Mexican Rice Recipe

Authentic Mexican Rice topped with avocados served in grey ceramic bowl with spoon into it.

4.82 from 16 votes

Authentic, easy and the best Mexican rice you can make right at home with just few ingredients. A perfect side dish to your favorite Mexican recipes, it tastes so so good! An Instant Pot and stove top version!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

IP time20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten Free

Servings:

Calories: 262kcal

Author: Farrukh Aziz

Ingredients

2 cups Long Grain White Rice (400 grams) preferably Basmati rice
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
½ cup Onion chopped
2 teaspoons Garlic minced
½ cup Tomato chopped
½ Red Bell Pepper chopped
1 Jalapeño chopped
1 cup Corn
1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
¾ teaspoon Paprika or Cayenne Pepper (optional)
1 cup Tomato Puree or Sauce
Salt and Pepper To Taste
4 cups Vegetable Stock or Chicken Stock 2.25 cups for Instant Pot version
Cilantro chopped

Instructions

To start with, clean and rinse the rice until water turns clear. Drain all the water and set it aside in the colander.

Stovetop Instructions

In a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven, heat oil.
Then, add chopped or minced garlic and ½ cup of chopped onions. Sauté for 1 minute until soft and fragrant.
Add the rice and sauté it on medium high heat. Keep stirring until rice is toasted well. For about 3-4 minutes.
Now, add chopped tomatoes, red pepper, jalapeño, corn, cumin powder, paprika, crushed or pureed tomato, salt and pepper.
Then, add the stock and give it a stir. Bring to a boil and then cover the pot.
Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Or until done.
Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. Lift the lid and fluff the rice gently.
Sprinkle chopped cilantro, dish out and serve.

Instant Pot Instructions

Place the inner pot and switch on the IP with Sauté mode.
Once it displays 'hot' heat oil. Then, add minced garlic and onions. Sauté for 1 minute or until soft and fragrant.
Add the rice and sauté it for 2 minutes or until it toast well. Keep stirring to avoid it getting stuck at the bottom.
Then, add rest of the ingredients, salt pepper and stock. Give a stir.
Close the pot with and seal. Press manual or pressure cook button and cook on 'Low' for 6 minutes.
Once the cooking is over, let the pressure release naturally for 3-4 minutes and then do the quick release.
Open the Pot and cover it with glass lid. Let the rice rest for few minutes.
Sprinkle cilantro leaves and fluff the rice gently.
Dish out and serve. You can sprinkle some lemon juice if you wish to.

Notes

Rinse the rice well until water runs clear. Strain thee rice and let it in the colander for few minutes to drain out excess water.

I have used my homemade puree here. You can use 1 cup of canned tomato sauce or 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste for 2 cups of rice.

If you do not have fresh or canned tomato shandy, you can also use 4 teaspoons of Knorr caldo de tomato instead.

For Vegan version, please replace chicken stock with vegetable stock or water and proceed.

Bell peppers and corns added here is as per personal liking. You can skip it or you can also add chopped carrots and peas instead.

If you do not have jalapeño pepper, replace it with Serrano peppers or green chilies.

You can modify the spice heat as per your liking.

I love to add either smoked paprika or cayenne pepper. But, you can add red chili powder instead and even chilli flakes for more heat.

Brown rice : If you are using brown rice, then use 2.5 cups of stock or water for 1 cup of brown rice for stove top pot version. And for Instant Pot version use 1.25 cups of stock for 1 cups of rice. So, for 2 cups, it should be 2.5 cups of stock or water.

Instant pot version: This recipe was made in the model IP DUO60 6 quarts. The reason why I never got 'burn message' here in this recipe is because I prefer to cook it on "LOW" pressure for 6 minutes. Follow the recipe to the "T" and cook it on low pressure.

Burn Message : If you get "BURN" message consistently while making this recipe, please avoid stirring or mixing the content after adding tomato purée and the stock to the instant pot.

Nutrition