Easy to Make Authentic Mexican Rice Recipe
Home » COOK » Recipes » International Recipes » Mexican & Tex-Mex Recipes »This Authentic Mexican Rice Recipe is the ideal accompaniment to many Mexican dishes and is very simple to make. Add tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, and of course, rice to your shopping list, and have this rice side dish ready in 45 minutes.
I’ve got a collection of 60+ Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes for you to try out – right-click and open them in a new tab to read next.

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Authentic Mexican Rice
The full ingredients list and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions, to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.
Many cuisines have a traditional rice recipe, such as Rice and Peas in the West Indian Caribbean, Fried Rice in Asian countries, Paella in Spain, Jollof in West Africa, and Jambalaya in Creole and Cajun cuisine.
In addition, I’m sharing an easy and delicious way to add some Mexican flavor to your meals with this authentic Mexican rice recipe.
It’s simple to make using fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, and limes.
The end result is a flavorful and fragrant side dish that will perfectly complement your favorite Mexican dishes like Mexican Chicken Adobo, Carne Asada, Chipotle Copycat Air Fyer Chicken AlPastor, or Grilled Chipotle Lime Shrimp Skewers.

Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It may not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, sugar, etc., as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Fresh Produce – Tomatoes, Onion, Garlic, Jalapeñnos, Cilantro (Fresh Coriander), Limes
- Long Grain White Rice
- Chicken Broth/Stock
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).

More Recipes Using Rice
The hero ingredient in this dish is rice, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
- Fresh & Fruity Rice Salad (Empire Rice Salad) – A Real Crowd-Pleaser!
- Carolina Red Rice
More Mexican Recipes
Looking for more Mexican dishes to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Fully Loaded Mexican Street Corn with Mexican Crema & Cotija Cheese
- Mexican Huevos Rancheros for Sunday Brunch
- Mexican Shredded Beef in the Slow Cooker

Recipe Tips
- The secret to getting making and fluffy Mexican rice that doesn’t stick together is to thoroughly rinse the uncooked rice under cold water for a couple minutes to remove the excess starch.
How Do I Make Authentic Mexican Rice?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.

Authentic Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 jalapeño peppers seeded
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cups long-grain white rice thoroughly rinsed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Fresh cilantro stems removed and finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 limes cut into wedges
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
- Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and jalapeños into a blender or food processor. Process thoroughly until the mixture is smooth.
- In a large oven-safe skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add rinsed rice and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 5 or 6 minutes or until it starts to turn brown.
- Add the chicken broth and puréed tomato mixture to pan. Stir until thoroughly combined with rice. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally, and then remove from heat.
- Cover the skillet with the lid and place it in the preheated oven on the middle shelf.
- After 15 minutes, remove the lid and carefully stir the contents of the pan. Cook for another 15 minutes or until all excess moisture in the pan has been absorbed.
- Remove from the oven and stir in fresh cilantro.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve with wedges of fresh lime to help “brighten” the taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Special Dinner!
You’ve made the side, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a special meal or dinner party:
- Appetizer: Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers Recipe For A Crowd
- Soup: Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Soup
- Salad: Grilled Corn Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
- Main Dish: Mexican Shredded Beef in the Slow Cooker
- Beverage: Frozen Blueberry Margaritas – A Refreshing Adult Slush Drink!
- Dessert: Delicious & Easy Lemon Hand Pies
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.