This easy homemade Mexican Rice is a Tex-Mex staple! Long grain rice, vegetables, tomato sauce, bouillon, and spices simmer on the stovetop to make a flavorful side dish.
There are a lot of rice recipes online and many families make theirs differently. This version is based on a combination of what I learned from college roommates, my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants, and old South Texas cookbooks for reference.
My favorite Tex-Mex restaurant puts lots of bell pepper, celery, and onion in their rice. The sautéed vegetables become so flavorful, it's one of my favorite parts of the dish. With a few key ingredients, you can make this rice at home to serve with all your favorite Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes.
Ingredients
- Rice: Be sure to use long-grain white rice. I used Honestly Texas Rice, which is grown in Texas and available at H-E-B. My whole family seems to think it tastes better.
- Oil: You'll be toasting the rice in a neutral-flavored oil. I use canola oil, but any neutral-flavored vegetable oil will work.
- Celery: I finely chop about one stalk of celery, although my favorite restaurant leaves it more coarsely chopped.
- Onion: I use white onion in my Tex-Mex dishes. You'll need about ½ an onion.
- Green Bell Pepper: This recipe uses just a little, if you don't have any, substitute ¼ cup of another pepper or increase the celery or onion.
- Tomato Sauce: You'll need one small can of plain tomato sauce. I use H-E-B brand. Make sure that it doesn't have added seasonings, such as Italian herbs.
- Spices: Season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. It will seem like a lot of garlic powder, but I recommend you use the full amount. The flavor turns out so amazing! Sometimes I add a bit of oregano or thyme to the rice, too. A lot of recipes call for cumin, but I prefer the simpler flavor of this one.
- Bouillon Cube: You'll need one Knorr tomato bouillon cube with chicken flavor (caldo de tomate). This was the secret I learned from my roommates on how to make authentic Tex-Mex rice.
How to Make Mexican Rice
Here's a quick visual guide to making this easy Mexican rice. For measurements and full instructions, please see the recipe card below.
A lot of the top Mexican rice recipes on the internet wash their rice. I went through my old Texas Mexican cookbooks, and none of them called for rinsing the rice, so I personally skip that step.
Toast the Rice
First, you'll want to heat the oil in a large, wide skillet that has a lid. You want to toast the rice until it is a nice light golden brown color. This is a very important step in making the rice, so don't skip it!
Sauté the Vegetables
Then you'll add the diced veggies and let them sauté for a few minutes. You can vary the veggies, as long as you use 1 cup total. Stir in the spices and cook for about 30 seconds. At this point it should smell very fragrant.
Add the Liquids, Cover and Simmer
Add the tomato sauce, water, and bouillon cube. Stir to make sure the cube gets dissolved completely. If you don't, the seasoning will end up uneven, and even if you stir it after, it's just not the same.
For extra flavor, you can add a whole jalapeño. Just wash it, cut a slit in it, and tuck it into the skillet before bringing the rice to a simmer.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 18-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 5 minutes before fluffing the rice with a fork.
Serving & Storage
Serve the rice hot with your favorite Mexican food. I like to make it with tacos, fajitas, carne guisada, and charro beans.
Storage: Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Simply reheat in the microwave.
📖 Recipe
Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil
- 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
- ½ cup white onion, diced
- ¼ cup green bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup celery, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups water
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 cube Knorr Tomato Bouillion with Chicken (caldo de tomate)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. Pour in the rice, stir, and let the rice toast for a few minutes until it turns a light golden brown color.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to rice. Sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in spices and let toast for about 30 seconds.
- Add water, tomato sauce, and bouillon cube. Stir until the bouillon cube dissolves, then bring to a simmer. You can also dissolve the cube in the water beforehand.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 18-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing.
More Tex-Mex Recipes You May Enjoy
I hope y'all enjoy this easy Mexican rice recipe This one has been requested for years, and I'm glad to finally share it. Sometimes I make a batch and turn it into dinner with leftover meat, tortillas, and beans.
Enjoy!
Alaine
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