I’m excited to finally share this healthier Mexican rice recipe with you. To tell you the truth, I rarely get excited about Mexican rice when I’m eating out. It tends to be a little mushy and a little bland.
Since they make it with white rice, eating that rice is a sure-fire way for me to feel cranky-hungry a few hours later. I often just ask for more beans instead.
So, a Mexican rice recipe wasn’t on my radar to make until Mallika emailed to request it a few months ago. Here it is, Mallika! Mine calls for long-grain brown rice, which means that this recipe starts with an extra layer of delicious whole-grain flavor.
How to Make Mexican Brown Rice
First, we’ll lightly toast the brown rice in oil for extra flavor and separation.
Then, we’ll bring the rice to a boil with rich, tomato-y broth (you can use ripe tomatoes or canned).
Then, we’ll bake it in the oven for perfectly fluffy Mexican rice with amazing flavor. I adapted this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, and found that I could decrease the amount of oil used and increase the oven temperature to speed up the cooking process.
It’s still not necessarily a quick recipe, but it’s easy to make and totally worth the effort. Most of the cooking time is passive, too. If you have the room for it, I think you could bake the rice and a casserole on the same rack simultaneously. Please let me know how you like it!
Mexican Rice Serving Suggestions
Main Dish Options
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Easy Black Bean Tacos
- Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
- Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas
More Mexican Side Dishes
- The Best Guacamole
- Classic Pico de Gallo
- Easy Refried Beans
- Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
- Mexican Green Salad with Jalapeño-Cilantro Dressing
View all of my Mexican dishes here.
Mexican Brown Rice
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop and oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Healthy Mexican rice that tastes amazing! This recipe is made with brown rice, which is perfectly fluffy after baking in the oven. This isn’t a quick recipe, but it does clear the stovetop for use. Check the recipe notes for a shortcut, etc. Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings.
Ingredients
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes, or 1 small can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 small yellow onion, root end trimmed and quartered
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups long-grain brown rice (do not rinse!)
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (scale back or omit if sensitive to spice)
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Red pepper flakes, optional, for extra heat
- 1 lime, sliced into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a food processor or blender, combine the tomatoes, onion and garlic, and blend until smooth. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out 2 cups of the tomato mixture and discard the rest.
- Warm the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven* over medium heat until shimmering. Add the rice and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth (watch out for splatters), tomato mixture, tomato paste (add a little extra if you’re using fresh tomatoes that aren’t super flavorful), and salt. Stir to combine, then increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cover the pot with the lid and carefully transfer it to the oven. Bake until the liquid is absorbed (the rice will look dry when you take off the lid, but don’t worry) and the rice is tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
- Stir in the cilantro and season to taste with additional salt, if necessary (I often add another ¼ to ½ teaspoon). If you’d like spicier rice, add a pinch of red pepper flakes and stir again. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.
*Equipment notes: I used a medium Dutch oven for this recipe, which worked great. America’s Test Kitchen suggests that a large, straight-sided sauté pan or 12″ oven-safe pot will work; you’ll need an oven-safe, snug-fitting lid for either one.
Rice substitutions: I think you could use medium-grain brown rice here without any changes. If you want to use white rice, reduce the oven temperature to 350, reduce the broth to 2 cups, and reduce the baking time to 30 to 35 minutes.
Shortcut: You can replace the blended tomato/onion/garlic mixture with 2 cups mild red salsa (opt for regular salsa, as opposed to thick and chunky). When I use this trick, I reduce the amount of salt added to the pot by half and then add more to taste at the end, since salsas are already pretty salty.
Protein booster: After the rice is done cooking, you can stir in one or two cans of rinsed and well-drained black beans (or up to 3 cups drained home-cooked black beans). I also like this rice with chickpeas, but those don’t exactly jive with the Mexican theme.
Slow cooker note: I tried making this rice in a slow cooker (about 4 hours on high), and it didn’t turn out nearly as well (really mushy).
Freeze the leftovers: Laurie says she freezes her leftovers in a large freezer bag (be sure to let it cool completely before bagging). When she wants more, she breaks off a piece or two, heats it slowly and it’s good to go.
Recipe update 7/21/17: There’s nothing worse than sharing a recipe that has worked successfully several times, only to have it start acting up on you! I (and several commenters) encountered rice stayed crunchy/al dente no matter how long we cooked it. I’ve finally figured out that rinsing the rice causes it to stay crunchy no matter how long you cook it. My recipe last suggested 60 to 75 minutes, but I found that the rice requires 75 to 90 minutes to fully cook. I’m so sorry to anyone who ended up with too-firm rice!
▸ Nutrition Information
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Samantha Van Nieuw Amerongen
This rice got me through my gestational diabetes diagnosis it was really the only thing that felt comforting and filling. I would make 2 tweaks to the recipe, optional: i add a can of black or navy beans (whatever i have on hand) for more iron and i also add 2 or 3 tbsp of butter at the end and stir it all in for a rich finish.
★★★★★
CaliforniaCook
I made this recipe today and will definitely make it again! I left out the cilantro because I didn’t have any. Next time, I will leave out the tomato paste as it was a bit tomato-ey for my tastes. It did need the additional salt at the end. Mine was done in an hour and 20 minutes. Fluffed it with a fork and let it sit while I warmed some tortillas. Delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear! Thank you for your review.
Geanette Ceballos
Can you brown the rice as usual, then add all ingredients to instant pot & cook as brown rice?
★★★★★
Kate
I’m not sure, I haven’t tried it. Let me know if you do!
Tim VanMeter
Finally a recipe that really makes a ho hum rice side dish something to look forward to. You jazzed it up perfectly. Served alongside fat bean burritos covered with chili and cheese. Thank You!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Tim! Great to hear.