Mexican Rice
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Serving homemade Mexican for dinner and looking for a way to add some color to your plate? This Mexican rice is packed with flavor, easy to make, and the perfect complement for any Mexican dish.
If you’re a fan of homemade Mexican food, a good Mexican rice recipe is a must! Often referred to as Spanish rice or “arroz rojo,” this classic Mexican rice dish features long-grain rice simmered in a tomato-infused broth, seasoned with onions, garlic, cumin, and chili powder — lending it that iconic reddish-orange color. While my version might not be 100% traditional, my kids swear it’s just as delicious as the rice from our favorite local Mexican spot.
This Mexican rice is my go-to side for dishes like beef enchiladas, chicken enchiladas, beef tacos, chicken fajitas, and carne asada.
“Hubby said, ‘do not change a thing!’ So excited that this can be frozen and ready in an instant. Just perfect for Cinco de Mayo—or any day!”
What You’ll Need To Make Mexican Rice
- Onion, Jalapeño Pepper, and Garlic: These aromatics add depth and a touch of heat. For a milder rice, remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño; if you want more heat, save the seeds and add them in at the end to taste. Pro Tip: Wash your hands right after handling jalapeños—and avoid touching your eyes!
- Tomato Paste: Adds a concentrated tomato flavor and rich color, essential for that signature Mexican rice taste.
- Rice: White long grain rice is preferred because it cooks up fluffier and less sticky than shorter grains, ensuring each grain remains distinct and absorbs the flavorful broth without becoming mushy.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth: Used instead of water to cook the rice, it enriches the dish with more flavor.
- Chili Powder and Cumin: These spices are key for adding the warm, smoky notes characteristic of Mexican cuisine.
- Frozen Peas: Add a pop of sweetness and color.
- Cilantro: Brings freshness and a bright note to finish the dish. Feel free to leave it out if you’re not a fan.
- Fresh Lime Juice: A splash brightens up all the flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat, then add the minced jalapeño and onion. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Cooking the aromatics first helps build a flavorful base—be patient here and let the onions soften fully to bring out their sweetness.
Step 2: Toast the rice and flavorings. Stir in the rice, tomato paste, and garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often to toast the rice—it adds a deeper, nuttier flavor. In addition to deepening the flavor, the rice will get a light coating of the oil; this helps prevent clumping or gumminess in the cooked rice.
Step 3: Add the cooking liquid and seasoning. To the pan, add the salt, spices, and chicken broth.
Step 4: Cover and simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender. Avoid the temptation to lift the lid—trapped steam is essential for the rice to cook evenly. Stir in the peas, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a pop of flavor and color.
Step 5: Fluff. When the ingredients are well-combined, fluff the rice with a fork. Fluffing keeps the grains separate and avoids mashing the rice. Serve the rice with lime wedges on the side and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Mexican Rice
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
- 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, from 1 lime
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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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I love your recipes and have passed your information on to a number of friends. However is there any way that the potassium levels in your recipes can be included as my husband is now on a low potassium diet. I am sure this would be more than helpful to many with kidney disease and to their families. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes over the years.
Hi Rose, I use an online tool called Edamam to calculate nutritional information for my recipes. Unfortunately, if I included all the different nutritional requests that I get from readers on various diets, it would take up too much space on the site–I’m sorry! If you ever have a question about a specific recipe, Edamam is free to use (and does include the values for potassium), so feel free to plug the recipe ingredients in and you’ll know whether or not it will work for you. Hope that helps!
Hubby said, “do not change a thing!” So excited that this can be frozen and ready in an instant. Just perfect for Cinco de Mayo – or any day!
I married into a Mexican family. They all make Mexican rice by first browning the rice in oil, adding the onion and garlic to sauce and then mixing in the other ingredients. The heat is an addition on the side, such as pica de gallo.
Your recipe sounds delicious and I will try it your way.
Joanna
So I have never been able to make good mexican rice, can make a gnarly fried rice, but for some reasom struggled w Mexican rice. I didnt have peas, cilantro or lime juice (substituted lemon juice) and did not have onion. Also used sliced jalapenos in the jar… still the best rice I have ever made!!! So stinking good, thank you!
Everything I try from your recipes turns out great!
This was delicious and that’s even after I forgot lime juice at end. Not sure the peas add much, but made this recipe as written.
Thanks Jenn, I’ll enjoy this tomorrow on Cinco de mayo
This is the most flavorful Mexican Rice recipe. I’m planning on making it for a Mexican-themed shower for 40 people. The seasonings are great. Another score for Jenn!
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!