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Learn how to make fluffy, authentic Mexican Rice (arroz rojo) better than the restaurants! This simple recipe only uses simple ingredients and an easy prep time. Serve it as a side dish for any of your favorite Tex Mex or Mexican meals!
Simple Ingredients Big Flavor
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since made several changes based on personal experience. Since I first posted this recipe my cooking style has changed, the ingredients I commonly stock in my pantry has changed, and the way I make my Mexican rice has changed.
I have swapped out the tomato bouillon originally used, and now use a combination of tomato paste and common spices. This gives us more control over the ingredients we’re using and the flavoring, while still giving us that perfectly fluffy and flavorful rice we love.
Why We Love This Updated Recipe
- Simple Ingredients– We know everything going into our food!
- No Blender– Still keeping things simple with prep!
- Restaurant Quality– we’re still delivering the quality you expect.
We love to serve this with our refried beans, charro beans, refried black beans, and our favorite Tex Mex meals like Texas Cheese Enchiladas, Crispy Ground Beef Tacos, Carne Asada, or grilled Mexican chicken.
Ingredients You Need
- Avocado Oil– A great neutral oil used to toast the rice that doesn’t give us an overpowering flavor.
- Long Grain White Rice- any kind of long grain white rice will work, standard American or Jasmine rice are popular options.
- Tomato Paste- this gives us a big burst of tomato flavor without giving us soggy rice from too much moisture.
- Onion Powder- I have found this to the most flavor forward spice used that provides that same flavoring we would get from using caldo de tomate.
- Garlic Powder & Oregano– additional seasoning and flavor for the rice. I like to rub the oregano between my fingers as I add it to break it apart and make it a bit smaller to combine into my rice.
- Chicken Broth/Stock:-as pictured I love using Kirkland’s Chicken Stock in my cooking, it’s what I commonly keep on hand in my pantry. I will often make rice with just this and salt and I find that this creates a lot more flavor than other chicken broths I have used. But you can use any broth that you have on hand.
- Salt– Balances out all the flavors and enhances them.
All about the Rice
Long grain white rice is best for making Mexican rice. Short grain rice tends to become clumpy while the long grain will cook up fluffy. Basmati, Jasmine, or standard American long grain white rice work well for this dish.
How to Make the Fluffiest Mexican Rice
Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.
This recipe comes down to the method. Sometimes the simplest things can be the trickiest because it’s all in the method.
- Rinse your rice and then toast it in oil. I typically will use avocado oil which is neutral in flavor. Toast the rice until it gets a golden coloring coming through on most of the grains.
- Stir the tomato paste into rice until the rice is all evenly coated. Then add in the spices. Stir them around and let them bloom briefly in the heat before adding in the broth.
- Pour the broth into the skillet and stir this together. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then place the lid on the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Let the rice cook for 25 minutes undisturbed, keep the lid on.
- After the 25 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat and keep the lid on another 10 minutes before removing to fluff up the rice.
Additions
Some restaurants like to add vegetables such as diced up tomatoes or peas and carrots to their rice. You can absolutely add these in. Peas and carrots can be added in frozen and they will cook with the rice. Add the vegetables in with the broth and allow them to cook with the rice.
Storage Info
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When you reheat it if the rice seems a little dry, add a small amount of butter and allow it to melt and stir through. This gives a little more moisture without making the rice soggy.
Rice can be frozen, allow it to cool to room temperature then store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating to use for a meal.
Mexican Rice FAQs
Yes, this recipe can be made in larger amounts. It will change the cook time though. I have found I can make 3 cups of rice and cook it with the lid on for 30-35 minutes and have all the water cooked out.
Rinsing rice removes the surface starches. This helps the grains to not become sticky when they are cooked. My favorite method is to put the rice in a fine mesh strainer and place it under the water shuffling the rice around to ensure it’s fully rinsed. Once the water runs clear about 1 minute or so then I put the rice into my skillet with the oil to toast. Rinsing doesn’t affect the toasting of the rice. To be honest, I don’t always rinse my rice and I don’t notice a huge difference typically. Certain areas of the world may need to rinse rice to remove debris.
