Mexican Rice

4.85 from 383 votes
540 Comments

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This Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice is the perfect side dish for your next Mexican feast. With just a few ingredients, it’s easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes. It is a perfect addition to any meal!

Authentic Restaurant Style Mexican Rice served with salsa and chips

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

This Mexican Rice is slightly on the dry side, which is just how Mexican restaurants serve their sides of rice.

It isn’t wet, clumpy, or sticky like some homemade Mexican rice recipes can be. A good Mexican Rice has the perfect texture and is rich in flavor. That is exactly what the result will be when you make this easy Mexican rice recipe.

You can make this Mexican Rice recipe in bulk and freeze it for up to three months without losing freshness. This is great if you want to save money by buying your ingredients in bulk, or trying out a new recipe but want to make a manageable amount.

If you’re looking for a recipe to pair with our Mexican Rice, we recommend our Grilled Steak Tacos and Hatch Chiles Rellenos, but it goes as a great and easy side dish for just about anything.

Mexican Rice vs Spanish Rice

Have you wondered what the difference is between Mexican rice and Spanish rice? The terms are both used to describe the same basic dish.

Most Spanish rice and Mexican rice recipes have the same ingredients – rice, a tomato based sauce, garlic, and chicken broth.

There can be some minor variations in the seasonings used and additions made to the dish, like onions and peppers. Most restaurants call this dish Mexican rice on their menus.

Recipe Tips

The secret to a delicious Mexican rice is all in the way you cook it. Here are a few tips and tricks to get it right every time:

  • If you want to rinse the rice beforehand, rinse the rice through a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear (As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases). Allow rice to drain off a little before sautéing. If you rinse the rice, reduce the broth amount by four ounces (or ½ cup).
  • Mexican rice needs to be fried in oil and browned BEFORE you add the chicken broth and tomato sauce. As a result, the rice really absorbs the flavors, yet has the perfect, tender consistency.
  • Mix in the chopped cilantro after cooking. If you add it before, the cilantro gets brown in color and wilted. When you toss it in after, it stays bright and fresh.
  • Use this stove top method. I have tried different methods in my rice cooker, but it just doesn’t turn out the same.
  • For a spicier taste, your favorite medium or hot salsa can replace the tomato sauce.
  • Long grain white rice is the best rice to use for this dish.
A plate of enchiladas with Mexican rice topped with cilantro and refried beans on the side


Is Mexican Rice Gluten Free?

Yes! This Mexican Rice recipe can easily be made gluten free. Use a gluten free chicken broth, like Swanson’s Chicken Broth, for gluten free Mexican Rice. Most chicken broths are GF but always check the labels to be sure.

Mexican Rice and Beans

What about the beans? Mexican Rice and Beans are a match made in heaven! This recipe goes hand in hand with our Restaurant Style Refried Beans. Also, be sure to include our Best Guacamole EVER, and our fresh Homemade Salsa.

With all of these recipes combined, you will have your sides covered for your next big fiesta! Your friends will think you had it all catered in from your favorite Mexican joint. We have tons of great Mexican recipes here on Favorite Family Recipes.

Our Mom is what you would call a Mexican food addict, she would eat it for every meal if she had the choice. Because of this, we learned at an early age how to make all different kinds of Mexican dishes. So as we got older and more adventurous, our Mexican food recipe collection grew even more.

Popular Additions

This rice is great as-is. We like to keep it simple and add as few ingredients as possible, but many people like to add more veggies to the mix. A lot of Mexican-style restaurants will also add veggies. Here are some of the popular add-ins:

  • Peas
  • Corn
  • Carrots
  • Tomatoes
  • Green chiles
  • Lime juice
A square white dish filled with restaurant style Mexican rice

What to pair with Mexican Rice

Oh, the delicious possibilities are endless! This Mexican Rice tastes so good with any burrito, taco, chimichanga, enchilada, quesadilla, taquito, or flauta you can think of. Here are a few of our favorite Mexican recipes to get the wheels turning. Try one of these or add it to your own favorite Mexican dish.

How To Store and Re-Heat Leftovers

We will often double this recipe just so we can have easy leftovers. It re-heats great! Simply place the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days.

You can even freeze your Mexican rice by placing the cooled rice in a zip-top freezer bag and laying flat in the freezer. You can freeze it for up to three months without losing freshness.

To re-heat, just cover and place thawed rice in the microwave for a minute at a time until heated through. Fluff rice with a fork and add a teaspoon of water at a time as needed.

A Mexican dinner setting consisting of enchiladas with rice and beans on the side and chips and salsa

Mexican Rice Recipe Reviews

My husband is very picky about his Mexican rice, and his love for this dish makes it a staple on the family menu plan. In addition to his five-star review, we’ve received many rave reviews from people who have made and loved this rice recipe. You can read them all in the comments below, however here are few of our favorites:

“I’ve made this about five times now and I love it! The last two times I was out of tomato sauce so I substituted half a cup of Chipotle Lime Salsa (Aldi brand). Wow! This made it even better. I love how easy it is to make and how beautiful it looks and smells when the time is up and you lift the lid.” – Ed

“This is EXACTLY the rice I have been spending YEARS trying to figure out. Everything was absolutely perfect. Flavor, texture, color, all completely spot on! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! You really just upped my taco game!” – Elizabeth

“I am a Puerto Rican woman married to a hard core Mexican man. I’ve tried just about every recipe available for this rice and it never quite worked. I made this today and IT’S PERFECT!! This is the way my MIL makes it. It is as authentic as it can get! Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is the recipe I will make my family from now on.” – Patty

We are so happy to see this has become a family favorite for so many!

