Mexican Rice
A simple, deeply flavorful side dish made with toasted long-grain rice, tomato, garlic, and broth. Perfectly fluffy, naturally vegetarian, and the ideal partner to tacos, enchiladas, or grilled vegetables.
Equipment
- Medium saucepan with lid
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Fine mesh strainer
- Small blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice such as basmati or jasmine
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- ½ cup tomato sauce or 2 medium tomatoes blended
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil avocado or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika optional
- 1 small bay leaf
- Juice of ½ lime
- Fresh cilantro chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Drain well.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the onion and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato paste, tomato sauce (or blended tomatoes), salt, cumin, paprika, and bay leaf. Let it simmer briefly so the tomato paste darkens slightly.
- Pour in the broth and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 15–18 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove from heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Fluff the rice gently with a fork. Squeeze in the lime juice and sprinkle with cilantro before serving.
Notes
For a bit of spice, add ¼ teaspoon chili powder or a diced jalapeño along with the onion.
To substitute brown rice, increase broth to 2 cups and simmering 35–40 minutes.
Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of broth or water.
To make sure it's vegan/dairy-free, simply ensure your broth is vegetable-based (no changes otherwise!).