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This Mexican rice recipe gets its savory tomato flavor from tomato paste and chicken broth, with garlic, spices, and a little jalapeño for heat.
If you’re a fan of homemade Mexican food, a good Mexican rice recipe is a must. Often called Spanish rice or arroz rojo, it’s made by simmering long-grain rice in a tomato-infused broth with onion, garlic, cumin, and chili powder, giving it that characteristic reddish-orange color. My version may not be 100% traditional, but my kids swear it’s just as delicious as the rice from our favorite local Mexican spot.
“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, and garlic: Build a flavorful base for the rice. For a milder dish, remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño; for more heat, add some of the seeds back in to taste.
- Tomato Paste: Adds a concentrated tomato flavor and rich color, essential for that signature Mexican rice taste.
- Rice: White long-grain rice works best here because it cooks up fluffy, with grains that stay nicely separate.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: Gives the rice more flavor than water alone. You can substitute vegetable broth to make the dish vegetarian.
- 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 and lime: Brings freshness and a bright note to finish the dish. Feel free to leave the cilantro out if you’re not a fan.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Mexican Rice
Cook the aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large pot, then add the onion and jalapeño. Cook until softened. Be patient here and let the onions soften fully to bring out their sweetness.
Toast the rice: Add the rice, tomato paste, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the rice is lightly toasted and well coated. This brings out the rice’s nutty flavor while deepening the flavor of the tomato paste.
Add the broth and seasonings: Stir in the chicken broth, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer: Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Keep the lid on while it cooks so the steam stays trapped in the pot. Stir in the peas, cilantro, and lime juice.
Fluff and serve: Fluff the rice gently with a fork, then let it sit briefly before serving. This gives the grains a chance to firm up and lose that wet, just-steamed texture. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Instructions
Make ahead: Mexican rice is great for making ahead. Prepare it up to 3 days in advance, let it cool quickly, and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Storage: Leftover rice will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a splash of water or broth and warm gently on the stovetop, covered, or in the microwave until steaming hot throughout.
Freezing: The rice can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to airtight, freezer-safe containers or resealable bags. I like to flatten the bags so they take up less room in the freezer. There’s no need to thaw before reheating in the microwave; just add a tablespoon or two of water, cover, and heat until steaming hot.
Video Tutorial
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 it rest for a few minutes so the grains can firm up and any excess moisture can evaporate. 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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What to Serve with Mexican Rice
Mexican rice goes with just about any Tex-Mex dinner. I love serving it alongside beef enchiladas, chicken fajitas, or carne asada. It’s also a natural with ground beef tacos, especially with some guacamole on the side. For a simple meatless meal, pair it with black beans, sliced avocado, and your favorite salsa.
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My family LOVED this recipe. The rice was bold and flavorful.
Anyone else’s rice was soggy? Not sure what I did wrong.
Looking forward to trying this. Can it be made in a rice cooker?
Hi Judy, It really depends on your rice cooker – if it has a sauté function, it will work.
Delicious and easy to make. Even better the next day. This recipe is a staple in our house.
How big is a serving?
Hi Helen, I’d guesstimate a serving would be about 3/4 cup.
Hi Jen, this is my go to recipe for Mexican rice. I’ve also adapted it to use with cauliflower rice rice to accommodate our low carb lifestyle and its is great both ways! Thanks for another great recipe
Another great recipe to add to my menu!! Loved it! Thank you again for such easy and delicious recipes!!
Delicious! I would like to make this with brown rice next time. What modifications would I make? Thanks!
Glad you liked it, Monica! If you’d like to use brown rice, I’d make the recipe as directed, but once you add the rice, follow the instructions on the box for how long it should be cooked along with the chicken broth, etc. Please LMK how it turns out with brown rice!
Wow, will definitely be making this again. Absolutely delicious, followed recipe and paired it with the beef enchiladas. Cinco de Mayo could not have been better.
This dish was delicious, I didn’t have any jalapeños or peas and it was still turned out great.
Hi Jenn, first time visitor here, and I loved this recipe. I knocked the fluid down to 3 cups, but otherwise made it as written. It was a big hit with our holiday crowd here. I particularly liked the heat and eye appeal. I was skeptical of the peas – but they’re a keeper!
I wouldn’t suggest you change anything, but I found frying the uncooked rice with the tomato paste and garlic a bit odd. I may change things around process-wise and see if there’s any difference. Less caramelization of the paste, more toastiness to the rice. Nonetheless, I leave this comment because I’m a foodie, not a critic. This recipe is a great base for experimentation, and I’m going to forward it to several friends because of this. Thanks a lot!
That’s one of the things I love about Jenn’s recipes! They’re so versatile!