10-Minute Mexican Rice is a great quick side dish with instant rice for your next Mexican night . You can whip up this Mexican Rice recipe in about 10 minutes. My nephew says this is the “best rice ever!” And I agree. Get your next Mexican night ready in a flash with this delicious and simple Quick Mexican Rice recipe. Ready to eat in under 10 minutes, it’s the perfect quick side dish for your meal!
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This Mexican Rice recipe is great if you need a quick side dish to go with your Mexican dinner.
We love to make this recipe when we’re having Chicken Flautas or when I’m making Enchiladas for dinner.
It uses Instant Rice or Minute Rice so it comes together really quickly on the stovetop.
You can also regular long-grain white rice or even brown rice with this recipe but you will need to increase the cooking time for the rice.
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This Mexican Rice recipe is super easy to whip up. It can all be done in one pot and all done in 10 minutes.
🔑 Key to Success #1 – Cook Spices Until Fragrant
The first step to this recipe is to cook the herbs and spices in olive oil.
You can use the same pot that you’ll use to make your rice.
No need for a separate pot.
I like to make this Mexican Rice in a 4-quart saucepan.
And I always use stainless steel pots because they last forever and are easy to clean.
Be sure that your pot has a tight-fitting lid as well because the rice will need to steam in order to cook up nice and fluffy.
Place your oil in your saucepan over medium heat then add your spices.
You’ll want to cook the spices in the oil until they are fragrant.
This will take about a minute or two. Be sure to stir often.
🔑 Key to Success #2 – Bring It To a Boil Then Add Instant Rice
After the spices are fragrant, add the tomato sauce and water then bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
You can cover the saucepan with the lid to speed up the process.
Just be sure to watch it carefully and stir it often.
Once the liquid starts to boil, add the uncooked instant white rice to the saucepan then bring back to a boil.
It should only take a few minutes for the rice to start to boil.
Again, watch it carefully and stir it often.
🔑 Key to Success #3 – Cover and Let Sit for Mexican Rice with Minute Rice
After adding the rice, cover the pot and remove it from the heat.
The instant rice will absorb the liquid and the spices and you will end up with delicious, fluffy, spicy Mexican Rice.
I mentioned this before but it’s important to have a tight-fitting lid for your saucepan so that the rice can steam and the liquid can absorb properly.
If your lid is loose, your liquid will evaporate and your rice will miss out on some of those yummy Mexican spices.
This Mexican Rice recipe is super easy and quick and it turns out great every time.
Of course, you can customize the spices to your liking.
If you don’t like cilantro, you can certainly leave it out.
But I think it adds a nice touch to the dish.
Are you a cilantro fan?
Let us know in the comments below.
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10-Minute Mexican Rice
10-Minute Mexican Rice is a great side dish for your next Mexican night. You can whip up this Mexican Rice recipe in about 10 minutes. My nephew says this is the “best rice ever!” And I agree.
4.84 from 6 votes
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Course: Salads & Sides
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 1 minute minute
Cook Time: 9 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 108kcal
Author: Jennifer
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp cilantro fresh, finely chopped
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups uncooked instant white rice
Instructions
In large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, sea salt, and cilantro. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Add tomato sauce and water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
Add uncooked rice and bring back to a boil. Cover and turn off heat. Let rice sit covered for 5 minutes until liquids have been absorbed.
Notes
- I prefer to use white Minute Rice in this recipe for convenience.
- More spices can be added! The amounts given are a starting point.
- If you have more time, you can saute half of a diced white onion in the olive oil until soft then add in two teaspoons of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. This will add extra freshness and flavor to your dish.
- Store leftover Mexican rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. This rice is a great base for a Mexican Rice Bowl.
Nutrition
Serving: 1grams | Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 457mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
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