More Delicious Rice Recipes

How to Make Mexican Rice

Authentic Restaurant Mexican Rice served with salsa and chips

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

4.85 from 383 votes
Our Restaurant Style Mexican Rice rivals anything you can get in a restaurant. It has the perfect consistency and just the right amount of seasoning.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican/Spanish
Servings 6

Video

Equipment

  • Stove Top
  • Large Sauce Pan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the rice and gently stir until rice begins to lightly brown. Add the garlic, salt, and cumin and stir the rice until it looks golden.
    White rice being browned in a pot to make Mexican rice
  • Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth and turn the heat up to medium high. Bring the mix to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. 
    Mexican Rice bing cooked in a pot with a lid
  • Remove from heat and fluff with a fork, then stir in chopped cilantro.
    Mexican rice in a pot after being seasoned with spices and cilantro

Nutrition Information

Calories: 183kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 545mgPotassium: 156mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 102IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Emily Walker

Emily lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, Beau, a physician assistant, and her three incredible children: a son and two daughters. Travel is one of her favorite ways to experience new cultures and cuisines, and she has a love for all things Disney.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My husband loves this rice, not just for a side dish but as a filling in a tortilla this is the tastiest rice and its spot on Better than any Mexican Restaurant makes!

    1. I have never tried it with instant rice and I would not recommend due to the fact that instant rice absorbs moisture too quickly for this recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    Wow is all I can say! This was the best rice I’ve ever had. I thought Mexican rice would be hard to make but this was super simple and tasted amazing!! So so delicious. I did half tomato sauce, half fire roasted diced tomatoes!! So so good! I’m so glad I found this recipe!!

  3. 5 stars
    I used this with chickpea rice (I’m allergic to grains), and it was delicious! I cut the time by about half, and stirred it pretty regularly.

  4. 5 stars
    I had another dry fluffy restaurant style Mexican rice recipe that I’ve been using, but this one blows it out of the water! It’s easier to make, and tastes completely amazing. I could have eaten the whole pot of this stuff tonight, but I didn’t, I shared it with my son. I did not measure the oil and I think I was a little heavy-handed, but that actually turned out to be a bonus. I can honestly say this is the best homemade rice I’ve ever made. Thank you!!!!

      1. It will be a little dry if you reheat it. You can try adding some more liquid to it, but I usually make this the day of.

        1. 5 stars
          This is the best recipe for Mexican restaurant rice I’ve found. It’s very good as written. For a vegetarian version I make chicken broth using Better Than Bullion No Chicken flavor. I also add about a 1/4 cup each of carrot and potato when adding the cut into 1/4 inch cubes when adding the garlic step 1.
          So good. I make this every time I’m serving Texas Mexican.

  5. I love this recipe and have made it several times. I have tried to double it a couple of times and always end up with hard grains of rice still left at the end. A single batch comes out great. Is there a trick to doubling the ingredients?

    1. It sounds like you may need to add a little more liquid. I would add 4 cups of chicken broth. Hope this helps!

        1. I think quinoa takes a little longer to cook than rice, so you may need to account for that, but let us know how it goes if you do try it!

      1. 5 stars
        I love this rice but my pots don’t…I end up starting the rice in a pot and moving it to a glass bowl and microwaving to finish or else the rice burns to the bottom of my pot because my stove us really touchy and I have trouble simmering anything. Any suggestions for microwaving start to finish to eliminate the stove top use all together?

  6. 5 stars
    This was so perfect for our smothered tamales yesterday! Yum! Thank you for your attention to detail. It really helped to get just the right texture.

  7. 5 stars
    If I may make one suggestion: drop in one cube of tomato bouillon (Knorr Caldo de Tomate) when you add the liquid. It deepens the tomato flavor and adds a wonderful richness. A sister in law is from Guadalajara and she gave me the tip. It really is a very nice addition. You can find tomato bouillon cubes in the Latin/Hispanic section of any major supermarket.

  8. 5 stars
    Made this recipe exactly as printed. I will make this again. Was exactly what I wanted to serve with our enchiladas.

  9. 5 stars
    I LOVE Mexican rice!!!!! But I HATE homemade Mexican rice. It always get gluey and gummy and the flavor isn’t right…… OMG. This is FIRE! I just made it an hour ago and have gone one about the amazing flavor since!!!! It’s soooo good! Trust me! I measured everything and it was absolutely perfect! It was fluffy and not sticky and just the absolute best I’ve ever had. I would have guessed it to be take out of I didn’t make it myself! Thanks So much for this recipe! It is a game changer for me! I’m in love!

  10. 5 stars
    This is my absolute favorite recipe from the girls at fav family recipes! It is super easy and it tastes as good as if not better then the Spanish rice served at your favorite Mexican restaurant! Definitely a recipe to keep on hand for every taco Tuesday!

  11. 5 stars
    I love how easy this was. We enjoyed this rice for dinner with chicken and then on the next day I used leftover for burritos, this rice was the perfect addition to those burritos so flavorful.

  12. 5 stars
    I always love your recipes. This was also a winner for my family. Easy for me to make and everyone ate it. My picky eaters will always eat your recipes… True Story! Thanks for this yummy mexican rice.