Description
This Easy Mexican Rice Recipe offers a flavorful and vibrant side dish perfect for complementing any Mexican meal. Made by sautéing rice until translucent and then simmering it with tomato sauce, chicken broth, and classic spices, it delivers a light, fluffy, and aromatic rice that’s deeply infused with chili powder and garlic salt. Ready in just 25 minutes, this recipe yields 8 servings of delicious, homemade Mexican-style rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock or broth
- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Rinse the Rice: Rinse the rice thoroughly in a mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. This step removes excess starch and helps keep the cooked rice from becoming mushy.
- Cook Rice: Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the rinsed rice and sauté it for about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until the rice becomes translucent.
- Add Ingredients: Pour in the chicken stock or broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic salt, and ground cumin. Stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer: Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and let the rice simmer for 20 minutes without lifting the lid to allow the liquid to absorb and the rice to cook fully.
- Fluff and Serve: Remove the saucepan from heat and let it sit covered for 2-3 minutes. Then, uncover and fluff the rice gently with a fork to separate the grains before serving.
Notes
- Rinsing the rice is essential to avoid sticky rice and achieve a fluffy texture.
- Use chicken broth for richer flavor or substitute with vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.
- Adjust chili powder according to your spice preference.
- Keep the saucepan covered during simmering to ensure even cooking.
- You can add sautéed onions or bell peppers for extra flavor and texture if desired.
