and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to medium and add the tomato paste, garlic and rice; cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin; turn the heat up and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- Add the peas, cilantro and lime juice and fluff the rice with a fork to mix. Let the rice sit for a few moments to "dry out" and lose that wet, just-steamed texture. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lime if necessary.
- Note: Some rice brands will require a little less or a little more liquid; check the package for specific instructions.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This rice can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. (Putting it in a flat layer in sealable plastic bags works well as it will take up less space in the freezer.) No need to thaw before reheating; remove it from the freezer and reheat in the microwave with 1 to 2 Tbsp. of water.
Nutrition Information
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- Calories: 253
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 491 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This rice was flavorful but very gummy. How can I prevent that in the future? How long should it sit with the lid off?
Hi Debbie, I’m sorry it came out gummy for you! It doesn’t have anything to do with how long the lid is off before serving. Rather, it sounds like you may have used too much broth; some rice brands will require a little less or a little more liquid; check the package for specific instructions next time you make this.
Everyone at family dinner loved this rice!
I substituted pickled jalapeños for the fresh and veggie broth for the chicken broth.
It’s a keeper!
What is the best size slow cooker to make the traditional 10 serving recipe? I have a large oval and a slightly smaller round crock pot- thank you
Hi Laura, I would guess that you’ll probably need a 4 to 5-quart-sized slow cooker. If you’ve made rice in a slow cooker successfully, I’d say go for it, but keep in mind that I’ve never cooked rice in one. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
This was nice, but a little lacking in seasoning and salt. Maybe adding chorizo next time will help. Great texture though.
I made a double recipe to take to a ten year vacation anniversary gathering. I used basmati rice and it was super!! Thought we’d have leftovers for home…not so much!