A Beautiful Mexican Rice initially toasted up in some rendered pork fat or lard until golden and cooked in that flavorful Tomato Broth with Onion, Garlic, Pimento Paste and a bit of Zest from Lime or Lemon Juice. Keep it sweet with Sweet Pimento Paste, or with a bit of heat with Hot Pimento Paste. Add in some minced Jalapeño and additional Herbs & Spices!
Serve this popular Rice dish by itself as a side or included with other recipes such as Burritos or a Burrito bowl.
Traditional Mexican Rice
Traditional Mexican Rice is made with White Long Grain Rice. With the Rice cooked in lard until golden. This destroys the starch in the Rice and yields Fluffy, Tender and Plumped Rice with a nutty Aroma.
The liquids used is Water/ Broth with a puréed blend of Tomatoes, Onions & Garlic, usually with a Tomato Bouillon or Chicken Bouillon. This gives the Mexican Rice that reddish orange color.
Mexican Rice Seasoning is usually just salt, with 1 or 2 other ingredients sometimes added. The most popular being Cumin & Cilantro or Parsley. A lot of people also include Chili Powder.
Vegetables used are Onion, Garlic, Tomatoes and often has Carrots and Green Peas included. Chilies may be included for some heat, and sometimes a squeeze of Lime or Lemon juice to add some zest.
Mexican Rice Ingredients
- Lard
- Rice
- Onion
- Garlic
- Water
- Bouillon – Tomato, Chicken, Pork, Beef or Vegetable
- Tomato Juice
- Sea Salt
- Lemon or Lime Juice
- Pimento Paste – Sweet or Hot
Lard
A good amount of Fat is needed first to cook the Rice in the Skillet until it turns to a Golden color with a nutty Aroma. Rendered Pork Fat is the best to use. Check out my post for more information on Rendered Fat. Otherwise, using lard is perfectly fine here. For a Vegetarian Mexican Rice use a neutral Oil.
Rendered Pork Fat
Render the Fat to get about 1/4 C. If you don’t quite have enough, it can be topped up with lard. If you end up with too much, empty it out to use for other recipes, reserving about 1/4 C of rendered fat in the pan.
Rice
Use any Long Grain Rice such as White Long Grain Rice, Basmati or Jasmine. There is no need to wash the Rice since the Rice is going to be cooked up until golden, which destroys the starch. Although if you wanted to you can rinse the Rice as well as an extra measure and then strain really well.
Jasmine Rice
2 cups of long grain Rice. There is no need to rinse the Rice.
Onion & Garlic
One Onion and Three cloves of Garlic is used for this Mexican Style Rice. In Traditional Mexican Rice, the Onion & Garlic would be puréed with the Tomatoes to create part of the cooking liquid for the Rice. Some of the Onion may be reserved to dice and include with the Rice.
Onion & Garlic
Dice One Onion and mince the Garlic to include for this dish.
Bouillon Cube
Traditional Mexican Rice will use Caldo De Tomate or Chicken Bouillon. However, depending on where the Rice will be used, you can exchange the Bouillon Cube with Pork, Beef or Vegetable or just keep it with the Tomato Bouillon Cubes. I go with Pork or Chicken most often because it can pair well with both Beef & Pork dishes and I usually have these on hand.
Bouillon
Use two Bouillon Cubes and ensure they get completely dissolved while boiling the Rice and before covering it.
Tomato Juice
Typically, a couple of Tomatoes are puréed with Onion & Garlic to create the Tomato Juice. In this recipe, the puréeing is skipped by adding in Tomato Juice as one third of the cooking liquid.
Tomato Juice
1 Cup of Tomato Juice is included in the Broth liquids for the Rice.
Lime or Lemon Juice
A small amount of Lime or Lemon Juice does wonders to lift the flavors up. It also assists the Rice in its final texture.
Pimento Paste
Not traditional, but man does it ever lend some good flavors and helps to color the rice. You can also make a Sweet Mexican Rice with Sweet Pimento Paste or Hot Mexican Rice with Hot Pimento Paste and even hotter with the addition of minced Chilies added with the Onions.
Pimento Paste
Use 2 Tbl of either Sweet or Hot Pimento Paste.
Mexican Rice Seasoning
There really isn’t much in terms of seasoning for Mexican Rice besides salt. It instead relies on the Vegetables and Bouillon to flavor the Rice. Although quite common is the addition of Cumin and different families put in different things ranging from Chili Powder, Coriander, Cumin, Oregano, Cilantro, Parsley, Paprika. Up to 1 tsp of any combination of these can be added into the Broth liquids for additional flavors.
How to make Mexican Rice
Mexican Rice Liquids
Combine the Broth Ingredients together in a bowl and set aside until needed.
- 2 C Water
- 2 Cubes Bouillon
- 1 C Tomato Juice
- 1/2 Tbl Sea Salt
- 2 Tbl Lemon or Lime Juice
- 2 Tbl Pimento Paste – Sweet or Hot
Fat
Place 1/4 C of Lard into a large pan or pot over medium heat. Let it melt and get hot.
Toasted Rice
Add 2 Cups of long grain Rice and mix well to coat with Fat. Continue to cook for 10 minutes, or until toasted, and the Rice has changed to a golden color.
Then add in diced Onions & Garlic and cook briefly or until translucent.
Add Broth
Turn the heat to max and add the Broth. Mix well, getting all the Rice down from the sides and ensuring the Bouillon cubes are dissolved.
Once boiling, mix well and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Shut the heat off but leave the Pan on the burner to rest for 10 minutes.
The whole time, do not remove the cover.
Fluff & Serve
Remove the cover and fluff the Rice to serve, or keep covered to keep the Rice warm until ready to serve.
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet with lid
- 1 Bowl for the Cooking broth
Ingredients
- 2 C Long Grain Rice - Jasmine, Basmati or White Long Grain Rice
- 1/4 C Lard - or rendered fat
- 1 Med Onion - Diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic - Minced
Broth
- 2 C Water
- 2 Cubes Bouillon - Caldo De Tomate, Chicken, Pork, Beef or Vegetable
- 1 C Tomato Juice
- 1/2 Tbl Sea Salt
- 2 Tbl Lemon or Lime Juice
- 2 Tbl Pimento Paste - Sweet or Hot
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the Broth in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet or pot over medium heat with the lard. Add in the Rice and keep mixing and cooking until the Rice takes on a toasty gold color, about 10 minutes.
- Then add in Onions & Garlic and cook just until the Onions go translucent. Add in the Broth mixture and bring to a boil over max heat and ensure the bouillon cubes are completely dissolved and scraping the sides to get all the Rice grains in the liquid.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Let cook for 20 minutes. Then shut the heat off, but leave it on the burner for 10 minutes. Fluff the Rice before serving.