I’m excited to finally share this healthier Mexican rice recipe with you. To tell you the truth, I rarely get excited about Mexican rice when I’m eating out. It tends to be a little mushy and a little bland. Since they make it with white rice, eating that rice is a sure-fire way for me to feel cranky-hungry a few hours later. I often just ask for more beans instead.
So, a Mexican rice recipe wasn’t on my radar to make until Mallika emailed to request it a few months ago. Here it is, Mallika! Mine calls for long-grain brown rice, which means that this recipe starts with an extra layer of delicious whole-grain flavor.
How to Make Mexican Brown Rice
First, we’ll lightly toast the brown rice in oil for extra flavor and separation. Then, we’ll bring the rice to a boil with rich, tomato-y broth (you can use ripe tomatoes or canned). Then, we’ll bake it in the oven for perfectly fluffy Mexican rice with amazing flavor. I adapted this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, and found that I could decrease the amount of oil used and increase the oven temperature to speed up the cooking process. It’s still not necessarily a quick recipe, but it’s easy to make and totally worth the effort. Most of the cooking time is passive, too. If you have the room for it, I think you could bake the rice and a casserole on the same rack simultaneously. Please let me know how you like it!
Mexican Rice Serving Suggestions
Main Dish Options
Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas Easy Black Bean Tacos Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas
More Mexican Side Dishes
The Best Guacamole Classic Pico de Gallo Easy Refried Beans Elote (Mexican Street Corn) Mexican Green Salad with Jalapeño-Cilantro Dressing
View all of my Mexican dishes here.
