Fluffy, beautifully seasoned Mexican Red Rice! With a whisper of coriander / cilantro fragrance and delicate tomato flavour, this Mexican rice staple is so tasty you can eat it plain.
Never be disappointed by gluggy, mushy, bland Mexican Rice again!
Red Mexican Rice – an essential Mexican side!
2 years ago today, I was in Oaxaca, arguably the food capital of Mexico and an ideal place to watch the festivities of Day of the Dead, an annual multi-day holiday during which family and friends gather to pray and celebrate the life of those who have passed. It’s colourful, it’s joyous, there’s a seemingly endless stream of parades that weave through the streets.
It’s a bustle of energy, cemeteries come alive with parties once the sun sets, the town squares are packed with stalls and restaurants serve special festive foods.
.
So today, in honour of this annual Mexican holiday, I’m sharing an essential Mexican staple – Arroz Rojo. Mexican Red Rice. 🙂
Fluffy, perfectly seasoned Mexican Red Rice
A good Mexican red rice should be fluffy and tasty enough to eat plain. Honestly, try some straight out of the pot and tell me if you agree.
But to be sensible and round out a meal, I like to use it on a loaded Mexican plate of goodness, just like what you get at Mexican restaurants (particularly in the States). Like piling on to the plate Pork Carnitas or Beef Barbacoa, steamed corn, and a Pico de Gallo. Few wedges of lime, sprinkle of fresh coriander / cilantro and dig in.
Or use it to stuff into Burritos. Now, I must confess in the burritos pictured below, I just used plain rice! The beef in these burritos stained the rice red. 🙂 (PS These are freezer friendly, they are brilliant standby meals).
If you’ve ever been disappointed by a Mexican Red Rice recipe before, chances are that the liquid to rice ratio was off (anything more than 2 cups = soggy, mushy rice), it lacked seasoning because it wasn’t cooked in broth or it used too much tomato paste / puree which makes the liquid too thick so the rice doesn’t cook evenly = soggy gluggy mess.
It’s not hard. It’s just about getting the ratios right.
Real deal Arroz Rojo is made with pureed fresh tomatoes, sometimes with tomato bouillon cube (I haven’t seen that here). One day I’ll share that with you, but it does require more effort, and super ripe, intensely tomatoey tomatoes to have the same effect as using a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste.
Truly great tomatoes are hard to come by in ordinary grocery stores. Tomato paste is far easier – and it does the job great. 🙂
Serve this Mexican Red Rice with all things Mexican!! – Nagi x
FAVOURITE MEXICAN RECIPES
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Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
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Mexican Fiesta Menu and recipes
Mexican Rice recipe
Watch how to make it
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Mexican Red Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 small white onion , finely chopped
- 1 cup long grain white rice , uncooked (Note 1)
- 1 3/4 cups (435 ml) chicken or vegetable broth (Note 2)
- 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper , whole (optional)
- 1 sprig coriander / cilantro
Optional garnish:
- Finely chopped coriander / cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, stir briefly, then add onion. Cook for 4 - 5 minutes until translucent (not browned / golden).
- Add rice, broth, salt and tomato paste. Stir until tomato paste is dissolved.
- Plonk in jalapeno and coriander. Cover, bring to simmer, then lower heat to low so the water is simmering gently.
- Cook for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed (tilt pot to check).
- Remove from heat, leave lid on and rest for 10 minutes (KEY STEP). The residual liquid on the surface of the rice will get absorbed and rice will go from sticky to fluffy.
- Fluff with fork then serve! (Optional: garnish with extra coriander)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
This is Geoff, the homeless man who I take hot meals to who you’ve been hearing about for years. His car is his home, and he has special permission from the Council to stay at the dog park. He tells the worst jokes (😂), he seems to know everyone – and their dogs – by name and we always joke that he has the best backyard in the northern beaches: barrel gun views over the beautiful Pittwater waterway.
He’s a valuable member of our community, and looks after the dog park so well for us. Bayview would not be the same without him and his little companion, Cleo.
And there’s Dozer, begging for some of the hot meal I just gave Geoff. Shame on you. Shame on you!
This is a great recipe, full of flavour from the spices but not spicy as we didn’t add any chilli but it was still so flavoursome! I actually cooked this in the pressure cooker rather than slow rest and the meat (beef topside) was soft and juicy, Thanks again for another superb receipt Nagi! Leela from London, UK.
