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Rice Cooker Mexican Rice gives you that authentic, restaurant-quality flavor with the foolproof, set-it-and-forget-it ease of your rice cooker.
I have great news: making restaurant-worthy, authentic Mexican Rice in your rice cooker is as simple as adding the ingredients and switching it on. You’ll have a deeply flavorful version of this cherished side dish ready to serve in about an hour (with just 15 minutes of active time). This easy recipe delivers a perfectly cooked, flavor-loaded, authentic side dish every time.
Pantry staple spices and aromatics, combined with fresh cilantro and jalapeños liven up what could otherwise be a lackluster side dish. Instead of using water as the liquid base, as in many Mexican rice recipes, here I use tomato sauce and chicken broth to provide both moisture and flavor.
“Absolutely loved this recipe. It’ll be my “go to” from now on.”
heather
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Foolproof and Hands-Off: Making this in the rice cooker removes all the guesswork. There’s no need to watch the pot, no constant stirring, and no risk of a scorched bottom—just perfectly cooked rice every time.
- Deeply Flavorful Broth: Cooking the rice in a combination of chicken broth and tomato sauce, instead of just water, infuses every grain with a rich, savory flavor from the very start.
- Fluffy, Not Gummy: Rinsing the rice is a simple but crucial step that removes excess surface starch, which is the secret to getting light, fluffy, and perfectly separate grains of rice.
Rice Cooker Mexican Rice Ingredients
- Rice: I prefer long-grain white rice because it yields fluffy, light grains and resists clumping.
- Chicken Broth: You can use low-sodium or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
- Tomato Sauce: Since you’re adding other spices and liquids, you don’t need anything fancy.
- Butter: Unsalted or salted butter works, but you may need to adjust the salt.
- White Onion: You can use a few green onions for a milder onion flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are best, but jarred minced garlic will do if you don’t have fresh.
- Jalapeño: Use more or less than the recipe calls for to manage the spice level of the rice.
- Ground Cumin: Cumin adds a savoriness and a delicious aroma and is common in many global cuisines.
- Chipotle Chili Powder: A lightly spicy chili powder made only from dried and smoked jalapeño peppers. Note that this is not standard chili powder, which is a blend of spices.
- Fresh Cilantro: For garnish and a pop of color.
- Lime Wedges: For serving, optional.
- Kosher Salt: Or about half the amount of fine sea salt.
How to Make Mexican Rice in a Rice Cooker
Combine all of the ingredients (except for cilantro and lime) in rice cooker and stir. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. Stir and let stand 5 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl and serve with cilantro and lime wedges if desired.
PRO Tips
- The Secret to Fluffy Rice (The Liquid Ratio): The number one cause of mushy rice is too much liquid. For perfect, fluffy rice, the total amount of liquid should equal the amount of water your rice cooker normally requires. For this recipe, that means the tomato sauce + the chicken broth should add up to the correct total. My recipe is balanced for this, but it’s a great rule of thumb for any rice cooker recipe.
- Toast the Rice When You Have Time: While this is a “fill and go” recipe, many authentic Mexican rice recipes start by lightly toasting the rice in a little oil on the stovetop. It’s completely optional, but this extra step does give the rice a nuttier flavor and helps keep the grains separate. To do this, just cook and stir the rinsed and well drained rice in a skillet with a tablespoon or so of oil over medium heat until the water evaporates and the grains turni fragrant and lightly golden. Then add it to your rice cooker with the other ingredients and continue with the recipe.
- Don’t Skip the Rest: When the rice cooker switches over to “keep warm” this dish isn’t ready to serve. It’s important to let it rest for 5-10 minutes; this allows the grains to absorb any remaining liquid and firm up, so you get the texture you’re after.
Recipe Variations
- Add peas or corn: Stir in a handful of frozen peas or corn, or both, after the rice kicks over to “keep warm” and has rested for 5 minutes. Gently stir in the peas and or corn, then close the lid and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes more, until the vegetables are thawed and warm.
- Swap the tomato sauce: Feel free to use crushed tomatoes or passata if that’s what you have on hand.
- Make it vegan: Use olive oil or vegan butter and vegetable broth for an easy swap.
- Try other chili powders: Ancho or guajillo powder both work really well.
- Add texture: Stir in chopped fresh tomato or finely diced bell pepper with the other ingredients for added texture and color.
Storage and Reheating
If you end up with leftover Mexican Rice, lucky you! It’s even better the next day. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet with a little oil over medium heat until hot and slightly crispy. You can also microwave it in short bursts, covered with a damp paper towel. This rice also freezes well for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
FAQ
You don’t have to, and this recipe is designed to be a quick “fill and go” version. That said, frying or toasting the rice in a little oil is a traditional step that adds a great nutty flavor and helps the grains stay separate and fluffy.
The two most important steps are to rinse the rice thoroughly to remove all the excess starch, and to get your liquid-to-rice ratio correct. Too much liquid is the main cause of mushy rice. There’s also personal preference, so feel free to adjust the liquid up or down to get the texture you’re after. Also, letting the rice rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking, then stirring it gently helps incorporate any excess liquid.
