• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bake It With Love

  • Grilling
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Grilling
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

Last Updated: Mar 15, 2024 by Angela Latimer · 6 Comments

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

Jump to Recipe
Delicious better than restaurant quality Mexican rice is easy to make at home!
Delicious better than restaurant quality Mexican rice is easy to make at home!

It is hard to find a restaurant-style Mexican rice recipe that delivers authentic flavor, but this recipe may be the best. It has just enough of a hint of spicy and a deliciously rich tomato flavor. It may be even better than the kind you can find at restaurants.

Some of my favorite Mexican recipes are tortas, ground beef Mexican casserole, picadillo mexicano, and elotes.

Delicious, better than restaurant-quality Mexican rice is easy to make at home!
Jump to:
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔪 How To Make Mexican Rice
  • 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
  • 🙂 😀 Testimonials
  • 🥡 Storing & Reheating
  • 📖 Recipe Card
  • 💬 Comments & Reviews

Rice and beans are a classic combination served on many plates at Mexican restaurants. My family is always in the mood for Mexican food, so this rice is handy whenever I make it.

Whether I make chicken enchiladas, taquitos, quesadillas, or something else, this rice pairs wonderfully. It might even be one of my most-cooked side dishes!

🥘 Ingredients

  • Vegetable Oil - Some vegetable oil (or another neutral-flavored oil) for sauteing the onion.
  • Yellow Onion - Finely chopped yellow or white onion.
  • Long Grain Rice - When I make this, I usually have leftover cooked jasmine rice to use for it. However, if you don't have any leftover jasmine rice, cook up some long-grain white rice so you're ready to move on to making the Mexican rice.
  • Chipotle Chile Powder - This is the same as chipotle powder, chipotle chili pepper powder, and ground chipotle chile. Many names use chili or chile interchangeably, but you should be able to find it at most stores.
  • Taco Seasoning Mix - Use the packaged taco seasoning or make your own.
  • Chicken Broth - Chicken broth adds extra flavor, but you can use water if you don't have any.
  • Fire-Roasted Tomatoes - A can of fire-roasted tomatoes adds a tomato flavor to the rice.
  • Jalapeno Pepper - Adjust the amount of jalapeno you use to suit your preference for spiciness.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Mexican Rice

The key to making this recipe simple is using rice you've already cooked. You will need a large skillet, a wooden spoon, and measuring utensils.

This recipe will make 8 servings of Mexican rice.

mexican rice simmering with tomatoes, chiles, and cilantro.
My husband's favorite way to make the same recipe is to cook all his onions, peppers, tomatoes, and jalapeno before adding the rice.

Prepare The Rice

Step 1: Saute the onion. Heat a large skillet and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to medium-high heat. Add ½ of a yellow onion and cook/saute for about two minutes, or until it becomes translucent, before adding the rice.

Step 2: Add cooked rice. Once the onion has started to turn golden, add 3 cups (600 grams) of cooked long-grain rice and combine with the onion. Cook the combined rice and onion for about 2-3 minutes. You must keep the rice moving to fry it well (and get it slightly crispy).

Step 3: Add seasoning. Add 2 teaspoons of chipotle chile powder and 1½ teaspoons of taco seasoning mix, and stir well to combine.

Step 4: Add broth, tomatoes, and jalapeno. Add 1 cup (237 milliliters) of chicken broth, 14.5 ounces (411 grams) of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and ½ of a diced jalapeno, and bring to a low boil while still on medium-high heat.

Simmer & Serve

Step 5: Boil and reduce heat. Once a low boil has been reached, reduce the heat to low and allow the Mexican rice to simmer, covered, for about 10-12 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Step 6: Serve. Serve while nice and hot.

Delicious better than restaurant quality Mexican rice is easy to make at home!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

  • Use your favorite spices. Any chili powder will work, but I like chipotle chili powder. Preferably a sweet chipotle chili powder.
  • Don't skip frying the rice. Mexican rice must be fried in the oil before adding broth and tomatoes. This helps it achieve the best flavor but keep its tender texture.
  • Use salsa. Swap the fire-roasted tomatoes out for your favorite salsa if you want to experiment with spiciness.

🙂 😀 Testimonials

This is a fantastic recipe to use as a side dish to any meal. I paired this with your beef enchiladas and then used leftovers in burritos too. Fantastic. Thanks for the great ideas!

Anonymous

>>>See All Of My Recipes Here!<<<

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Store your rice in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days.

Additionally, you can freeze the rice by placing it in a sealed bag (let it cool first). It can be frozen for 3-4 months.

Reheating

Add a tablespoon or two of broth or water per 1 cup of rice. It can be heated in the microwave for two minutes or warmed on the stovetop over low heat.

Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

📖 Recipe Card

Delicious better than restaurant quality Mexican rice is easy to make at home!
Print Recipe Leave A Comment
Love This Recipe?Click On A Star To Rate It!
4.98 from 43 reviews

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

It is hard to find a restaurant-style Mexican rice recipe that delivers authentic flavor, but this recipe may be the best. It has just enough of a hint of spicy and a deliciously rich tomato flavor. It may be even better than the kind you can find at restaurants.
Author | Angela Latimer
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 133kcal
Prep 20 minutes minutes
Cooking 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 35 minutes minutes
Pin Recipe Share on Facebook

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ½ yellow onion (finely chopped)
  • 3 cups cooked long grain rice
  • 2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon taco seasoning mix (see recipe)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes (1 can of diced tomatoes)
  • ½ jalapeno pepper (or 1 4 oz can diced chile peppers - optional)

(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)

