Mexican Rice
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
More mexican Recipes You May Like
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.
See more recipes:
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
made this for my family and it was a hit… thank you.
m. s
Hey Jen,
I just made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious and so easy! I served it with sour cream and left over chicken. Only modifications I made were that I added an extra clove of garlic and added a bit of paprika to it. Many thanks to you for yet another great recipe that my husband and I both enjoy! (He is a picky eater.) 🙂 Definitely making it again.
Delicious!!! Made it for dinner tonight with your “Savoury cornbread with cheddar & thyme” for our Mexican fiesta. Both recipes were devoured.
Once again, thanks for providing delicious recipes.
Amazing!! Every recipe I have made from your site has been delicious.
Thank you for giving me the confidence I need to keep cooking yummy meals
For my family!!!
💓
Hi Jenn,
Could you please tell me what size pot your using here?
And is it an All-Clad?
Thank you
C3
Hi Cari, It’s actually Analon and I believe it’s 5 quarts.
I must say this Mexican rice was as good or better than I have ever had at a Mexican restaurant.
Jenn this rice was fantastic light and fluffy was surprised that it had peas in it that was a first we live in Petaluma California and as you might imagine Mexican food is very popular here. We just loved it. I make enchiladas often and mix it up all the time it is one of those things you can be very creative with. I wondered if you make homemade tortillas. If not, you must. They are out of this world. better than store-bought and very easy to make. Love to hear from you and I am still trying to get another test dish or two before your cutoff. Thanks again for all the great recipes. Greg and Sherry Heiden
So glad you liked this (and thanks for participating in the recipe testing)! I do have a homemade corn tortilla recipe here. 🙂
Would this recipe work well with Basmati Rice?
Sure (although use the amount of liquid called for on the basmati rice package). Hope you enjoy!
This dish was a hit as a side to my beef fajitas. I used concentrated tomato paste, so I cut that by half. I also cut the long grain rice to 1 cup and the chicken broth to 2 cups and omitted the peas. Everything else stayed the same since we like things spicy. After fluffing the rice and stirring in the lime and cilantro, I let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes or so (without the lid) to dry out a bit. This step is crucial and will keep the rice from being gummy. This will be in regular rotation at my house. Thanks for the recipe!
This was amazing. Made just as the recipe says (although I halved it as I was only feeding 3). Perfect amount, perfect flavor.