A long-grain white rice, like jasmine or basmati, is the best choice. Its structure helps it cook up into light, fluffy, and separate grains, which is exactly what you want for this dish.
You can, as long as your rice cooker has at least a 10-cup capacity. Just avoid overfilling or it may cook unevenly.
No. Chipotle chili powder is made from smoked jalapeños only. Regular chili powder is usually a blend of spices including cumin, paprika, and garlic.
Absolutely. It adds depth and a little heat, but the rice is still flavorful without it.
Rice Cooker Mexican Rice is one of those recipes I make all the time. It’s easy enough for a weeknight and always delivers when I want to round out a meal with my favorite Mexican mains.
Serve with these Mains and Sides
- Chicken Enchiladas, Carne Asada Tacos, Shrimp Tacos or Chorizo Tacos
- Easy Homemade Refried Beans
- Caesar Salad (originated in Mexico!)
- Calabacitas (If you’ve never had this less common Mexican side dish, it’s a must try!)
More Must-Try Mexican Rice Recipes
Rice Cooker Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups long grain rice rinsed well and drained
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth or water, (recipe note #1)
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 small white onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño minced (stems, ribs, and seeds removed – gloves recommended!), optional (recipe note #2)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or more for extra heat
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- fresh cilantro for garnish
- lime wedges for serving, optional
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Add all ingredients except for cilantro and lime wedges to rice cooker; stir well to combine.
- Cook: Cook according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Rest and Fluff: Once the cooking cycle is complete, let the rice stand undisturbed for 5-10 minutes. Open the lid, fluff the rice gently with a fork, and transfer to a serving bowl.
- Serve: Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges if desired.
Notes
- Liquid Ratio: This recipe makes moist rice. The total liquid (2 ½ cups broth + 8 oz/1 cup tomato sauce = 3 ½ cups) is balanced for 1 ½ cups of rice in most standard rice cookers. If you prefer drier rice, reduce the broth by ¼ to ½ cup.
- Authentic Flavor Tip: For a nuttier, more traditional flavor, you can toast the rinsed and dried rice in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat until fragrant and lightly golden before adding it to the rice cooker.
- Jalapeño: The jalapeño adds depth of flavor and some heat; feel free to reduce the amount or omit it altogether for milder rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was SO yummy! I look forward to making it again.
So glad you loved it, Robin! Thanks for trying the recipe!
This Mexican rice recipe is on point! It’s so easy and so flavorful. Throw that boxed stuff away! This pairs with literally every Mexican dish you make. It’s my go to every time, and completes every meal. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Dani! I love that this has become your regular Mexican rice recipe – homemade really does taste so much better! So glad it’s become a staple for you. Thanks for the wonderful feedback!
Oh my gosh, this rice was fantastic! Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. Thank you for sharing, my while family loved it. We will be making this every time we do Mexican food.
So happy to hear this, John! I love that your whole family enjoyed it and that it’s earned a permanent spot in your Mexican food rotation. Thanks for trying the recipe and letting me know how it turned out!
This recipe is spot on and this is probably the best rice I have done in the rice cooker. Extremely flavorful, nicely balanced! a real keeper! I love it!
Wow! This is wonderful to hear, Thierry. So glad this was a hit!
I tried this recipient but the proportions on the liquid to rice seemed way off. My rice came out very mushy and we washed the rice a lot prior to cooking. Taste wise it was good but texture was way off. Was expecting nice fluffy rice that were separate grains but got clumps of rice that were soft and mushy. I’ll try 2 cups of broth next time.
Hi Billy! Thanks for the feedback. I’m glad the flavor was good. It sounds like your rice cooker might cook differently than mine – rice cookers can vary quite a bit in how much liquid they need. The recipe does note that it makes moist rice, and you can reduce the broth by up to 1/2 cup for drier rice. Trying 2 cups of broth next time sounds like a smart adjustment for your particular rice cooker. Let me know how it works out!
So delicious! However I used 2 cups of liquid and my rice comes out a bit undercooked/ hard bits. And the rice is burned a tad. Please help lol
Hi Marisa! So glad you loved the flavor! It sounds like your rice cooker runs a bit hot. Try adding an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup of liquid next time – rice cookers can vary quite a bit. Let me know how it goes!
I used 2 cups of water & was pleased with results. Thanks for a great recipe 😉
My pleasure, Carolyn! So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for your cooking note!
Hi, thanks for sharing this, it looks perfect! I’d like to make it for a crowd of 50 using my large rice cooker, so quadrupling the recipe. Anything I should think of before attempting?
Hi Kathy! My pleasure. I have not made that quantity at once, so I can’t say for sure. If you’ve made that much rice at once successfully in your large cooker, it will likely be fine. Please let me know how it goes!
Thanks so much. I love it.
That’s wonderful, Philip!
Can this be made in a non pressured rice cooker? Like the glass top kind?
Hi Amelia! Yes, just a regular rice cooker (not a pressure cooker / instant pot – I haven’t tested this recipe in either of those).