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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 came out perfect in my 4c rice cooker.
That is so great to hear, Kaitlyn! Thank you for coming back to let me know and for specifying your rice cooker size (I haven’t had a chance to test it in a smaller cooker than mine – so very helpful!).
hi can you explain what you mean by tomato sauce? is it tinned tomatoes tomatoe purée or ketchup?
we are in uk. thanks
Hi Tracey! I believe that tomato purée is the closest to US tomato sauce.
Hi there, love this easy recipe…wondering if I could substitute brown rice for the white rice. Trying to eat less white rice…
Hi Teresa! I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe. Your timing is perfect – I just posted my recipe for Mexican Brown Rice. After testing the brown rice version several times, I opted for cooking it on the stovetop since rice cookers vary so widely and not all have a brown rice setting.
What size rice cooker are you using? I just bought a 5.5 cup cooker and I don’t want it to overflow. I want to try this though!!
Hi Jennifer! I have a 5.5 cup cooker (cooked) as well – so that should work perfectly!
Going to make this soon. When you say “according to manufacturer instructions’ is it just the normal amount of time you would cook long grain rice? Does it matter that there are other ingredients? Thank you!
Hi Kelly! Yes, just the normal amount of time for long grain rice. You’ll add all of the recipe ingredients at once before cooking (see recipe note #1 about liquid quantity preference). Enjoy!
I made this recipe tonight with my brand new 3 cup rice cooker. I have never used a rice cooker at all, so this was a leap of faith, LOL! Anyways, I absolutely loved this recipe. I’m saving it to use every time I need Mexican style rice. I did go a little light on the water as recommended for less wet rice which worked perfectly. I left out the jalapeno, but the chipotle chili powder provided the perfect amount of heat for me. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I love to hear this, Katherine! So glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s been a huge hit, I’ve made it a handful of times now! I’ve done everything as written; every time it’s been wonderful and so much better than what you’d get at a restaurant!
You made my day, Laura! So glad you’re enjoying this.
This rice was perfect. Just what I was looking for to serve with chicken tacos!
That’s fantastic, Tammy! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
I really love this recipe. I’ve made it twice now. I’m only curious tho, it says its 240 kcal….but doesn’t say per how much or what the serving size is. Just wondering what it is 🤔.
Hi Fawn! I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe. The nutrition info. is for 1/6th of the finished dish and you should end up with ~6-cups, so ~1 cup per serving.
This is exactly what I was looking for!! A no-nonsense, no-effort, set-it-and-forget-it, Mexican rice recipe that not only tastes like it should, but contains zero ketchup. I will never understand why so many recipes call for ketchup….. This is going to be my weekly go-to for rice for my Mexican casserole!!
I love to hear this, Sinna! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
Can I ask a silly question? When measuring the rice and water, are you using literal measuring cups? My rice cooker comes with a measuring cup that is equivalent to 3/4 c.
I’ve made this once before and my family LOVED it, I just wanted to clarify the measurements. Thanks so much!!
Hi Barbara! Those little cups that come with rice cookers cause a lot of confusion, lol. I’m using literal measuring cups – the rice with standard dry measuring cups and liquid with standard liquid measuring cups. So glad you and your family are enjoying the recipe!
It’s in the rice cooker as we speak! Thanks for the clarification!!
My pleasure, Barbara. Enjoy!
This had absolutely no flavor. I added extra butter, broth and salt and it was still extremely bland. Will be searching for another recipe
Hi Dee. I’m sorry this one wasn’t what you were looking for. Honestly, I’m surprised that you found it bland with all of the aromatics and spices.
Absolutely loved this recipe. It’ll be my “go to” from now on. 🙂
That’s wonderful to hear, Heather! Thank you coming back to let me know.
Could you add frozen peas to this? When would you add in?
Hi Alexa! Yes, absolutely. Once the rice has finished cooking, stir the frozen peas into the hot rice before the final step of letting it stand for 5 minutes. That should be enough time to warm them.
We LOVE this recipe, but I am having trouble with my rice cooker shutting off. It’s just a simple Aroma with the Warm/Cook feature and after a few times of trying the recipe it started going to Warm way before it was ready. Thought the rice cooker died and bought another and it’s doing the same thing. I’m wondering if the recipe is too much (because it’s not the same amounts that the cooker recommends) and the weight is off on the sensor? I’m willing to purchase a better cooker if anyone has any thoughts on this and why it might be happening. We love the flavor and want to continue to make it, but now I’m gun shy I trying another rice cooker and unsure what to try.
Hi Angel! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe. But, how frustrating to have your rice cooker shut off before finishing! I’m sorry that’s happening. As long as the rice cooker is large enough (that you’re not going above the max line – mine is a Panasonic 5-cup), I really don’t know what would cause that – I wish I could be of more help.
This is the most amazing rice! So full of flavor and so simple to make. I have tripled this recipe in a ultra large rice cooker and it works just as well as when I make a single batch. I have done it with the full amount of liquid and without. I prefer it with the full amount. For those looking for a spin on this recipe, omit butter and use bacon grease instead as well as some cooked and crumbled bacon and add in some diced green pepper for a more hearty dish.
Hi Leigh! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe and making it your own. Love that you were brave enough to triple the recipe and that it turned out well – that’s a lot of rice!