Help Us Out!If you love a recipe, be sure to come back and share your ratings. This helps future users, and allows me to continue sharing free recipes! Angela

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large skillet and vegetable oil to medium-high, add the onion and saute the onion for 2 minutes.
  • Add the 3 cups of cooked rice and stir to combine with the onion, keep stirring for about 2-3 minutes while frying the rice.
  • Add seasoning: sweet chipotle chile powder and taco seasoning mix, stir it into the fried rice and onion, then add chicken broth, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and jalapeno. Stir a bit to combine, then bring to a low boil.
  • Reduce heat after a low boil is reached, cover, and allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcal (7%) | Carbohydrates: 23g (8%) | Protein: 2g (4%) | Fat: 4g (6%) | Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) | Sodium: 191mg (8%) | Potassium: 75mg (2%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 2g (2%) | Vitamin A: 206IU (4%) | Vitamin C: 4mg (5%) | Calcium: 28mg (3%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!
Course Dinner Recipes, Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican

« Homemade Flour Tortillas
Benihana Ginger Salad Dressing »

Share This Recipe!

  • Share
  • X
  • Flipboard
  • Threads
  • WhatsApp
  • Email

Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.98 from 43 votes (41 ratings without comment)

    Thanks for coming! Ask anything - or let me know what you think: Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Anonymous says

    September 05, 2022 at 10:00 am

    5 stars
    This is a fantastic recipe to use as a side dish to any meal. I paired this with your beef enchiladas and then used leftovers in burritos too. Fantastic. Thanks for the great ideas!

    Reply
  2. Shauna Kelly says

    September 05, 2022 at 6:49 am

    This recipe looks amazing & im planning to cook it for my family this evening.
    Is the rice better just cooked or cooked & cooled - I’m concerned it would turn to mush if just cooked?
    Thanks so much, love your recipes !

    Reply
    • Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says

      September 05, 2022 at 10:13 am

      Thanks Shauna! The rice works best if it is cooked and cooled. If you need to pull everything together in a shorter time frame, you can cook the rice and spread it on a sheetpan to dry it out a bit before moving on with the recipe. Enjoy!

      Reply
    • Sue says

      October 10, 2022 at 8:21 pm

      4 stars
      I think I have a different opinion of "hint of spicy", and I even left out the jalapenos. Lol. My rice was a bit sticky, but I owe that to my execution, not the recipe. Overall, the flavor was really good, and the jasmine rice added a nice background flavor. I will definitely be trying this recipe again!

      Reply
  3. Gretl Ranch says

    January 03, 2022 at 5:59 pm

    I am unable to find "chipotle Chile powder." What else would it be called or do you have a recommendation of a specific item you use?

    Reply
    • Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says

      January 03, 2022 at 6:57 pm

      It is also called just chipotle powder, chipotle chili pepper powder, ground chipotle chile. The many names use chili or chile interchangeably but a google search for 'chipotle powder' brings up everything you should need (and I purchased mine at Walmart). Hope that helps!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Author bio photo with cake.

Hi there, I'm Angela

I am an avid vintage cookbook collector, cook, baker, and total foodie. I love sharing new, fun, creative recipes and great classic recipes, just like my Grandma used to make! Every recipe on BIWL is tested to ensure that cooks of any experience level can succeed.

Welcome to Bake It With Love. Enjoy!

More About Me ->

Grilling Recipes

  • Tasty, easy cookout food ideas to make and feed a crowd this summer.
    Easy Cookout Food Ideas: Best Dishes To Bring To A Cookout

  • Square image of sliced Arrachera steak on a cutting board.
    Arrachera (Mexican Steak for Tacos)

  • Square image of sliced Denver steak on a cutting board.
    Denver Steak

  • Square image of grilled ostrich steaks.
    Grilled Ostrich Steaks

  • Square image of grilled pineapple.
    Grilled Pineapple

  • Square image of sliced grilled skirt steak.
    Grilled Skirt Steak

See more Grilled →

Tasty Dinner Ideas

  • A square collage of four images showing easy summer crockpot meals including tender London broil pot roast, green beans and potatoes, grape jelly meatballs, and pork carnitas tacos.
    Summer Crockpot Meal Ideas

  • Panda Express honey sesame chicken copycat recipe plated with rice and garnished with more white sesame seeds.
    Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken

  • A square image showing a bowl of tender wok fried marinated chicken with celery, onions, and black pepper sauce.
    Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken

  • Best leftover lobster recipes page image featuring four favorite dishes in a square collage.
    Leftover Lobster Recipes

  • Square collage image featuring 4 tasty recipes using leftover hard boiled eggs.
    Leftover Hard Boiled Eggs Recipes

  • Spider taco ring on baking sheet with taco toppings in the body and sliced olives for eyes.
    Spider Taco Crescent Ring

See more Main Dish →

Footer

As Seen On

As seen on these popular sites: Mashed, Tasting Table, Parade, MSN, Yahoo, Delish, The Pioneer Woman, Today, Taste of Home, and more.

↑ back to top

About

  • Meet The Team
  • Photo Sharing
  • Privacy Policy
  • Work With Me
  • Accessibility Statement

Recipes

  • Dinners
  • Desserts
  • Breakfasts
  • Cookies & Bars
  • Videos
  • Articles

AI-Free

Everything on Bake It With Love is created by me, where I share my experiences, with help from my team members and family.

I promise that BIWL is 100% free of AI content.

Get Social

Visit us on your favorite social media platforms!

Copyright © 2016-2025 Bake It With Love

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
My family loved this!
Thank you for sharing this recipe

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.