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Overhead picture of Mexican Rice also called Arroz Rojo plated in a serving bowl garnished with cilantro

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Mexican, Restaurant Style, Rice, Spanish Rice
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Chef Tony Zentgraf
Look no further, this recipe is easy to make and is delicious!
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Equipment

Recipe Multiplier

  • 1 ½ cups Long Grain White Rice
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • ½ cup White Onion - ¼" diced
  • 1 ea Garlic Clove - crushed
  • 8 oz Fire Roasted Tomatoes - pureed
  • 2 cups Chicken Broth - (low sodium preferred)
  • ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
  • 2 ea Sprigs of Cilantro
  • 1 ea Serrano Chile - crushed or split in half (substituting a jalapeno is ok)

Instructions

Preparing the Rice

  • Using a sauce pot with a cover, heat over a medium high heat.
  • Add the vegetable oil and heat until it shimmers.
    Adding vegetable oil to pot for cooking mexican rice
  • Add the onions and saute.
    Reduce heat to medium to avoid burning the onions. Slightly browning the onions is ok if you prefer.
    Onions added to vegetable oil in a sauce pot. First step in cooking Mexican rice
  • Add the crushed garlic clove at this point to bring out the flavor.
    Adding smashed garlic clove to the sweated onions for Mexican Rice
  • Once the onions become translucent, remove and discard the garlic clove.
    Mexican Rice - removing the garlic clove from the browned onions
  • Add in the dry rice and saute the rice for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
    Adding dry rice to the browned onions to be toasted before adding liquids.
  • The rice will toast and develop a nutty aroma.
    Avoid burning or browning the rice. The rice will begin to become pale white.
    Sauce pot with toasted rice and browned onions for Mexican rice
  • After the rice has toasted, add the pureed fire roasted tomatoes.
    Stir to combine and bring to a rolling simmer. Cook the tomatoes for about a minute to develop the sugars in the tomatoes.
    Mexican Rice - Stirring Pureed Tomatoes into Toasted Rice and onions
  • Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
    Mexican Rice - Adding Chicken Broth to the onions, toasted rice & pureed tomatoes
  • Add the salt, cilantro and serrano chile.
    Mexican Rice - Adding cilantro sprigs and serrano chiles
  • Reduce the heat to a low simmer.
    Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes, remove the rice from the heat and let sit with the lid on for an additional 10 minutes. This will allow for the rice to absorb extra liquid and will be easier to fluff.
    Lid removed from the cooked Mexican Rice. Cooked rice with a red color, top has cooked cilantro and split serrano chile
  • Remove the cilantro and serrano chile.
    Fluff with a fork or the side of a kitchen spoon.. Cut through the cooked rice one direction then turn the pot and cut through with the fork again. This will help separate the rice.
    Fluffing Mexican rice - cutting through the rice with the side of the spoon to separate the cooked rice. Cut through one direction then repeat the opposite direction.
  • Serve the rice as a side dish or add it to a burrito.
    Enjoy!
    Mexican Rice cooked and fluffed ready to eat
  • Serve as a side dish, with beans or in a burrito!
    Mexican Rice also called Arroz Rojo plated in a serving bowl garnished with cilantro