I used to love going to Mexican restaurants. I’d always get burritos, enchiladas, or quesadillas (with chicken or mushroom fillings) with sides of refried beans and Mexican rice. Oh, I loved the beans and rice!
Unfortunately most Mexican restaurants use a lot of soybean oil and other unhealthy ingredients. Too bad they don’t use the traditional lard! So, I set out to find a way to make Mexican rice at home.
It’s become a favorite here, and is often served simply with ground beef as a meal in itself. It could also be served alongside refried beans, or with chicken enchiladas (recipe coming eventually). It’s delicious, and fairly simple. This amount is enough to serve as a meal for 4 people, so feel free to cut it in half if you’re looking for just a side dish. In the picture above, I skipped the peas and carrots and used pre-cooked black beans instead.
Ingredients:
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. lard (butter or coconut oil is fine too)
- 1 1/2 c. brown rice, soaked*
- 2 c. chicken stock
- 1 c. tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 c. peas
- 1/2 c. chopped carrots
Directions:
First, chop up your onion and garlic. Add these and your oil to a frying pan on medium heat and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the rice and saute until lightly golden and puffed, about 5 minutes. Your rice may not puff quite like this and that’s okay.
Add chicken stock, tomato sauce, spices, and the other veggies (you can skip them if you prefer). Stir to combine.
Cover and cook for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Add a little extra water if the rice isn’t done and the liquid is mostly gone. Soon it will be done!
That’s it! Not too hard, right? Serve scoops with taco meat or seasoned chicken, or alongside any Mexican meal. It’s also delicious with grated soft cheese (mild cheddar, monterey jack, or queso fresco) on top.
What’s your favorite Mexican side dish?
Like what you’ve read? Subscribe so you never miss a post! You can also follow us on Facebook or Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
TESTING!
I’m going to have to try this. I have to admit, I’m mexican/spanish rice-challenged. I’ve tried many times, but never successfully, making mexican rice. I’m kind of picky about my mexican rice too, which doesn’t help. I love it when it’s done right though. As far as my favorite mexican side dishes, I love espinaca! It’s a cheesy, spinach casserole with corn and peppers. DELISH!
The key to great Mexican Rice is not to STIR IT after you mix in the ingredients together! It is so hard to not want to stir the rice. I did several times and it never came out right and my abuela’s (grandmother’s) has always been the best!
This turned out a very satisfying lunch for us! Thank you! I used some frozen mixed veggies and a can of crushed tomatoes and I ended up with a little bit more of a mexican rice stew than what you might get in a mexican restaurant but it was perfect. We’re eating it meatless today, it being Friday and all, but tomorrow I might thaw some shredded chicken and mix that into the leftovers.