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My Homemade Mexican Rice is simple to prepare and packed with delicious Mexican flavors. Perfect for parties and Mexican night!

If you love Mexican recipes like we do, try our Mexican Lasagna recipe too.

Mexican Rice

It’s so nice to have a go-to Mexican Rice recipe. I’ve got you covered! My recipe could not be more simple to prepare and it’s a hit with everyone.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Makes The Perfect Side Dish! We make this Mexican rice recipe so often it has become a favorite in the family. It goes with all of your favorite Mexican main dish recipes.
Easy To Make. With my step by step instructions, you’ll have no problems making this easy Mexican rice recipe.
Great Leftovers. We love using this leftover rice to make burritos with chicken or beef during the week.

Try my Weeknight Chicken Enchiladas too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.

What You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Mexican rice at home. See the recipe card located at the bottom of the post for full details.

White Long Grain Rice– Cook your favorite white rice. I’ve even used the frozen bags from Trader Joe’s that you microwave for 3 minutes. Whatever you prefer. White, basmati, or your favorite variety.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil– You’ll use the olive oil to saute the vegetables and then rice.
White Onion– Make sure you finely chop the white onion before sateeing.
Fresh Minced Garlic– Many times I use the minced garlic in the jars found in the produce section of the grocery store. You can mince your own fresh garlic too.
Tomato Sauce– Tomato sauce gives the rice it’s red color and rich flavor.
Cholula– Use your favorite hot sauce, Cholula is what we use.
Canned Tomatoes Such as Rotel– I like to get the mild rotel diced tomatoes with peppers.
Cumin– Ground cumin adds a smoky Mexican flavor to the rice.
Kosher Salt– Kosher salt is a coarse salt commonly used in cooking and baking.
Black Pepper– For best results, use freshly cracked black pepper.
Lime Juice– Fresh lime juice adds a lovely freshness to the rice.
Prepared Mild Salsa– Use your favorite prepared salsa for the recipe.

How to Make Easy Mexican Rice

Cook Rice. Prepare rice according to package directions.

Cook Onion and Garlic. Place oil in large pot over medium heat. When hot add onion. Saute for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for one minute.

Combine Rice and Seasonings. Stir in cooked rice then add tomato sauce, cholula, Rotel diced tomatoes, cumin, salt, pepper, lime juice and salsa. Stir to combine and cook until hot. Serve warm.

Instant Pot Mexican Rice

I cooked my rice in my Instant Pot. It is my favorite way to cook rice. If you don’t have an instant pot yet, it’s worth it just as a rice cooker if you ask me. Perfect rice every time.

If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can cook your rice on the stove top too.

How To Cook Rice?

REMEMBER Ratio 1:2.

For most types of rice, you’ll always use a ratio of 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, which you can scale up or down. (Double-check your rice packaging to be sure.) Feel free to swap in chicken or vegetable broth for more flavor.

BRING WATER TO A BOIL.

SIMMER.

After adding the rice, the water will stop boiling. Let it come back to a gentle simmer.

DO NOT TAKE OFF THE LID.

Cover the saucepan and reduce heat to low.

Check Rice at About 12-18 Minutes.

Set a timer for 17-18 minutes, it could need another minute or two, but let the rice be your indicator, not the water.

LEAVE IT ALONE.

Turn off the heat, replace the lid, and let it rest for a few minutes in the steamy saucepan.

FLUFF With Fork.

Use a fork to fluff rice up.

How To Serve Mexican Rice

Serve rice for any occasion where Mexican style food is being served.

How To Store Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating Instructions

To reheat rice, place into a heat proof bowl loosely covered and microwave for 60-90 seconds or until hot.

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