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mexican style rice recipe

Best Mexican Style Rice Recipe from Grandma's Kitchen

If you need a flavorful, easy, authentic Mexican style rice recipe, this recipe is exactly for you! Each grain is bursting with a spiced, herbed flavor of the seasoning done in under 20 minutes! Get the beans ready!
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Total Time:20 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: mexican style rice recipe
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups long-grain rice
  • ½ onion diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ cup chunky tomato salsa (1 diced tomato can be used instead)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon Knorr Caldo de Tomate see note below
  • 1½ cups hot water
  • ½ cup cold water
  • olive oil
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Be generous with the amount used as you want to coat the bottom of the pan.
  • Once the oil is heated, add the rice to the pan. Sauté the rice with the olive oil for 3-4 minutes or until slightly browned.
  • After the rice is browned, add the diced onion, minced garlic, diced tomato or salsa if using. Stir to combine.
  • Add the 1½ cups of hot water, ground cumin, Knorr Caldo de Tomate, and salt to taste. Stir to combine. Cover the pan over medium-low heat and simmer for 8 minutes.
  • After the 8-minute mark, add the ½ cup of cold water. If it looks too dry, you can add a little more water.
  • Lower to low heat and continue to cover for another 2 minutes. Turn off the fire and let it sit for 3 minutes covered until the water is gone. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Knorr Caldo de Tomate is a type of seasoning that can be found in most grocery stores in the Hispanic aisle or your local Latin market.
  2. If you don't have a type of chunky tomato salsa on hand, you can use 1 diced tomato instead. However, I usually prefer to use a chunky salsa as it adds a TON more flavor.
  3. See Sam’s Pro Tips for this Mexican Style Rice Recipe for further tips on making this rice dish.