• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Instant Pot Recipe Guide! download now!

FREE 5 Instant Pot Meals in 5 Minutes E Course!


Thank you for subscribing!


Formerly Your Homebased Mom

  • About
  • Latest
  • Contact
NEW! Watch on youtube!

Your Homebased Mom

Leigh Anne Wilkes

  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Appetizers
      • Beverages
      • Bread
      • Breakfast and Brunch
      • Dessert
        • Bars and Brownies
        • Cake
        • Candy and Treats
        • Cookies
        • Ice Cream
        • Pie
      • Main Dishes
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches and Burgers
      • Sauces and Dressings
      • Side Dishes
      • Soup
    • Cooking Method
      • Crock Pot
      • Grilling
      • Instant Pot
      • One Pan
      • Oven
      • Quick and Easy
      • Recipes for Two
    • Ingredients
      • Beef
      • Eggs
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Poultry
        • Chicken
        • Turkey
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
      • Gluten Free
    • Cuisine
      • American
      • Asian
      • European
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
    • Holiday
      • New Year’s Eve
      • Valentine’s Day
      • St. Patrick’s Day
      • Easter
      • 4th of July
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Christmas
  • Travel
    • Europe
    • United States
      • New York City
      • Portland
    • What To Wear
  • Life
    • Home
    • Party Ideas
    • Empty Nesters
    • Church
      • Activity Day
      • Relief Society
    • Organizational Tips
    • Recommended Reads
  • New? Start Here
  • Subscribe for weekly recipes

    FREE 5 Instant Pot Meals in 5 Minutes E Course!


    Thank you for subscribing!


Recipe Finder

  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Dessert
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches and Burgers
    • Sauces and Dressings
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
  • Cooking Method
    • Oven
    • Crock Pot
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • One Pan
    • Quick and Easy
  • Ingredients
    • Beef
    • Eggs
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Poultry
    • Seafood
    • Vegetarian
    • Gluten Free
  • Cuisine
    • American
    • Asian
    • European
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
  • Holiday
    • New Year’s Eve
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
Home / Latest Posts / Recipes / Mexican Rice

Mexican Rice

Jump to Recipe Print Video Share
Share on:
By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 6/02/18Updated: 7/21/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.

overhead shot of mexican rice

This restaurant style Mexican rice is so delicious and so easy to make at home you may never need to visit your favorite Mexican food restaurant again. 

Mexican Rice

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

I love the red rice you get in most Mexican restaurants.   The only problem is I hadn’t been able to duplicate the flavor at home. I usually ended up going to our local neighborhood restaurant and getting some to go!

Fortunately for all of us my friend Sherra shared this easy Mexican rice recipe with me, it is just like the rice from my favorite restaurant and it has become my go to recipe.

I commented at the dinner table that I thought it taste just as good as the rice we get from our favorite Mexican restaurant and one of the kids said “It’s better!!”

spanish rice

Ingredients Needed

  • Olive oil or vegetable oil
  • Long grain white rice. Such as jasmine rice or basmati rice.
  • Chicken broth or chicken bouillon
  • Tomato juice
  • Salt and pepper
  • Cilantro. As garnish
Mexican restaurant rice

How to Make Mexican Rice

  • Brown rice in oil before adding liquid. Cook over medium heat stirring consistently until the rice turns a nice tan color.
brown rice in oil
  • Add in the chicken stock, tomato juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat, add a tight lid, and let it simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed. 
  • Turn off the heat and let the rice sit with the lid on for about 10 minutes. 
  • Fluff rice with a fork. And just like that you will have fluffy and delicious rice that is just as good, if not better, than your favorite restaurant!
  • Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Rice Add Ins

  • Peas. Add thawed peas in at the end.
  • Carrots. Cut into small pieces and add in with chicken broth.
  • Corn. Drain if using canned corn and add in with chicken broth.
  • Diced Green Chilies or Jalapenos. Add in with chicken broth.
overhead shot of mexican rice

Mexican Rice Tips

  1. Brown the rice in oil first. This helps the rice absorb flavor and makes it the right consistency, not sticky and clumpy.
  2. Make it on the stovetop. It works much better on the stove top than in a rice cooker and you get a better texture.
  3. Long grain rice. I always use long grain rice such as jasmine or basmati.
bowl of mexican rice

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Mexican rice and Spanish rice the same thing?

