This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Looking for the perfect homemade restaurant-style Mexican rice recipe? Look no further. Our easy recipe uses ingredients you likely have on hand to make the perfect side dish for all your Mexican recipes.
If you’re looking for some truly awesome enchilada recipes to accompany this yummy rice, you’ll love our white chicken enchiladas, cheesy chicken enchiladas, or beef enchiladas, I promise!
This recipe will be one of the best rice side dishes you’ll ever make. Looking for more? Check out all our side dishes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Taste rivals the best Mexican restaurants
- Made with easy to find ingredients
- Has just the right amount of spices
Mexican Rice Ingredients
- Rice: I use long-grained white rice. Some shorter-grained varieties are starchier and can result in stickier rice, which is not what we want for this dish.
- Vegetable Oil: I use vegetable oil most of the time because it’s always sitting right next to my cooktop. If you happen to have bacon drippings or corn oil, use those instead.
- Better Than Bouillon: This is an ingredient I use ALL the time. It fortifies the chicken flavor in a recipe, creating more depth of flavor. It’s also much less salty than regular bouillon.
- Bouillon Cubes Instead: You can substitute bouillon cubes instead. Just make sure that you use low-sodium chicken broth and omit the salt.
- Also, if you use the bouillon cubes, they need to be dissolved in some of the chicken broth before you add them to the rice. I just pour about a cup of the liquid called for in the recipe (not extra) and microwave it with the cube for about 1 1/2 minutes or until the cube dissolves after being stirred.
- Salt: I cannot give you the exact amount of salt because every chicken broth contains different amounts. I wrote 1/4 teaspoon in the recipe, but I find it often needs a bit more, depending on the broth I bought. FYI, 1/2 teaspoon is verging on too much, even for me, a bona fide salt-a-holic!
Why Do I Need To Toast The Rice Before Cooking
When you toast the rice in oil (or other fat) before adding the broth, the rice grains cook separately. This creates a toasty, almost nutty flavor that gives the flavor a lot of depth. This simple step is crucial to making authentic restaurant Mexican rice, so please don’t skip it!
How to Store and Make Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Store leftovers in an airtight container. If you don’t have them on hand, just cover any container tightly with plastic wrap. I keep my cooked rice in the fridge for up to four days.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes, you can. My favorite way to store this in the freezer is as I would for the fridge. You guessed it! The amazing resealable plastic bag! How did we ever live without these things? It will last up to 6 months in the freezer if properly stored.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety, check out this link.
How To Reheat Mexican Rice
After storing rice, its texture can change, and it often loses moisture. To reheat, place the rice in a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle with a splash of water. If there are clumps, break them up with a fork. Cover with a wet paper towel directly on top of the rice and cook on high until heated through.
How Much Rice To Serve Per Person
2 cups of uncooked rice will yield about 6 cups of cooked rice. I generally plan on adults eating 1 cup per person and kids eating 1/4 to 1/2 cup, depending on their age.
How To Make Mexican Rice
- Then, toast the rice until golden. Add the garlic and let it cook just until fragrant.
- Then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer. Now you’re ready to devour!
*** See Full Instructions Below
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
- Dorito Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Soup
- Pozole Verde
- Mexican Spaghetti
- Mexican Casserole
- Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
- Taco Spaghetti
- Chile Relleno Casserole
- Achiote Roasted Pork Tacos
- Honey Chicken Lime Enchiladas
Tried This Recipe?
Remember, we have new recipes every week! Have you subscribed to our free, no-strings-attached email?
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a review. I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups long-grain rice
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 28 ounces chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chicken flavor Better Than Bouillon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil (2 tablespoons) in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the rice (2 cups) and cook, stirring constantly, until golden. Add the garlic (1 teaspoon) and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
- Add the tomato sauce (8 ounces), chicken broth 928 ounces), cumin (1/2 teaspoon), Better Than Bouillon (1 tablespoon), salt (1/4 teaspoon) and pepper (1/8 teaspoon).
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stir, then reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer until the rice is cooked and all the liquid is absorbed. Adjust seasoning as needed. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Fans Also Made:
Nutrition
My family really loved this rice! Makes a large amount and easy to make .
Thank you for sharing.
You’re very welcome, Karen! 😀
I always add lemon pepper or lemon/lime juice, makes a HUGE difference (also, “Rotel” type tomatoes. this can all be put in a rice cooker, I cook all rice (including Mexican Rice, in the rice cooker.
Thank you, Tami <3