This Mexican rice recipe is easy, incredibly flavorful, and rivals the rice at your favorite restaurants.
We use the perfect blend of spices, fresh Anaheim peppers, and fresh tomatoes instead of canned to make this Mexican rice recipe extra delicious. This is one of Adam’s favorites!
This Mexican rice recipe only requires 15 minutes of hands-on time. Then, everything is hands-off while the rice cooks and absorbs all the delicious flavors. For more like this, see our cilantro lime rice (inspired by Chipotle) or our favorite fried rice.
Key Ingredients
- Long-grain white rice: For the best Mexican rice, use long-grain white rice since it cooks up to be light and fluffy. I especially enjoy aromatic Basmati rice in this recipe, but plain long-grain white rice is fine. Before cooking the rice, rinse and drain it a few times to remove the starch around the grains. Rinsing rice guarantees it will be light and fluffy.
- Fresh onion, Anaheim pepper, garlic, and tomatoes: I love the fresh ingredients in this rice recipe since they keep the flavors fresh and bright. We do not use canned tomato or tomato paste for this rice.
- Mexican rice seasoning: Just like many of our favorite Mexican recipes, we use dried oregano, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, and salt. If you have it available, we also add tomato powder to this recipe (optional, but delicious). Our Mexican rice might be a little more spiced than what you are used to, but it’s so delicious this way.
- Chicken stock: Store-bought or homemade stock will do here. You can even swap for veggie broth to make this recipe vegetarian/vegan-friendly.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Mexican Rice
Tip 1: Use a heavy bottomed pan. I use my heavy-bottomed medium saucepan (see video below), a Dutch oven, or a cast iron pan with a lid when making Spanish rice. The heavier the pan, the better the rice cooks. We’ll cook chopped onion, Anaheim peppers, and garlic until soft, which takes about 5 minutes.
Tip 2: Toast your rice. For the best taste and texture, toss your rice into the pot and toast it for another 5 minutes. We are looking for it to begin to turn light brown in places. We do the same when making cilantro lime rice.
Tip 3: Toast your spices. Stir in all the spices and allow them to toast for a minute to bring out all their flavors. And finally, stir in chopped fresh tomatoes and stock.
Tip 4: Leave the lid on. Cover the pot with a lid when the liquid comes to a boil, and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 14 minutes, then set the pot aside, still covered, for 10 more minutes.
Tip 5: Fluff rice with a fork. Before serving, fluff the rice with a fork and top with fresh cilantro and sliced green onion. I also love serving with a few lime wedges. All optional, but nice touches.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Mexican rice with beans, like these homemade refried beans, refried black beans, or creamy cooked black beans. This rice dish goes well with just about anything but is especially good served next to Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes like fajitas, chicken enchiladas, shrimp tacos, pork tacos, and carnitas. It’s also great for rolling up in burritos.
More Easy Rice Recipes
Easy Mexican Rice
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This homemade Mexican rice recipe (sometimes called Spanish rice) is fluffy, flavorful, and just like the rice at your favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants. For the most fluffy rice, use long-grain white rice like Basmati and thoroughly rinse it to remove starch before cooking.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 cups (380g) uncooked long-grain rice, like Basmati, rinsed and drained several times
2 ½ tablespoons avocado oil
1 large onion, finely chopped, 1 ½ cups
2 Anaheim peppers, seeds and stem removed then finely chopped, ⅔ cup
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups (415g) finely chopped tomatoes, 3 to 4 medium
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
3 teaspoons tomato powder, optional
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
2 ½ cups (590ml) chicken stock, try homemade
Cilantro, sliced green onion, and lime for serving
Directions
1Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat.
2Add the onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions look translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.
3Stir in the rinsed and drained rice and toast, moving the rice around the pan for about 5 minutes. You are looking for the rice to begin to turn light brown in places.
4Stir in the oregano, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, tomato powder, and salt, and cook for 1 minute.
5Pour in the tomatoes, all of the tomato juices, and the stock. Stir well, and then bring to a boil.
6When boiling, cover and cook on low for 14 minutes.
7Slide the pan off of the heat, but keep the lid on. Rest for 10 more minutes.
8Use a fork to fluff the rice and serve with optional cilantro, green onion, and lime.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Tomato powder: Add 1 tablespoon of tomato powder to the pot when adding the other spices. Tomato powder adds a richer tomato flavor and color. Find it online or in Mexican supermarkets.
- Vegetarian/Vegan: Substitute the chicken stock for vegetable broth.
- Storing: Keep rice in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Two cups cooked rice or uncooked rice?
You start with uncooked rice. I will make that more clear in the recipe. Thank you for pointing this out.
Our family loves this rice – I usually serve it with chicken and a salad. Makes a big batch, so it’s perfect for an evening with guests or to have lots of leftovers. It’s delicious and very worth making!
