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    Home » Recipes » Mexican

    Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

    Modified: Feb 26, 2024 · Published: Sep 21, 2021 by Kristin · This post may contain affiliate links. · 10 Comments

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    Restaurant style Mexican Rice is easy to make and tastes even better than at the restaurants! Pairs perfectly with any Mexican dish, you’ll definitely be going back for seconds!

    flavorful, authentic mexican rice made with minimal ingredients

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    My hubby and I are big fans of Mexican food. We probably eat it at least two times a week, if not more. Most of the time when we go out to eat, we end up at a Mexican restaurant. There’s just something about the chips and salsa, margaritas, and yummy meal choices! Plus, don’t get me started on my love for good queso!! Yum!!

    Jump to:
    • If you love Mexican food, check out these favorites:
    • Authentic, flavorful Restaurant Style Mexican Rice is ready in no time! Next Mexican meal you prepare, add this to your plate! Print the recipe below to give it a try!
    • Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

    If you love Mexican food, check out these favorites:

    Sour Cream Enchiladas

    BEST Refried Beans

    Chicken Taco Casserole

    I am obsessed with flautas, tacos, enchiladas, etc. but the real test at how yummy a Mexican restaurant is would have to be their rice and beans! You can have an amazing taco, but if the rice and beans are “eh”, it is quite the bummer!

    restaurant quality mexican rice packed with flavor and simple to prepare

    After coming home one evening from trying a new restaurant out and not liking their rice, I decided to attempt making my own. My first attempt was AWFUL. And by awful, I mean disgusting. Not even edible. The rice was wayyyyyy over cooked, lacked any type of flavor, and honestly, I have no idea how I went so wrong. I was hesitant to try again, but a few weeks later, after looking through books and recipes for inspiration, I decided to try again. The second attempt was good, but not great, so back to the testing I went.

    flavorful mexican rice that compliments any meal

    After a few tweaks, I would definitely say I nailed it! Now THIS recipe is a definite winner. It was quick to prepare, paired perfectly with our tacos, and my kids scraped their plates. It makes lots, so prepare for leftovers. However, since it stores perfectly that is okay!! This is also budget friendly and of course kid approved!

    Next Taco Tuesday, whip this up with your meal and bring the restaurant to your home!

    Enjoy my Restaurant Style Mexican Rice and be sure to keep me posted in the comment section below if you give this a try!

    Authentic, flavorful Restaurant Style Mexican Rice is ready in no time! Next Mexican meal you prepare, add this to your plate! Print the recipe below to give it a try!

    Want to save this recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
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    authentic flavored mexican rice that is restaurant quality

    Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

    Recipe by: Kristin
    Restuarant Style Mexican Rice is budget friendly, easy to prepare, family approved, and tastes just like the restaurant, if not better!!
    4.67 from 9 votes
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    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 10
    Calories 197 kcal

    Equipment

    • Herb Scissors
    • Frying Pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups rice (I use long grain)
    • ¼ cup oil
    • 8 oz tomato sauce
    • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
    • 3 teaspoon salt
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 4 cups chicken broth
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.
    • Add in the rice and cook until golden brown.
    • Add in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt, garlic, cumin, and black pepper.
    • Stir to incorporate all and cover pan with lid.
    • Reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer for about 35-40 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed.
    • Fluff rice, stir in cilantro, and serve! *Sprinkle some cheese on top for additional flavor (I used Cotija)

    Nutrition

    Calories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 1163mgPotassium: 204mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 156IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @TheCookinChicks or tag #TheCookinChicks!

    Recipe updated 9/21/21

    simple and authentic rice made with simple ingredients

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    Comments

    1. Olivia says

      April 21, 2024 at 1:20 pm

      Looks similar to my “sopa” but needs Knoor chicken seasoning…for an authentic Mexican rice!!

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        April 22, 2024 at 10:39 am

        Oh thanks for the tip, I will look for that next time at the store to try! Thanks!!

        Reply
    2. Jenna says

      August 22, 2017 at 11:31 am

      Question: At what point do you put in the cilantro?

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        August 22, 2017 at 4:31 pm

        Oops, sorry about forgetting that step! I have corrected the recipe now, but you add it in at the end, right before serving! Enjoy!!

        Reply
    3. Vicky Sanders says

      August 21, 2017 at 10:00 am

      4 stars
      Laurie She is toasting the rice (uncooked) in oil, then it is absorbing the liquids added afterwards to cook/soften it.

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        August 22, 2017 at 4:29 pm

        Yep! Thanks for answering Laurie, for some reason I didn’t get notification of any comments until now! Thanks!!

        Reply
        • Susanna Labans says

          April 05, 2024 at 4:16 am

          tomato sauce is it passata? I am from Australia.
          Cheers Susanna

        • Kristin says

          April 05, 2024 at 10:23 am

          Tomato sauce is the concentrated product prepared from the liquid extracted from mature, sound, whole tomatoes; the sound residue from preparing such tomatoes for canning. You can find this near the diced tomatoes in the canned section of a grocery store. It is commonly used as the base for sauces and Mexican dishes.

    4. Laurie Boomsma says

      August 18, 2017 at 10:02 am

      Just want to clarify —- are you cooking the rice first and then frying it???

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        August 22, 2017 at 4:29 pm

        Sorry about the delayed response, nope, no need to cook rice prior to frying it. You are toasting it to get the color, then adding the liquids to cook/soften!

        Reply
    4.67 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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    Welcome to The Cookin' Chicks…I am so glad you've stopped by! I am Kristin, a busy mom of 3, a wife, and a family chef! There are three things that motivate me each day - Family, Faith, and FOOD! I, along with the occasional help of friends and family, want to share my food creations with you! So, I invite you to join me around my dinner table through the recipes that I will share with you here. I hope you will enjoy the journey as much as I do!

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