Authentic Mexican Rice Recipe (2024)

This easy Mexican Rice Recipe is a family favorite, toasted extra longgrain white rice simmered in a blend of chickenbroth, tomato sauce, and spices. Perfect served with tacos, enchiladas and refried beans, of course!

Mexican Rice

Mexican rice is so different from plain rice! Toasting the rice in plenty of oil is an important step and should not be skipped or rushed. The rice will toast at a fairly high heat and this keeps it from being overly starchy or mushy. Because the heat is so high, I use garlic powder rather than fresh garlic in this recipe. The minced garlic burns very quickly in a hot pan.

Good Mexican rice is flavorful and moist. Make sure you use extra long grain rice for this recipe as other types of rice will require different ratios.

Mexican Rice Recipe

This Mexican Rice Recipe is one I’ve spent years adjusting. Before Pinterest and food blogs were common, this was not the kind of recipe you could find anywhere. It’s not classic or gourmet so it wasn’t in most cookbooks, and if it was, it was not the kind of homestyle Mexican rice I was looking for – the kind that’s served in our local Mexican restaurants. It’s the kind of recipe that is rarely written down, so when I was newly married I had so many trial and errors trying to get it right.

I’ve also perfected an Instant Pot version which you can find here: Instant Pot Mexican Rice

How to Make Mexican Rice

1. Toast the rice in vegetable oil before adding the chicken broth.
2. Add low-sodium chicken broth and canned tomato sauce and spices.
3. Bring to a boil then cook covered on low heat for 20 minutes. The rice will cook for 20 minutes regardless of the recipe being halved or doubled.
4. Once rice has finished cooking, the chicken broth will have absorbed and some of the tomato sauce may have settled on top of the rice. Use a fork to lightly fluff the rice and combine it with the sauce.

The liquid ratios are the most important factor in Mexican rice. The ratio is 2 1/2 cups of liquid (chicken broth and tomato sauce) to 1 cup of rice. You can increase or decrease the ratio as needed to halve the recipe or increase the recipe. I always make it with two cups of rice and use the leftovers for later in the week. It’s especially good in burritos or chimichangas.

More Mexican Recipes

• Ground Beef Enchiladas
• Slow Cooker Refried Beans
• Frozen Margaritas
• Homemade Salsa
• Baked Tortilla Chips