Go Back
–+ servings
Mexican rice in a pan.
Print Recipe
4.94 from 74 votes

Mexican Rice Recipe (Easy and Flavorful)

This Mexican rice will always be one of my favorite Mexican side dishes! It’s vibrant, flavorful, and the perfect pairing with tacos, fajitas, and more! Prep this for your next Mexican dinner night and watch the video below to see how I make it!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: How To Make Mexican Rice, Mexican Rice, Mexican rice recipe, Mexican side dish
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ red bell pepper diced
  • 1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and finely diced
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • kosher salt to taste
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • optional: finely chopped cilantro for garnish
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Wash rice. Thoroughly wash and drain the rice with a fine mesh sieve.
    Washing rice in a colander for Mexican rice.
  • Cook veggies. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapeno and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the onions become translucent.
    Cooking veggies in a pan for Mexican rice.
  • Add the rice and saute until it's lightly toasted and golden brown, about 2 minutes.
    Cooking rice and veggies in a pan for Mexican rice.
  • Simmer. Add in the cumin, salt, tomato sauce and chicken broth, then stir everything together. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until rice is cooked all the way through, about 15 minutes.
    Simmering Mexican rice in a pan.
  • Fluff and garnish. Remove the rice from the heat and use a fork to fluff it up. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
    How to make Mexican rice in a pan.

Video

Notes

  • While I think the jalapeno pepper gives this recipe enormous flavor, if you'd like it less spicy, you can omit it or add ½ teaspoon of chili powder instead.
  • Storage tip: Store in the fridge for 4 to 5 days and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 509mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 878IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg