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This Easy Mexican Rice Recipe makes fluffy, flavorful rice with the same lightly toasted texture and savory tomato flavor I love at Mexican restaurants. The rice is toasted before simmering with tomato sauce, chicken broth, garlic, and cumin, which helps the grains stay separate instead of turning soft or sticky. Once you learn this simple method, homemade Mexican rice is surprisingly easy to get right.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“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
“This is hands down the best dupe of real Mexican restaurant rice that I have ever tasted! My kids request this all the time and I have made it SO many times! Thank you!” – Pearl
Why I Love This Mexican Rice Recipe
Mexican rice is one of those side dishes I want every time we make Mexican food at home. This recipe is especially meaningful to me because it came from a dear family friend from Mexico. She is an amazing cook who can add a little of this and a little of that without measuring anything.
I watched her make her rice and, after some trial and error, figured out the measurements so I could make it the same way every time.
The biggest thing I learned was not to skip toasting the rice. Cooking the dry rice in oil until it turns light golden gives it that fluffy, slightly dry texture you expect from Restaurant Style Mexican Rice. Once I figured out that step, this became the rice we make whenever Mexican food is on the menu.
🩷 Emily
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this Easy Mexican Rice Recipe.
- Long-grain white rice: Long-grain rice cooks up fluffy with grains that stay separate, which is exactly what you want for Mexican rice.
- Vegetable oil: The oil coats the rice and helps it toast until lightly golden. Avocado oil works well too.
- Garlic and seasonings: Minced garlic, kosher salt, and cumin give the rice its savory flavor.
- Tomato sauce: Tomato sauce gives Mexican rice its familiar reddish-orange color and mild tomato flavor.
- Chicken broth: Cooking the rice in broth instead of water adds much more flavor.
- Fresh cilantro: I like stirring cilantro into the finished rice so it stays fresh and green.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
This recipe is easy to adjust depending on what you have in your kitchen.
- Brown rice: Brown rice needs additional liquid and a longer cooking time, so I don’t recommend using it as a direct one-for-one substitution.
- Avocado oil: Use it in place of vegetable oil in the same amount.
- Vegetable broth: Substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth if you want a vegetarian version.
- Beef broth: Beef broth can also be used, although it gives the rice a richer flavor.
- Tomato bouillon: For a stronger tomato-bouillon flavor, use 1 ½ teaspoons tomato bouillon, reduce the salt to ¼ teaspoon, and replace the ½ cup tomato sauce with ½ cup additional broth.
- Onion: Add finely diced white or yellow onion and sauté it briefly before adding the garlic.
- Peas and carrots: Stir in frozen peas and carrots when you add the liquid so they cook with the rice.
- Corn or bell peppers: Either can be added along with other vegetables.
- Serrano or jalapeño: Add a finely chopped pepper if you want a little heat.
- Salsa: Replace up to ½ cup of the broth with salsa for more tomato flavor and spice.
- Jasmine rice: Jasmine rice can work because it is a long-grain rice, although the flavor and texture will be slightly different.
How to Make Mexican Rice
The ingredients are simple, but the cooking method is what gives this rice its fluffy texture. Toast the rice well, keep the lid closed while it cooks, and give it a few minutes to rest before fluffing.
- Toast the rice. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the uncooked rice and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the grains are light golden and smell slightly nutty.
- Add the seasonings. Stir in the garlic, salt, and cumin. Cook for about 30 seconds, just until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the liquid. Carefully pour in the tomato sauce and chicken broth. Increase the heat and bring everything to a full boil.
- Cover and simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Don’t lift the lid or stir the rice while it cooks.
- Let the rice rest. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered for 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the steam to redistribute and finish cooking the rice.
- Fluff and serve. Remove the lid and gently fluff the rice with a fork. Fold in the chopped cilantro and serve.
Recipe Tips for Fluffy Rice
If you want that fluffy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice texture, these little details make a big difference.
- Use long-grain rice. Short and medium-grain rice contain more starch and are more likely to become sticky.
- Don’t skip toasting the rice. Give it the full 5 to 7 minutes to turn lightly golden.
- Keep stirring while the rice toasts. This helps it brown evenly without burning.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan. A sturdy saucepan or Dutch oven distributes the heat more evenly.
- Use a tight-fitting lid. You need to keep as much steam inside the pot as possible.
- Turn the heat down after boiling. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low before covering the pan.
- Don’t peek. Every time you remove the lid, steam escapes and the cooking temperature drops.
- Don’t stir the rice while it simmers. Stirring can release starch and make the rice sticky.
- Let it rest before fluffing. Five to ten minutes of covered resting time helps the rice finish evenly.
- Fluff with a fork. A fork separates the grains without mashing them together.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. I usually don’t rinse the rice for this recipe because toasting the dry rice in oil helps keep the grains separate. If you prefer to rinse your rice, drain it very well and let it dry as much as possible before toasting. Wet rice will not toast as evenly.
