Posted Apr 12, 2024, Updated Apr 21, 2024 Whenever we have taco nights with friends, my soul sister always brings over the best Mexican rice. My oldest daughter bugged me to ask her for the recipe, and we’ve made it countless times since. Of course, I put a my own spin on it (because that’s what I do), and I truly believe it’s the best Mexican rice ever – even better than my favorite restaurant. Onion and garlic are sautéed in olive oil, then cooked with rice, tomato sauce and spices until perfectly fluffy and delicious. We love serving this easy Mexican rice with our favorite Mexican recipes!
Mexican Rice: Ingredients & Substitutions
Olive oil. any neutral oil works well, including avocado oil and canola oil. Onion & Garlic. If desired, you can skip sautéing and instead add 1 teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon onion powder to the spice mixture. White rice. brown rice works well too, it just takes about double the time to cook. Water & bouillon. you can sub chicken broth for the water and bouillon, or vegetable broth. I recommend the better than bouillon brand.
How to Make Mexican Rice
Let’s walk through this recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video. Begin by whisking together water, bouillon, cumin, chili powder, paprika, sea salt and black pepper in a 2-cup measuring cup (or small bowl). Then, heat the olive oil, onion and garlic over medium-high heat in a 5 quart saucepan. Cook until the onion is soft (about 3 to 5 minutes). Then, add the water/seasoning mixture and tomato sauce, cover and bring to a boil. Then, add the rice to the boiling mixture, cover and bring to a boil again. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer. Cover the pot and and simmer the Mexican rice for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir the rice then cover it again. Then, turn off the heat and leave the pot of rice on the warm burner for 10 minutes.
Serve
Fluff with a fork and serve garnished with fresh cilantro. I suggest serving this as a side dish to your favorite Mexican Recipes. Here are some suggestions:
Beef enchiladas or chicken enchiladas. Chicken quesadillas Ground beef tacos, chicken tacos or sweet potato tacos. Don’t forget the guacamole, salsa or refried black beans. Use it to make this Mexican casserole recipe.
Store/Freeze
Store leftover Mexican rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
