Mexican Red Rice

This delicious Mexican Red Rice recipe is a great way to add some delicious flavor and aromatics to your Rice at home. This classic Mexican recipe loads up the Rice with rich flavors brought in with the use of Garlic, Onion, Jalapeno, and Chicken Stock. The distinct red color is created by adding Tomato Paste to the dish right before the Rice starts cooking. It’s loaded with flavor and is the perfect side dish to enjoy with your favorite homemade Mexican recipes

How to make easy Mexican Red Rice at home

Unlike regular Rice where you combine water to Rice and cook it, there are a few additional steps required in this recipe. The techniques to make Mexican Red Rice are easy, and the whole dish will be ready in about 30 minutes, so not much longer than the time it takes to make regular Rice

We begin the dish by sautéing Onions, Garlic, and Jalapenos in a saucepan along with a little Oil and Butter. Once they are cooked and tender (about 5 – 7 minutes) in goes the Rice. You want to toast the Rice for a minute to allow it to take on some toasty, nutty flavors before adding in the liquids. So, after about 1 minute we add in the Tomato Paste and a pinch of Salt

Let that all come together in the pot while mixing constantly for a few more minutes and then add the liquid. You can add regular water, but for way more flavor we recommend adding Chicken Stock. Like Risotto, adding flavored Stock to your Rice is going to add so much flavor into the dish

We recommend using your own Homemade Chicken Stock for the best result

We’re always big advocates for using homemade Stocks in your recipes. If you’ve seen a few of our recipes, you’ll know that! Not only are the flavors so much more concentrated and amazing, but homemade Stocks are so much healthier, not relying on copious amounts of Salt to keep them shelf stable

You can check out our entire Stock section of the website here where we show you how to make a range of wonderful Stocks from classic Beef and Chicken to more unique stocks like Shrimp and Mushroom. For this recipe we recommend you use this Chicken Stock recipe. It’s easy to make, utilizing leftover Chicken Bones from previous meals. Make what you need and freeze the rest for future dishes

Once the Liquid is added, follow this sure-fire tip for perfectly cooked Rice every time

Cooking Rice doesn’t have to be difficult, and there’s no need for any fancy Rice Cookers or anything like that. This technique for cooking Rice is guaranteed to work every time. Once you’ve added your liquid (in this case, the Chicken Stock), bring everything to a boil and then drop the heat to a low simmer

Cover with a lid and allow the Rice to cook on a very low Simmer for 10 minutes. Once the liquid has all been absorbed, remove the pot from the heat, but keep the lid on. The residual heat inside the pot will continue to cook the Rice. After another 10 minutes, the Rice will be done. All the liquid will have absorbed, and the Rice will be perfectly cooked!

You can use any type of Rice grain you like for this recipe

The best part about our Mexican Red Rice recipe is that any rice will work! Typically, you will use a classic Long Grain Rice for this dish, but other great alternatives are Jasmine Rice and even Arborio. Now you may notice the Rice in our photos look a little strange, that’s because we used Sushi Rice! Ok we may have only noticed it once the Rice went into the pot, but it turned out great!

You’ll get some slightly different textures depending on what Rice you use, but it really doesn’t matter all that much. The key to this dish is the wonderful aromas and flavors we add with the Garlic, Onion, Jalapenos, and Cilantro. The Rice is really a vessel to carry those delicious flavors onto the plate

So, have a little bit of fun with different types of Rice and see which ones work best for you. Just use whatever’s available in the pantry and we guarantee your Mexican Red Rice is going to turn out tasty

What are some dishes to enjoy with Red Mexican Rice

Rice is a staple side dish in Mexican Cuisine, so really you can enjoy this dish with almost any Mexican recipe you like. Perhaps steer clear of the raw dishes like Ceviche, but everything else will be amazing. I personally love to add this Rice to Burritos, as it adds a wonderfully flavored starch to everyone’s favorite wrapped tortilla

We love our Mexican food here at Dinnertime Somewhere, and there is no shortage of great Mexican recipes you can cook alongside this Rice dish. Here are a few we recommend you try pairing with this amazing Mexican Red Rice dish!

• Easy Chicken Burritos
• Pulled Mexican Chicken
• Mexican Short Ribs
• Pulled Pork Tacos
  
  

However you enjoy your Mexican cuisine, we highly recommend giving this recipe a go to transform homemade Rice with some big Mexican flavors!

Mexican Red Rice Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Rice (Long Grain or Jasmine)
• 1 tbsp. Neutral Oil
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Jalapeno, finely diced and seeds removed
• ½ Yellow Onion, finely diced
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 3 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 1 ½ cups of Chicken Stock (recipe here)
• 4 Cilantro Sprigs
  
  

Instructions

1. Heat the Oil and Butter in a Saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the Garlic, Jalapenos, and Onions and sauté for 5 minutes
2. Add the Rice and stir through for 1 minute, then add the Tomato Paste and Salt. Cook for about 2 more minutes to lightly toast the Rice before adding the Chicken Stock
3. Increase the heat to bring the liquid to a boil, then drop the heat to a low simmer. Add Cilantro then cover and cook for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat, leaving the lid on
4. Leave the Rice for 10 more minutes, allowing the residual heat to continue cooking the Rice
5. Remove the lid and fluff up the Rice. Serve immediately
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can use any kind of Rice you have available. If you want to increase the quantities, stick to the ratio of 1 cup of Rice to 1 ½ cups of Stock
• For a spicier Rice try keeping the Jalapeno Seeds
  
  

This simple recipe for Mexican Red Rice is a perfect one to whip out the next time you’re preparing a Mexican feast at home. The rich flavors are a great way to jazz up Rice as a side dish, and the simplicity of this dish is guaranteed to ensure it will become part of your regular rotation

For more tasty Side Dishes, check out these amazing recipes:

• Roast Poblano Chili Sauce
• Celery Root Gratin
• Easy Dauphinoise Potatoes
• Easy Coconut Rice
  
  

Happy Cooking!