Homemade Mexican Rice

Homemade Mexican Rice 

Homemade mexican rice is my latest recipe, and quite honestly, I’m annoyed with myself that I didn’t try developing this recipe much sooner! It is so delicious and easy, a win-win for me! 

I have a serious love of Mexican food and always have. Summers are the best because my neighbors bring me homemade Mexican food when they have parties, and there is nothing better. So needless to say I was pretty excited to try making homemade Mexican rice for myself. 

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I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve spent my life cooking Mexican rice from a box, as it seemed like such a complicated thing to make. So when I found the basis of this recipe and developed it into my own, I was kind of upset about how easy it was. Like I had cheated myself out of being able to make something so delicious myself for far too long. 

Homemade Mexican Rice Ingredients 

Butter, 1 tablespoon 

Rice, Jasmine, 1 cup 

Chicken broth, 1 ½ cups (12 ounces) 

Tomato Sauce, 1 cup (8 ounces) 

Chili Powder, ½ teaspoon 

Ancho Chili Powder, ½ teaspoon 

Garlic Salt, 1 teaspoon 

Cumin, ½ teaspoon 

Homemade Mexican Rice Directions 

Heat the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. 

Once the butter is melted and starts to sizzle, add in the rice. Using a spatula, stir it frequently until it is a light golden brown color and toasted. Frequent stirring is essential to this, because rice will burn very quickly if left too long without stirring. 

Add in the chicken broth, then the seasonings, stirring well. Then add in the tomato sauce, and bring to a boil. Feel free to taste the liquid in the rice before adding in the tomato sauce, and determine if you want more spices added in or not.  

Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to low, or almost off. If your stove has numbers, go from 8 to start toasting the rice, then to high to boil, and back down to 1 to simmer. 

Simmer on low for 25 minutes, with a lid on the pan. 

Once it is done, remove the lid and let it sit for about three minutes and then fluff with a fork before serving. 

Recipe Notes 

I highly recommend preparing everything before you start this recipe. Toasting the rice is a tricky process, and it only takes a second to burn it. That’s why having everything ready makes it so that doesn’t happen. 

If you have a sensitivity to sodium, use a low sodium broth, and substitute garlic powder for garlic salt. 

If you’re concerned about mushy rice, rinse the dry rice in a mesh strainer until the water runs clear before starting this recipe. I didn’t have this issue, but it’s an option if you want to add this step in at the beginning. 

If you want a slightly different flavor, add in some diced onion, bell peppers, carrots, or peas. 

Do not skip any of the seasonings in this homemade Mexican rice. Otherwise it will just taste like tomato flavored rice. If you want it more flavorful, use a full teaspoon of the chili powder, ancho, and cumin. It isn’t spicy, so you shouldn’t have to worry about that. These spices add flavor, not heat to the dish. 

Why I Love This Recipe 

Have I mentioned how easy this homemade Mexican rice recipe is? Seriously, if you can cook boxed rice from the store, you can make this recipe just as easily. It isn’t any more difficult than that, and I appreciate that fact. 

I made tacos last night along with this rice, and used my own homemade taco seasoning, and both dishes came out perfectly. We used the giant taco salad bowls toasted in the oven, and Nathan, my husband, ate two full bowls of it. He absolutely loved it. 

Being a prepper, this is a pantry-friendly recipe that I can make (and so can you) at any time because I always have all of these ingredients on hand. I’m a huge fan of having tasty side dishes planned out that do not require me to go to the store. 

Discussion 

Have you tried making this homemade Mexican rice yourself? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

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