Yes, absolutely. If you are a fan of using the tomato bouillon then you can continue to do so. I think using chicken broth or stock with the tomato de caldo makes a really flavorful rice.
Brown rice requires more liquid and a longer cook time. Increase the liquid by 1/2 cup and increase the cook time to 45 minutes.
Uses for Mexican Rice
We have a lot of recipes on our site that feature rice as more than a side dish. Try our Wet Smothered Burritos, Grilled Cheese Burritos, Taco Bowls, Cantina Chicken Bowls, and Ground Beef Burrito Bowls.
More Tex Mex Side Dishes
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Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 cups white long grain rice
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat.
- Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil. Cook while stirring for about 7-10 minutes, the rice will turn very white as it cooks. Continue cooking until the rice starts to toast and turn slightly golden on the edges.
- Stir in the tomato paste and then add the seasonings, stir to combine.3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoons onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Pour in the broth or chicken stock and allow this to come to a simmer. Place the lid on and reduce the heat to low. Let the rice cook undisturbed for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, remove the rice from the heat, BUT KEEP THE LID ON.
- Keep the lid on for 10 minutes after removing from the heat. After this time, you can lift the lid and fluff the rice using a fork. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Braising pan | Large Skillet | Measuring Spoons | Wooden Spoon
- Recipe Update in 2026: Updates have been made to this recipe. To make it the way it was originally written, use 1 tbsp of tomato de caldo in place of the tomato paste and seasonings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A tasty recipe. I got the tomato/chicken Bouillion. But it wasn’t melted in the water before I added the fried rice. I didn’t lift the lid after I added the rice and cooked until time was up so my rice wasn’t equally seasoned. Tomorrow, I’m remaking it with one cup of fried rice added to two cups of boiling water and 3 tbs of the tomato/chicken Bouillion already dissolved in the water and for me, it will be perfect. The chicken Bouillion combined with the tomato Bouillion is good. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.
Great recipe. And super simple.
I had been wanting to master mexi rice for a while and it always came out good but not great. It was always too tomato saucy.
I have made this recipe about a dozen times now and its perfect everytime!
I’ve made this using enchilada sauce if I have it on hand.
Your Charro Beans are skookumchuck too!
Awesome! Tastes so much like what my Spanish MIL used to make. Personally I just used the Tomato bullion with chicken flavor as to me it’s both combined. I used three tablespoons but I love the punch you get with the flavor. I brought this is as a side dish to some homemade chicken enchiladas to a luncheon and was asked for the recipe. Big hit!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
This was my first time trying this recipe & I’m so glad – everyone loved it!! I made it with reduced sodium chicken stock and the texture and taste were perfect. Served it with a huge platter of carnitas. Yum!!
This rice is awesome! First time I’ve mastered a “rice from scratch” recipe! Usually I use a rice cooker!
I noticed on the nutrition information it says the serving size is 1 gram – is this true or is that a typo? 203 calories and 4g fat per gram of rice is A LOT but at least it was well worth it! Haha
Not bad for a base recipe. One Tbls of the caldo tomate was not enough, too pale for this Mexicana. Next time I will double. I added some minced garlic in the frying stage and added some chopped fresh cilantro to the stock. I found it a bit bland so I added some ground oregano and cumin. That brought it to life and reminded me of my mother’s rice. She always used canned tomatoes so I had never used the caldo Tomate before. That is why I didn’t add additional spices before since I thought all that might be in the caldo. Still turned out good
Very happy with my results. I used The tomato sauce instead and added some frozen vegetables also some so Frito
This turned out fantastic ! I actually even used minute rice and tomato sauce as described in the article . I fried the minute rice and then added boiling water as indicated on the box along with the other seasonings in the recipe and it turned out perfect ! I won’t buy prepackaged rice mix again !
Delicious…definitely a keeper. ThankYou