Basically it is the same thing. Most Spanish rice and Mexican rice recipes have the same ingredients which includes rice, a tomato based sauce, and chicken broth. The seasonings can vary. Some recipes may contain onions and peppers.

What is the best way to reheat Mexican rice?

The easiest way is in the microwave. If you don’t have a microwave place it in a sauce pan along with a little bit of water and reheat on the stove top.

Can I freeze leftover rice?

Place the cooled rice in an airtight container or a zippered freezer bag, remove as much air as possible. You can freeze it for up to 3 months

What to Serve with Mexican Rice

  • Mexican Shredded Chicken {only five ingredients}
  • Chicken Fajitas
  • Costa Vida Chicken
  • Chicken Enchiladas
  • Instant Pot Mexican Chicken
  • Steak Tacos
  • Burritos

Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.

4.69 from 32 votes
Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

Mexican Rice

Recipe From: Leigh Anne Wilkes
This restaurant style Mexican rice is so delicious and so easy to make at home you may never need to visit your favorite Mexican food restaurant again. 
serves: 6 servings
Prep:10 minutes
Cook:20 minutes
Total:30 minutes
Rate Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp Olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 5.5 oz. tomato juice
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a skillet
  • Add the rice
  • Stir frequently and slightly brown the rice (more like, make it tan) over a medium high heat
  • Add the chicken broth, tomato juice, and some salt and pepper.
  • Stir thoroughly
  • Reduce heat to simmer and cover tightly with a lid
  • (I ‘stir’ the mixture several times while it’s cooking by just shaking/moving the skillet back and forth so that I don’t take the lid off.)
  • Simmer/cook for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed
  • Once the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and leave mixture alone with the lid on it for another 10-15 minutes or so

Tips & Notes:

  • Brown the rice in oil first. This helps the rice absorb flavor and makes it the right consistency, not sticky and clumpy.
  • Make it on the stovetop. It works much better on the stove top than in a rice cooker and you get a better texture.
  • Long grain rice. I always use long grain rice such as jasmine or basmati.

Recommended Products

Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 157kcal (8%) Carbohydrates: 25g (8%) Protein: 3g (6%) Fat: 5g (8%) Saturated Fat: 4g (25%) Sodium: 288mg (13%) Potassium: 99mg (3%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 1g (1%) Vitamin A: 2IU Vitamin C: 6mg (7%) Calcium: 13mg (1%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Course:Side Dish
Cuisine:Mexican
Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
Did you make this?I love seeing what you made. Be sure to share a picture and tag @yourhomebasedmom on social media!
Tag on Insta! Leave a Rating
Previous Post
Pesto Recipe
Next Post
Chicken Soft Tacos with Salsa Cream Sauce

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made this? Rate this recipe:




  1. Carla says

    Posted on 4/24 at 3:45 pm

    So easy, So good

    Reply
  2. Tisha says

    Posted on 3/31 at 10:35 am

    Hi Leigh Anne! All of your recipes are so good! Would there be a way to make this rice recipe in the Instant Pot? I was just curious to see if you or someone else had tried it. Thank you!

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Seasonal Posts

overhead shot of lemon sheet cake

Lemon Texas Sheet Cake

overhead shot of baked pineapple

Pineapple Casserole

broccoli crunch salad in a bowl

Broccoli Crunch Salad

cheesy potatoes in a casserole dish

Cheesy Potatoes

Most Popular Posts

baked riblets

Easy Oven Baked Riblets

chicken cooked in the microwave

How to Cook Chicken in the Microwave

Herb Rice

Crock Pot 5 ingredient Pork Roast sliced

Crock Pot Pork Roast

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Trending Now

overhead shot of cinnamon rolls

One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

plate of smashed potatoes and a fork

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

overhead shot of bowl of almond chicken

Almond Chicken

baked riblets

Easy Oven Baked Riblets

No knead bread in a pan

Instant Pot Bread

Tomato tart pieces

Easy Tomato Tart

spoon full of mac and cheese

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Almond Torte

  • Crock Pot
  • Instant Pot
  • Chicken
  • Breakfast
  • Appetizers
  • Bread
  • Salad
  • Dessert

Order my Cookbook, Holiday Slow Cooker!

Buy Now!
Back to Top
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • Contact
© 2013–2023 Leigh Anne Wilkes Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled