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🥔 Side dishes

Authentic Mexican rice

Fluffy orange rice for enchiladas, tacos, and generally good plate-building

⏱️ Time estimate: about 35 minutes

Long-grain rice gets rinsed, toasted, and simmered with tomato sauce, bouillon, carrots, peas, and optional serrano peppers until fluffy and deeply comforting.

Mexican rice with peas and carrots served in a bowl

Ingredients

Serves: 6

  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
  • 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1/4 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce, or 2 puréed tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons tomato bouillon, granulated or cubes
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1/2 cup peas, frozen or fresh
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 to 3 whole serrano peppers, optional

Instructions

  1. Rinse the rice. Wash the rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear, then let it drain.
  2. Toast the rice. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly golden brown all over, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the flavor base. Stir in the garlic, onion, and tomato sauce. Add the tomato bouillon, salt, carrot, peas, water, and the serrano peppers if you want the extra flavor.
  4. Simmer. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
  5. Rest and fluff. Remove from the heat and let the rice rest for 5 minutes before gently fluffing with a fork.

For a more old-school version, you can blend 1 or 2 fresh tomatoes with the onion and garlic instead of using tomato sauce. If using brown rice, add 1/2 cup more liquid and cook about 40 minutes.