I recommend long-grain white rice. It cooks up fluffy with separate grains and gives you the texture most people associate with Mexican restaurant rice.
Yes. Jasmine rice is a long-grain rice and can be used, although it has its own aroma and may cook a little softer than standard long-grain white rice.
Yes. For the best flavor, toast the rice with the oil, garlic, and seasonings on the stovetop first. Transfer it to your rice cooker, add the tomato sauce and broth, then cook according to your rice cooker’s directions.
Yes. I recommend using my Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe because the liquid amounts and pressure cooking time are already adjusted for the Instant Pot.
Yes. Double all of the ingredients and use a large, heavy-bottomed pot so the rice has enough room to cook evenly. The simmering time should stay close to the same, although a larger batch may take longer to come to a boil.
The names are often used interchangeably in the United States, but they aren’t exactly the same thing. Mexican rice is commonly made with tomatoes and cumin, which gives it a reddish-orange color. Traditional Spanish rice dishes may use ingredients such as saffron, giving them a different flavor and color.
Yes. Simply replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. Check the labels on any bouillon or other seasonings you add to make sure they fit your dietary needs.
The basic ingredients in this recipe are naturally gluten-free, but always check the labels on packaged chicken broth and bouillon if you need to avoid gluten because ingredients can vary by brand.
Troubleshooting
Rice can be a little finicky, but most problems are easy to trace back to the amount of liquid, cooking temperature, or lost steam.
- My Mexican rice is mushy or sticky – Too much liquid, stirring during cooking, using short-grain rice, or overcooking can all cause sticky rice. Remove the lid and let the rice sit for a few minutes so excess moisture can escape, then gently fluff it with a fork.
- My rice is still crunchy – Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot broth or water, cover the pan again, and cook over very low heat for about 5 more minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it rest before checking again.
- The rice burned on the bottom – The burner was probably too hot or the pan may be heating unevenly. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat all the way to low. A heavy-bottomed pan also helps prevent hot spots.
- My rice tastes bland – Make sure you are using broth instead of water and don’t skip the salt, cumin, garlic, or tomato sauce. You can also add a squeeze of lime or a little extra fresh cilantro before serving.
- There is still liquid in the pan when the rice is done – Cover the pan again and cook it over low heat for a few more minutes. Once the visible liquid has been absorbed, remove it from the heat and let the rice rest.
- Some of the rice is soft and some is crunchy – Uneven cooking usually happens when too much steam escapes or the pan heats unevenly. Use a tight-fitting lid, keep the heat low, and avoid opening the pan while the rice cooks.
Make Ahead and Storage
Mexican rice is easy to make ahead, which makes it especially handy when I’m serving a larger Mexican dinner.
Let leftover rice cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it. For best quality, use refrigerated rice within 3 to 4 days.
To reheat it, microwave individual servings or warm the rice in a covered saucepan over low heat. If it seems dry, add a small splash of water or broth before reheating.
You can also freeze Mexican rice. Let it cool completely, transfer it to freezer-safe bags or containers, and freeze it for up to about 3 months for best quality. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or reheat it from frozen in the microwave.
Pairing Ideas
This Easy Mexican Rice Recipe goes with just about any Mexican-inspired dinner. We especially love it with Birria Tacos, Homemade Enchiladas, Carne Asada Burritos, Grilled Steak Street Tacos, Hatch Chiles Rellenos, or Chicken Flautas. Add refried beans, black beans, guacamole, or a simple salad and you have an easy restaurant-style Mexican dinner at home.
More Popular Rice Recipes
If you love having a good rice recipe ready for dinner, here are a few more of our favorites:
Once you learn to toast the rice first and let it cook without stirring or lifting the lid, homemade Mexican rice gets so much easier. This is the recipe I come back to when I want fluffy rice with plenty of tomato, garlic, and cumin flavor without a complicated ingredient list.
If you make this Easy Mexican Rice Recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing how it turned out and what you served with it! 💛🇲🇽
Easy Mexican Rice Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the grains are light golden and smell slightly nutty.
- Add the garlic, salt, and cumin. Stir for about 30 seconds, just until the garlic is fragrant.
- Carefully pour in the tomato sauce and chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a full boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes without lifting the lid or stirring the rice.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the rice rest for at least 5 minutes while still covered.
- Remove the lid and gently fluff the rice with a fork. Fold in the chopped cilantro and serve.
Notes
- Use long-grain white rice for the fluffiest, driest restaurant-style texture.
- Toast the rice for 5 to 7 minutes until light golden. Don’t rush this step.
- Once the rice is covered, don’t stir it or lift the lid while it simmers.
- If the rice is crunchy, add 2 to 3 tablespoons hot broth, cover, and steam for another 5 minutes.
- If the rice is wet or clumpy, uncover it and let it rest for a few extra minutes before fluffing.
- Avocado oil can be substituted for the vegetable oil.
- To use tomato bouillon, add 1 ½ teaspoons tomato bouillon, reduce the salt to ¼ teaspoon, and replace the ½ cup tomato sauce with ½ cup additional broth.
