Unlock the secret to restaurant-worthy Mexican Rice at home, fluffy and flavorful, never sticky, for a perfect side dish every time! Whip up this family-friendly or crowd-pleasing Mexican Rice recipe that delivers consistent flavor and perfect texture, even with brown rice!
Mexican Rice shines alongside carne asada, enchiladas, fajitas, or tacos, but it can also be a hearty meal on its own with beans and guacamole. Brown rice lovers, rejoice – this recipe is perfect for meal prepping too!
Throwing a fiesta? Easily scale this Mexican Rice recipe by adjusting the ‘servings’ on the recipe card – the recipe does the math for you!
What is Mexican Rice made of?
Mexican Rice features fluffy long-grain white rice seasoned with tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and a rich broth made with chicken broth and tomato paste.
While fluffy long-grain white rice is traditional, this recipe also works with brown rice, and for a vegetarian or vegan twist, simply swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth or water.
How do you make the Best Mexican Rice?
For the most flavorful Mexican Rice, take a tip from Cook’s Illustrated (and traditional Arroz Rojo!), and start by blitzing fresh tomatoes and onions into a vibrant puree that infuses every grain of rice.
Next, saute the rice in vegetable oil until toasted and golden (no food processor needed? Mine’s been going strong since 2003!), then stir in garlic and jalapeños (optional, they lose their heat during cooking).
Finally, incorporate your vibrant tomato-onion puree, chicken broth, and tomato paste into the sauteed rice.
Bake the rice in the oven for just 30 minutes, then fluff with a fork for fool-proof, soft, and individual grains.
See video
What is the proper ratio of rice to liquid?
For every one 1 cup of rice, use 1 ¾ cups liquid of choice and ½ teaspoon salt.
Can I make Mexican Rice without oil?
Yes, you can omit the oil entirely in this recipe if you want to.
For Step 3, ditch the oil! Toast the dry, unrinsed rice on high heat, stirring constantly, until half the grains are lightly browned, then follow the recipe as written.
Despite toasting the rice dry (keep stirring to avoid scorching!), the recipe continues as written, adding garlic and jalapeños for perfectly separated and fluffy rice, just like the oil-version.
Can I use brown rice?
Absolutely, brown rice makes a fantastic substitute for white rice in Mexican rice, boosting its nutritional value. Just remember that brown rice takes longer to cook, typically 35-40 minutes, so extend the cooking time by 10 minutes for perfectly cooked brown rice.
Brown rice swaps seamlessly into this recipe for a nutritional boost – simply use the “brown rice” setting on your rice cooker, which typically cooks it in 50-55 minutes.
How do you reheat the rice?
To reheat leftover Mexican rice, add a touch of water, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in a 300-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until warmed through.
For single servings, microwave leftover Mexican rice in a splash of water, covered by a damp paper towel, in 1-minute bursts until warm.
Mexican Rice in a Rice Cooker
Responding to a reader’s request, I successfully made this Mexican Rice recipe in a rice cooker – follow the written recipe through Step 4 for perfect results!
Once the rice boils, simply transfer it to your pre-sprayed rice cooker, close the lid, and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
My rice cooker cooked it in 33 minutes (similar to the oven time) with zero stirring required – considering a rice cooker? This one is a favorite in my family (including me and two sisters)!
Make Arroz Rojo For a Crowd
Basmati rice also shines in this recipe, proving successful with both the original oven-baked method and the rice cooker technique (pictured above)!
Scaling up this recipe for 25 adults is easy: simply triple the ingredients listed below, bake for an additional 10 minutes (40 minutes total), and use an 8-quart stock pot – thanks to reader Andy for the question!
While I recommended tripling the recipe, my blender maxed out at 11 roma tomatoes and 2 large onions, yielding 6 cups of tomato-onion puree – remember, veggie size can affect yield!
Unlock the secret to restaurant-worthy Mexican Rice at home, fluffy and flavorful, never sticky, for a perfect side dish every time! Whip up this family-friendly or crowd-pleasing Mexican Rice recipe that delivers consistent flavor and perfect texture, even with brown rice!
Ingredients
Scale
2medium vine-ripened tomatoes or 4 Roma tomatoescored and quartered
1onionpeeled and quartered
1/3cupvegetable oil
2cupslong-grain or basmati white rice
4clovesgarlicminced
1 to 2jalapeno peppers,stemmed, seeded, and minced (optional)
2cupslow-sodium chicken broth(see notes)
1tablespoontomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½cupfresh cilantro or parsleyminced
Lime or lemon wedgesfor serving
Instructions
For even cooking, preheat your oven to 350°F and adjust an oven rack to the middle position.
In a food processor or blender, puree the tomatoes and onions until smooth, then measure out 2 cups of the puree, discarding any excess.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or 3-quart saucepan until shimmering (see notes), then add the rice and sauté, stirring frequently, until light golden in color, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Add garlic and jalapeños (if using), and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds; then stir in the tomato mixture, broth, tomato paste, and 1 ½ tsp. salt, and bring to a boil.
Cover and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Fluff the rice with a fork, then fold in cilantro or parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with lime or lemon wedges.
Notes
While long-grain white rice is traditional, I’ve also tested this recipe successfully with basmati rice.
For a vegetarian option, simply substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
If toasting the rice in a 3-quart saucepan, transfer it to a larger (at least 4-quart) oven-proof baking dish for baking.
For the rice cooker method, follow the recipe through Step 4, then transfer the boiling rice mixture to a non-stick sprayed rice cooker, close the lid, and cook according to manufacturer instructions. Mine takes 33 minutes on the “White Rice” setting.
To scale this recipe for 25 adults, triple all ingredients, use an 8-quart stock pot, and bake for an additional 10 minutes (40 minutes total).