Mexican Rice Recipe

This easy Mexican Rice is fluffy, flavorful, and the perfect side dish for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and more.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Mexican Inspired, Southern

Keyword easy-mexican-rice-recipe, mexican-rice-recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Stand time 5

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 217kcal

In a large saucepan sauté the onion and olive oil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add the rice, stirring to coat with the oil. Toast the rice stirring constantly until fragrant and lightly golden brown, around 1-2 minutes.
To the pot add the taco seasoning, granulated garlic, seasoned salt and dark chili powder. Stir well. chicken stock,
Add chicken broth, taco sauce and diced green chiles. Mix well.
Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat then immediately lower to a simmer. Cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork then serve garnished with fresh cilantro.

Rice: You could use basmati rice, jasmine rice or brown rice for this recipe. Each variety of rice cooks differently so adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Garlic: If preferred, you could use fresh garlic in place of granulated garlic. Two to three medium cloves of garlic will work.
Tomato Sauce: I like using taco sauce in this Mexican rice as it's seasoned and complements the overall flavor. You could use plain tomato sauce, instead.
Salsa: You could replace the taco sauce with thick salsa or use a can or rotel tomatoes, for a chunky tomato texture.
Vegetables: Some Mexican restaurants we visit add peas or mixed vegetables to the rice. You could add 1/2-1 cup of either one, to suit your taste. You could serve black beans and refried beans on the side.
Cilantro: If you have an aversion to the taste of cilantro, you can replace it with parsley or green onions.
Green Chiles: You can use mild, medium or hot green chiles. You could also sauté diced jalapeno or poblano pepper for added spice.
Taco Seasoning: Taco seasoning amps up the flavor with a blend of spices commonly used in Mexican cooking. See my recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning here.