- Stir the cilantro in after cooking so it stays fresh and green.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I used her recommendation to use salsa in place of the tomato sauce! Excellent!!!
Love it! Glad you liked the Mexican rice. Thanks for the 5-stars!
Can you use beef broth instead
Yes, beef broth also works great!
Just cleaned up dinner. We made this rice and it’s the best Mexican rice we have ever had. The whole family loved it!! I only had a small chunk of onion and two bay leaves! Such a good texture and flavor!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the Mexican rice! Thank you for the comment and rating!
Can I make this rice ahead of time?
Yes, you can. It’s best reheated in a skillet/frying pan on the stove, but can also be reheated in the microwave.
Have you tried this with olive oil instead of vegetable oil? I don’t tend to keep vegetable oil on hand, usually just olive or avocado oil!
I haven’t tried it with olive oil, but other than a slight difference in taste, I think it will work fine. Thanks for asking!
When you say tomato sauce do you mean Italian spaghetti sauce?
No, it isn’t spaghetti sauce, it is canned tomato sauce without any additional seasonings. At the grocery store, you will find it on the same aisle as canned diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Thank you for asking!
Thank you for answering my question! Now I feel like I can give your recipe a try.
I’m in love with this recipe . It’s perfet with refried beans’
This was(is) absolutely delicious. So very simple, yet the outcome is better than what you get at most “Mexican” restaurants. I live in CA where Mexican food is everywhere and I’m serious when I tell you this is on point! Thanks for sharing. So so good!
I’m so happy you like the recipe, Christina! It sounds like you are a Mexican rice expert – so this is truly a compliment. Thank you so much! 🙂
Excellent. perfect consistency, texture and taste. you can spice it up with hot sauce or jalapenos! Picante ! Hot Hot Hot!
Great ideas!
After trying around a dozen or more Mexican Rice recipes over the years, I’ve found that this is the best one and the closest to, if not exactly like Mexican Restaurant Rice. The only addition I made was about a Tablespoon of tomato paste in when the rice is about done frying, mix it all in and fry it in the paste for about a minute, then add in a little chili powder. It gives it a deeper, richer flavor. I changed nothing else about the recipe. Oil amount is spot on, along with all of the other amounts. Perfect flavor. I rarely comment on recipes I find online, but this one is certainly worth the praise! Well done!
Thank you for commenting! I like the added flavor ideas, I will have to try that next time! So glad you like it.
Rarely do I comment on recipes (actually, this may be my first). Normally, I add a little of this, reduce a little of that. I feel it would be rude to “correct” someone’s online recipes, so I just keep quiet.
Which brings me to this perfect recipe. Clear, simple directions. Most ingredients in any pantry (going out for fresh cilantro was worth it). Absolutely, 100% what I had in Mexico.
Thank you a million times. Perfect.
(I only made a single batch; silly. Next time X2)
Wow, Brad! Thank you so much for your comment. It thrills me to hear you had success with this recipe. I’m so happy you love our Mexican rice as much as we do.
Easy to make; took this to a family get together and everyone enjoyed ; will make again thank you !
Best rice ever and best hot sauce ever, both coming from the best Mexican restaurant ever.
Thank you so much!!
I love this recipe, the only thing I do different is add red chili pepper flakes to make it spicy.
Thank you for your 5-star rating and for the recipe addition idea. My son will love that, he puts red chili pepper flakes on everything. I hadn’t thought of adding it to the rice. Great idea!
This deserves a 10/10. The five star rating doesn’t do it justice lol. I’ve worked in a Mexican restaurant and made their version of rice. I’ve eaten at dozens of Mexican restaurants since then and I’ve made Mexican rice at home countless tines, but it never was good enough for me. But this recipe changes all that and I can finally say I’ve found the best recipe now. There’s two categories it needs to shine in. One is taste and the other is texture. This may be simple with its short amount of ingredients but it’s perfect. I’m making another batch as I write this.
Thank you so much!
Hi Jay — your nice comment made my day! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice review! I am so glad you liked this recipe. It’s one I make on the regular too. Hope you will keep coming back for more recipes 😀
This is my favorite Mexican rice recipe. We all love it, especially my toddler. Every time I’ve given it to her, it’s the first thing on her plate that she eats and she usually wants more.
Excellent! Most authentic rice recipe I’ve found. I’ve made this rice a hundred times. No need to change anything.
I found thus recipe years ago. It’s been my go to Mexican rice recipe since. Thank you so much for sharing
Could I use jasmine rice and also make the recipe in an instant pot as I typically do this with other rice dishes?
We haven’t tried that, but let us know how it turns out if you try it!
I made this for the first time and my picky family loved it. It was so simple to prepare. Thanks for sharing this.
This is delicious! I added 1/2 tsp chili powder, and used tomato bouillon instead of the salt. It came out flavorful and went well with the chicken we had. Thanks for a great recipe!