Making restaurant worthy, authentic Mexican Rice in your rice cooker is as simple as adding the ingredients and switching it on. With this easy recipe, you’ll have a deeply flavorful version of the cherished side dish ready to serve in about an hour (with just 15 minutes of active time).
Mexico has a rich culinary history and Mexican food is famous for its rich flavors and unique spices. But in Mexican restaurants, the flavor and texture of Mexican rice (also called Spanish rice in the US) varies widely. Some are on the boring side while others are bursting with flavor. This version is the latter and you have endless options for making it your own.
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Rice Cooker Mexican Rice Ingredients
- Rice: long grain white rice
- Chicken Broth: or vegetable broth
- Tomato Sauce
- Butter: unsalted or salted butter
- White Onion: or a few green onions for milder onion flavor
- Garlic: fresh garlic cloves
- Jalapeño: use more or less than the recipe calls for to manage the spice level of the rice
- Ground Cumin
- 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, optional
- Lime: for serving, optional
- Kosher Salt
Recipe Options
- A whole jalapeño adds flavor depth and heat - reduce the amount or omit for milder Mexican rice. Or leave the seeds for extra spicy kick.
- This recipe yields moist Mexican Rice. For drier rice, reduce chicken broth by ¼ cup and up to ½ cup. Don't be alarmed if there is liquid on the top when the rice cooker finishes, just stir to coat the rice evenly and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
- Swap in long grain brown rice for added nutrition and fiber. You'll want to increase the broth amount by ~½ cup.
- For a lightened up version, make my Mexican Cauliflower Rice instead.
Pro Tip
- Rinse rice well and drain before adding to rice cooker. This removes the excess starch from the surface of the rice that can make it gummy when cooked.
How to Reheat
If you end up with leftover Mexican Rice, lucky you! It's even better the next day. Just heat a little oil in a large skillet, add the rice, then cook and stir over medium heat until it's warm all the way through with a few crispy edges. (I sometimes make this a day in advance because I love it this way.)
Make it a Meal
- 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!)
How to Make Mexican Rice in a Rice Cooker
Combine all of the ingredients (except for cilantro and lime) to 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.
Rice Cooker Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups long grain rice rinsed well and drained
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth or water, (recipe note #1)
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ 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
- ¼ 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
- Add all ingredients except for cilantro and lime wedges to rice cooker; stir well to combine. Cook according to manufacturer's instructions. Stir and let stand 5 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with cilantro; serve with lime wedges if desired.
Notes
- This recipe makes moist rice. If you prefer a drier Mexican rice, reduce broth by ¼ cup and up to ½ cup.
- Jalapeño adds depth of flavor and some heat, feel free to reduce the amount or omit altogether for milder rice.
This is my go to rice cooker recipe. We love it. I make it exactly as the recipe states, I give it a good stir when the cooker is finished and then let it sit for a few minutes before serving. Well done!
I love to hear this, Karrie! I appreciate you coming back to let me know!
I don’t usually measure my liquid when using my rice pot. I just fill it to the line that corresponds with how much rice I’m using. So my thinking would be to use as much chicken broth as needed to match the line…which may be more or less than the 2 1/2 cups the recipe calls for. Does that seem like a reasonable plan?!
Hi Kim! That's tough for me to answer, but this recipe is fairly forgiving and can be adjusted by up to half a cup of liquid (based on my testing). If you know the liquid to rice ratio that you typically enjoy, my best guess is that it will work here.
As a Brit please can I check whether you mean Ketchup or passata (sieved tomato) thanks
Hi Kelly! In the US "tomato sauce" is cooked, with a stronger, saltier flavor than passata, which is more like our 'tomato purée'. You may want to reduce the chicken broth (maybe by ~1/4 cup) and increase the salt a bit. I haven't tested this recipe with passata, so I can't be exact, but I hope that helps!
Awesome recipe! I substituted the tomoto sauce for an 8oz can of medium spicey Rotel jalapeno and finely chopped tomoatoes, and was the perfect amount of heat without having to also add a separate jalapeno. I used jasmine rice and rinsed until it was clear to remove the starch and drained. I went with 2 cups water and let all the ingredients sit in the cooker for half an hour before turning it on. It came out great, not mushy at all. It was the perfect compliment to the Mexican creamed street corn and chicken dish we made it with.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe and added your own touches, Spence!
First time to make mexican rice and it was so good and flavorful!!! I reduced the chicken broth to 2 cups.
I'm so glad you enjoyed this, Debbie! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
Are the rice measurements with regular dry ingredients measuring cups or the rice cup that comes with the rice cooker? Thanks
Hi Kerry! The rice measurement is with a standard measuring cup.
This is my favorite Mexican Rice recipe!!! So full of flavor!!
I love to hear that, Denise!
I've been looking for a good Mexican rice recipe. This is the winner! Delicious!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Sarah! Thank yo for coming back to let me know.
This is my first time leaving a comment on a recipe. My husband loves Mexican rice. For years I have tried to make him Mexican rice. After about a year of just getting Mexican rice from restaurants, I decided to try this recipe. My husband told me it was the best Mexican rice I have made and we don't need to grab it from the restaurant anymore. Thank you so much for this recipe. I only put about a cup of water with chicken bouillon and I add an extra teaspoon of garlic. If I am being lazy I don't cut up the onion and just add onion powder. He still loves it!
Hi Cindy! I'm so glad you and your husband are enjoying this recipe and that you're adding your own twists!
I was completely surprised how great this rice turned out! I've tried so many recipes and they were always too mushy. I prefer when the chicken broth is reduced to just 2 cups. Not too dry and not too mushy then. Also, if you don't want to add Jalapeños or don't have some on hand, I always sub for El pato sauce instead. It's tomato sauce with a spicy kick to it.
So glad you enjoyed this, Shanice! And thanks so much for your cooking notes. (My dad loves that sauce too - adds it to all kinds of things!)
I’d love to try this recipe this weekend. In Australia we won’t have tomato sauce as it is in the US. Would a blended tin of tomatoes be a similar substitute? With maybe a tblsp of tomato paste?
It’s our Australian Rules Grand Final this weekend (like your Superbowl) and I’m going to feed my guests a Mexican feast.
Hi Lisa! You can make tomato sauce that's similar to what you'll find in the US by combining equal parts of tomato paste and water. I would also add an extra clove of garlic and a bit more onion to the recipe. I hope that helps!
easy and delicious.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Anna~
Such a hearty and delicious bowl of rice - wonderful blend of spices. And that gorgeous colour, too!
I love Mexican rice - it really goes with so many things. Heck, add some chopped grilled chicken, and it's a meal by itself. Great tips on cooking it in a rice cooker!!