I made the Mexican Red Rice recipe. The flavor was very good however, the rice was somewhere between gloggy and fluffy & grains were a bit chewy. At 15 minutes, there was still much water left.. simmered another 10 minutes & was still quite wet but had begun to burn.
I used 1 3/4c broth per recipe. I usually use 1 1/2 c
broth for a cup of long grain rice. Was that 1 3/4 a typo?
That is the correct measurement in the recipe Margarita. I’m sorry you had trouble with it. What size pan did you use and did you use one with a very heavy base? N x
Any chance I could do this in a rice cooker? Making a big batch next weekend and hoping to free up the stove top!
Yes you can! My chef used to make it that way all the time! N x
My go to Mexican rice recipe for all things Mexican – as a filling in burritos or a even a side dish. Especially good in burritos. A real keeper recipe-full of flavour and the perfect texture!
I am happy that you enjoyed it Christina!! N x
A nice side to taco night; just slightly different from the garlic rice I usually make but (have to admit) different in the right direction. And I love the little touches about the Day of the Dead festivities and their descriptions, as well as the story about Geoff, the steward of the dog park. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I am glad you enjoyed the post Renee! N x
Love your recipes! I don’t know the availability of this product down under, but when making mexican red rice I tend to get lazy and use Knorr Tomato with chicken flavor boullion. It is what a number of mexican families near me use, and I don’t have leftover tomato paste to deal with. I use the boullion instructions for the rice water like I’m making broth, I think it’s 1 tsp per cup of water or something similar. Add the rice and other ingredients and off you go!
This rice was amazing have cooked it lots of times and everyone loves it.
What volume of rice does this recipe make? The burrito recipes refer to cups of rice, so I am trying to figure out what that equates to!
Hi Kat – rice usually triples when cooked – this recipe makes just over 3 cups of cooked rice! N x
This this rice is fantastic! I’ve tried multiple recipes and this one is the best by far, perfect rice to liquid ratio- rice turned out fluffy. I added 1/2 tsp cumin and sautéed with onion /rice/garlic/.tomato paste before adding broth. Thanks for
Sharing Nagi 😊
I would have loved to see recipe BEFORE the paragraphs of backstory of one time you went to Mexico
Hi Jalen! There’s a lovely little JUMP TO RECIPE button right at the top that I paid for a developer to make for people like you who like to use my recipes (for free) that I worked hard on to create, test, photograph, film and write up. You’re welcome. 🙄 – Nagi
Wow, I sure made myself look foolish!
Thanks, I didn’t notice this button either!
I appreciate all of your hard work Nagi. Your site is excellent as far as instructions, suggestions for alternative ingredients, pictures and it has an uplifting feel. Each time I cook one of your recipes I learn something. You have done and are doing us a great service and I thank you.
Well, speaking for myself, I love the intro to the recipe! It’s full of personality and information and I read the whole post whether I’m just looking or have made the recipe 5 times. ♥️
Do you taste the coriander? My boyfriend says it tastes like soap. So I want to know if the flavor is very present. I just eat everything.
You can leave it out if he doesn’t like it! N x
If I’m adding 2 cups of rice do I double the water/broth?
Hi Nagy, would proportions be the same if done in a rice cooker?
Hi Nagi – do you wash your rice first? Thanks
Hi Sarah! No need if you buy rice in packs from the store like I do. Your rice will be fluffy! In fact, if you do rinse the rice, you need to reduce the water by say 1.5 tbsp per 1 cup of rice you cook, otherwise your rice will come out too gummy and soft 🙂 N x
Hey Nagi!
Super excited to try this recipe with your shredded beef recipe. Are there any issues with doubling it?
– Farah
Thank you for the recipe, im using A roaster oven..and thank you for feeding the homeless man, does anyone give him any offers to stay in a cottage or mother in law shed…something? This country and two other 3rd world countries are thee only countries who do not take care of our citizens where once residents in homes become homeless due to the living wage being woefully and disgracefully significantly below poverty level and simply are property taxed to death or rent has risen far above retirement pymnts ….horrible.
This Mexican Red Rice came out great! I’ve made it twice now. The first time I did not have the jalapeno and only had medium grain rice and it was still great. The second time I doubled the recipe and cooked it with the jalapenos and used long grain rice. I really liked the flavor from the jalapenos but it’s still great without it. It is quick and easy and my whole family loves it! Thanks for such good recipes!