Speedy Authentic Mexican Rice
This recipe delivers a quick and flavorful Mexican rice, perfect as a side dish. With simple steps and common ingredients, you can have a delicious and authentic-tasting rice in under an hour.
Equipment
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Medium saucepan or Dutch oven
- Fork
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Long Grain White Rice
- 2 ½ cups Chicken Broth or vegetable broth
- 1 can Tomato Sauce 8 ounce
- ¼ cup Yellow Onion finely chopped
- 2 Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil or canola oil
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro optional garnish
- Lime wedges optional garnish
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse the long grain white rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain it well to remove excess starch and ensure fluffier rice.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the rinsed rice and sauté for 3-5 minutes until lightly golden and translucent, stirring frequently.
- Add the chopped yellow onion and minced garlic to the rice, cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the onion softens and the garlic becomes fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Cooking
- Pour in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, cumin, and chili powder, stir to combine, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly with a lid, and simmer for 18-20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed, without lifting the lid.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and let it rest, still covered, for 5-10 minutes to allow the rice to finish cooking and become fluffy.
- Uncover, gently fluff the rice with a fork, season with salt to taste, and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges if desired before serving immediately.
Notes
For extra heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper with the chili powder. You can easily scale this recipe up or down; just maintain the rice to liquid ratio (approximately 1 part rice to 1.6-1.7 parts liquid).