An authentic recipe for Arroz Mexicano (Mexican Rice) at a fraction of the cost, this homemade version is simple to make and seriously tastes just as good (or perhaps better?) than your favorite Mexican restaurant. If you love the rice they serve at Mexican restaurants, then this recipe is for you!
This recipe is for my youngest. She has long been smitten with the rice from Mexican restaurants. However, she’s never been a fan of beans. She always ordered her meals with double rice and no beans. I’ve tried oh so many times over the years to make a homemade version of her treasured rice, but always failed.
It wasn’t until she corrected me one day that I finally realized what I was doing wrong. We were on vacation, planning to visit some friends who lived nearby. They were making us a Mexican feast. But we wanted to bring something. I asked my young one if I should make some “Spanish rice” to go with our Mexican meal. She replied, “Yes, but mom, it’s not SPANISH rice, it’s MEXICAN rice.”
Armed with that little bit of information, suddenly so many good recipes began to surface in my Google searches. I read many recipes and settled on this one from Muy Bueno, although I incorporated some of the seasonings from other recipes I’d perused along the way. And I changed the amount of liquid in the recipe to the perfect proportion so that you’ll get perfect results, every time.
What’s the Secret to Authentic Mexican Rice?
The secret, I discovered, to making great Mexican rice really boils down to one ingredient. Tomato Bouillon. I think I’ve seen it a hundred times at Mexican grocery stores. I always wondered what you’d use it for. Now that I know, it seems SO obvious! Of course you’d use tomato bouillon for Mexican rice.
There are, of course, other things that make this recipe great. Toasting the rice in hot oil first adds a warm toasty dimension of flavor. Also, the onion and garlic are flavor enhancers, plus that juicy tomato flavor from tomato sauce. And then the seasonings. Seriously this recipe is packed with goodness!
Like I said, if you are a fan of Mexican rice, you will absolutely love this recipe. Whenever we make Mexican food now, we HAVE to make this rice if my baby is around. She is grown and in college now, but she’ll ALWAYS be my baby!
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Authentic Arroz Mexicano (Mexican Rice)
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 40 min
- Yield: About 6 servings 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- 1 cup basmati or other long-grain rice
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
- 1/4 of a medium onion, peeled & chopped
- 2 cups water or no-salt chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon tomato chicken bouillon (or 1 cube)
- 1/3 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- A pinch of cumin
- 1 Tablespoon salsa
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the rice and cook until it’s starting to brown and smells toasty, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and onion and continue to stir until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the water or broth, tomato chicken bouillon, tomato sauce, salt, seasonings and salsa. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, uncovering to give it a quick stir half way through, then cover and continue cooking until the rice is nice and soft and fluffy.
- Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and enjoy!
Notes
RECIPE SOURCE: Sumptuous Spoonfuls – https://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/
© Copyright 2022, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
Nutrition
- Calories: 130
- Sodium: 391 mg
- Fat: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2.7g
Keywords: Mexican, Rice, Gluten Free, Authentic
The embed link for nutrition info isn’t working today! So I took a screenshot of the nutrition facts for this Mexican rice:
How to Use Arroz Mexicano?
Just like in the restaurants, Mexican rice is the perfect accompaniment to Mexican food of all kinds! But it’s also a wonderful addition when you’re stuffing burritos, bell peppers, mushrooms or squash.
Try this Mexican rice with delicious refried beans alongside one of these Mexican favorites:
- Cheesy Chicken Flautas
- Mexican Zucchini Lasagna
- Mexican Crunchwrap Supreme
- Cinco de Mayo Smashburger
- Enchiladas:
- Smoky Red Chicken Enchiladas
- Turkey Zucchini-ladas (Enchilada stuffed zucchini boats)
- Tacos:
- Or use this rice in:
2 comments
[…] – stuff into a large tortilla with cheese, beans and/or rice. Feel free to toss in sautéed peppers, onions, or other roasted chopped veggies. Top with a spicy […]
[…] that was needed. Of course, you could add any of the traditional Mexican sides. Refried beans and Mexican rice definitely complement these flavors. You could scoop it into flour or corn tortillas as well. If I […]