Home > Dinner > Mexican Rice Recipe Mexican Rice Recipe June 18, 2022 | 2 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. This Mexican Rice Recipe delivers huge flavor with minimal effort—just toss it all in a dish and bake! Great as a side dish or stuffed into tacos, burritos, and your other favorites. Why You’ll Love This Mexican Rice Recipe A Kitchen Staple: Sure to be a go-to in your kitchen, it’s the perfect pairing for your favorite Mexican dishes. Always Ready: We divide batches to keep in the fridge and freezer so it’s always ready to pop in any meal. Highly Versatile: Perfect as a side dish or mixed into burritos, tacos, and more. Easy & Quick: Designed for minimal hands-on time, it’s quick to prepare. Inspired Flavors: This baked recipe captures the flavors we enjoyed on our recent trip to Mexico, despite its non-traditional preparation. Mexican Rice Recipe Ingredients Rice: Long-grain white rice. Chicken Stock: Use quality brands; Swanson® is a favorite. Tomato Paste: Intensifies tomato flavor. Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes: Adds a nice smokiness. Mild Green Chiles: Drain well. Chili Powder: Use mild American variety. Spices: Essential for flavor. Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and keeps rice from getting mushy. How To Make Mexican Rice Preheat: Oven to 400°F and spray a 9×13-inch dish. Mix: All ingredients (except butter) in the dish. Top: Place butter slices on top. Bake: Cover with foil; bake 40 mins, then remove foil and bake 15 more mins. Rest: Let rest covered for 10 mins. Serve: Add optional cilantro and lime before serving. How To Serve This Mexican Rice With Protein: Combine with taco chicken, beans, or corn. Pop leftover chicken on top during resting period to warm through. With Favorites: Great with enchiladas, burritos, tacos, fajitas, or stuffed/unstuffed peppers Burrito: Mix rice, corn, beans, and chicken in tortillas; brown in skillet. Serve with guacamole, sour cream, salsa. Taco: Add rice, corn, beans, and chicken to tortillas; top with cheese, guacamole, sour cream. Bowl/Salad: Layer rice with protein, cheese, lettuce, and toppings. Add sour cream, guacamole, or avocado, and cilantro-lime sauce. STORAGE Storing Mexican Rice Fridge: Cool completely, store in an airtight container for 5 days. Reheat with a bit of water or stock. Freeze: Cool, portion into freezer bags (2 cups each), label, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge. Reheat in microwave with 1-2 tablespoons water or on stovetop until warm. More Mexican-Inspired Favorites: Bean and Cheese Burritos Mexican Chickpeas Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad Chicken Tinga Tacos Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Mexican Rice Recipe 5 from 2 votes - Review this recipe This Mexican Rice Recipe is deeply savory with a hint of spice and a ton of flavor! Good news -- it couldn't be easier to make!This rice does have some heat, but you can make it milder by omitting the chilis and reducing the chili powder.This is our favorite baking dish for this recipe! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Mexican Rice Recipe 5 from 2 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe This Mexican Rice Recipe is deeply savory with a hint of spice and a ton of flavor! Good news -- it couldn't be easier to make!This rice does have some heat, but you can make it milder by omitting the chilis and reducing the chili powder.This is our favorite baking dish for this recipe! Course Main Course, Side Dish Cuisine Healthy, Mexican, Vegetarian Keyword Mexican Rice, Mexican Rice Recipe Prep Time 10 minutes minutes Cook Time 55 minutes minutes Resting Time 10 minutes minutes Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes Servings 8 as a side Chelsea Lords Calories 198kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $4.13 Equipment9x13-inch baking dish (ceramic, not metal) IngredientsRice▢ 1-1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice (Note 1)▢ 2 cups chicken broth▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste▢ 1 can (14 oz) diced (or crushed) tomatoes, undrained▢ 3 tablespoons mild diced green chiles, well drained▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder (Note 2)▢ 1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano▢ Salt & pepper (recommend: 1-1/4 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper)▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into 6 piecesOptional Additions▢ Fresh cilantro, fresh lime▢ Serve this rice a main course -- See Note 3US - Metric USMetric InstructionsPREP: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Very generously spray a ceramic or glass (not metal) 9x13-inch pan. Cut butter into 6 thin slices and set aside.COMBINE: Right in the dish, combine all the ingredients listed under "Rice" except butter. Mix well. If desired add a few full sprigs of cilantro on top. BAKE: Add cut pieces of butter evenly on top of the dish. Seal tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil & continue baking for 15 minutes.REST: Remove from the oven. After baking, immediately cover again and let it rest for 10 minutes without stirring. (I know, it looks like it didn't work out!) Remove foil. Remove sprigs of cilantro and discard.ENJOY: Optionally, add chopped cilantro and lime juice to taste; fluff rice with a fork. Adjust seasoning if needed. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Rice: Long-grain white OR basmati rice. Other varieties won't work the same. Note 2: Chili powder: Be sure to use chili powder — not to be confused with chilli powder which is very hot. Note 3: Make into a main course: We love adding a can of black beans and 1 cup of frozen corn. Use this mix, along with cheddar cheese, to fill tortillas, creating tacos, burritos, or quesadillas. Brown on the stovetop and serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole! Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.3g | Protein: 3.6g | Fat: 6.5g | Cholesterol: 16.5mg | Sodium: 617.3mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 1.8g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.