Fluffy & Flavourful! Ready for Wrap & Roll night! I halved the recipe using good quality Basmati and substituted fresh tomatoes for 1.5 cups of canned diced tomatoes then strained and pressed out the juice to make up the quantity of chicken stock. I was certain that it would be too mushy but followed the recipe instructions. I used a good 2 teaspoons of chili powder and 1/4 tsp cumin but halved the oregano. Also used fresh yellow bell pepper as we can only do light spice. This will pair up for tonight’s taco beef and tortillas! Saved the fresh tomatoes for pico de gallo!
So happy you tried the recipe! Thank you for coming back!
your site is so right on. i am in search of tomato powder.some on walmart are available online. as much as i like knorr products their tomato boullion has msg. i try to stay away it seems to ruin my appetite.but what i realy want to say, is you two do a fantastic job and i wish you well. inspired taste is such a great name for truly i am inspired.
My husband and I loved this recipe. It is favorful and moist. So much better than most of the rice which accompanies Mexican dishes at restaurants. I used a 14.5 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes with all of the liquid in place of fresh tomatoes. It worked wonderfully.
Made this rice in my travel trailer mini stovetop and it turned out great. I halved the recipe and it came out fluffy, colorful & delicious! Love your recipes.
Thank you so much! This recipe would be great for traveling 🙂
Made this whilst camping on the Runde River in the Gonarezhou game park in Zimbabwe. Used tinned tomatoes. Was very tasty and enjoyed by all. Will definitely make on other camping trips. Thank you.
Love it! So happy you enjoyed it while camping 🙂
Greetings and excellent recipe detail. Cooked as per given details it turned out to be excellent. I added 1 green chilli and I small stick cinnamon and 2 cloves and came out great. Enjoyed it on its own with mint flavoured buttermilk. All the best
Yay! Love your additions 🙂
Made this today for Summer Solstice, along with your Best Meatloaf (which I’ve made before and left a 5 star review). This rice is fluffy, flavorful, and goes perfectly with just about anything! Thanks again for another keeper. I made it with Jasmine, which is what I had, will try with Basmati next time. Thanks again!
You are so welcome. Glad you loved it 🙂
Great recipe. Added peas and corn as well as chopped peppers, onions and celery.
Love the personal additions 🙂
Omg the best Spanish rice I could not stop eating
This recipe came out great. I followed it exactly, exception for one exception. I didn’t use fresh tomatoes as I don’t like tomatoes with the skin on them when cooked in any type of recipe. The chewy skin ruins it for me. So I substituted with good quality canned peeled san marzano tomatoes. Will make this again.
We love those canned tomatoes! Great idea 🙂
I love all your recipes. Good luck.
Really Good flavor. Loved the ease of the recipe. Have some for leftovers and some for freezer. Tk you!
You are so welcome!
Always good, easy and very flavorful recipes. I love the videos!
We are so happy to hear that you find the videos useful. We love working on them 🙂
Absolutely wonderful. So easy to prepare, and so delicious.
Looks yummy!! I’m definitely trying this!!
This was delicious and got great reviews at the Cinco De Mayo birthday party. Everybody went for seconds…always a good sign! The seasonings were spot on and much better than any packaged version. Didn’t end up using the tomato powder, but didn’t miss it at all. Also, couldn’t find any Anaheim peppers. Had to use about only a teaspoon of finely chopped Serrano pepper. Next time I will go for Poblanos because I think they will be the perfect heat level for us.
This is good but I suggest holding back on the salt and add it gradually to taste
So delicious and makes a big batch. I couldn’t get Anaheim peppers so I used one green bell pepper and one huge poblano pepper. Turned out great.
We love poblano pepper! So happy you loved the recipe 🙂
This was REALLY good! Full of flavor of the roasting of the rice, and with all the spices and herbs that are added. I went ahead and added a few other finely chopped veggies that I had in my fridge. Will certainly be making this again!
So glad you loved it and thank you for coming back to leave a comment 🙂
Can make this ahead and reheat? What would be the best way to reheat? Thanks
Absolutely, I usually reheat rice covered with a damp paper towel in my microwave.
Oddly most Mexican cooks I’ve seen never cover their rice. They cook it down no lid so it stays more “separate” like fried rice consistency.There is also nothing wrong with flavor, in the South here it’s a must. You’re definitely making some Mexican rice I’d love to eat. The “Tomato flavor” or “stock items” you want to use is either Knorrs chicken and tomato bullion cubes or just Knorr’s chicken bullion powder to the desired salt level. Down south in about any Walmart store in the “Latin section” you can find all the stuff and spices or about anywhere else in a large store. Unless you’re growing your own super flavorful home grown tomato varieties or score some in the store I prefer whole canned tomatoes much more flavor than many hot house tomatoes unless you find Campari tomatoes or great flavored “cherries”. Just need a great can of whole peeled San Marzanos or another super flavorful variety like cherry tomatoes (all Italian which are becoming more common and prevalent in America.
Agree with you here re tinned Tom’s there are SO many recipes that call for raw tomatoes and I don’t get it, since they are being cooked to literally nothing. Good quality tinned tomatoes will do just the job. I think the raw tomatoes here are used for video effectiveness
Either work, we love both canned and fresh 🙂