Restaurant Style Mexican Rice recipe that delivers that authentic flavor is hard to find, but this recipe may just be the best! This rice is so good, you'll be back for more! It has just enough of a hint of spicy, and a deliciously rich tomato flavor too. I'll use any Mexican-inspired dinner night as an excuse to fry this fabulous Mexican rice up!
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.
Serve this easy Mexican rice with my chicken enchiladas or shrimp enchiladas! It's also a great base to serve my tasty Caldo de Pollo soup over!!
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🥘 Mexican Rice Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Yellow Onion - ½ a yellow or white onion finely chopped.
- Long Grain Rice - 3 cups cooked long grain rice.
- Chipotle Chile Powder - 2 teaspoons.
- Taco Seasoning Mix - 1 ½ teaspoons, add more if desired.
- Chicken Broth - 1 cup of chicken broth or 1 cup of water.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes - 1 14.5 oz can or 1 can of diced tomatoes.
- Jalapeno Pepper - ½ a jalapeno pepper or for a more mild taste 1 4 oz can of diced chile peppers.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Mexican Rice
- Saute the onion. Bring a large skillet and 2 tablespoon vegetable oil to medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped yellow onion and cook/saute for about two minutes, or until becoming translucent, before adding the rice.
- Add cooked rice. Once the onion has started to turn golden, add the 3 cups of cooked long grain rice and combine with the onion. Cook the combined rice and onion for about 2-3 minutes. You will need to keep the rice moving to fry it really well (and get it slightly crispy).
- Seasoning. Add the chipotle chile powder and taco seasoning mix, and stir well to combine. *Any chili powder will work, but I like to use chipotle chili powder. Preferably a sweet chipotle chili powder.
- Add broth, tomatoes, and jalapeno. Add the chicken broth, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and diced jalapeno, and bring to a low boil while still on medium-high heat.
- 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.
- Serve while nice and hot, enjoy!
🌮 More Mexican Favorites
- Mexican Cornbread Casserole
- Picadillo Mexicano
- Beef Enchiladas
- Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
- Ground Beef Mexican Casserole
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📋 Recipe
Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
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)
Instructions
- Bring a large skillet and vegetable oil to medium-high, add the onion and saute the onion for 2 minutes.2 tablespoon vegetable oil, ½ yellow onion
- 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.3 cups cooked long grain 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.2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder, 1 ½ teaspoon taco seasoning mix, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes, ½ jalapeno pepper
- 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.
Equipment You May Need
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Anonymous says
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!
Shauna Kelly says
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 !
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
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!
Sue says
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!
Gretl Ranch says
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?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
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!