Your Mexican feast will be complete with this delicious and fragrant Mexican Tomato Rice. Simple flavours of onion and garlic come together with the richness of tomato paste (concentrated puree) to make this flavour-packed side dish. Pair it with Mexican Slow Cooked Beef or an easy Beef Burrito Bowl to add a whole heap of flavour to your weeknight dinners. This recipe is easy and takes less than 30 minutes to make, but to save time on weeknights you can make it ahead in bulk and freeze it for when you need it!
Can you make Mexican Tomato Rice ahead of time?
Mexican Tomato Rice can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen in individual portions for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave directly from the fridge or from frozen until piping hot. Ensure the rice is cooled and refrigerated or frozen within 20 minutes of cooking.
Is Mexican Tomato Rice suitable for leftovers?
Mexican Tomato Rice leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave directly from the fridge until piping hot. Ensure the rice is cooled and refrigerated or frozen within 20 minutes of cooking.
Print Mexican Tomato Rice
Mexican Tomato Rice is a simple but flavourful side that is ideal to serve with all your Mexican or Tex-Mex meals.
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, freshly minced
- 2 cups (400 g) jasmine or basmati rice
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)
- 3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- Sliced fresh jalapeño, to serve (optional)
- Freshly chopped coriander (cilantro), to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until the onion and garlic have softened.
- Add the rice and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, place the lid on and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes with the lid on before fluffing the rice with a fork.
- Sprinkle with fresh jalapeño and coriander (if using) to serve.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD
Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze in individual portions for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave directly from the fridge or from frozen until piping hot. Ensure the rice is cooled and refrigerated or frozen within 20 minutes of cooking.
LEFTOVERS
Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave directly from the fridge until piping hot. Ensure the rice is cooled and refrigerated or frozen within 20 minutes of cooking.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Side Dish, rice
- Method: pan
- Cuisine: Mexican
louisaguseli says:
Do you think this could be accomplished in a rice cooker?
Nicole says:
I’m so glad you asked this question! Absolutely. Follow the recipe up to step 2 in a pan and then dump rice mixture into a rice cooker with the chicken stock. It’s actually the best, easiest way to guarantee fluffy rice! 😍
kaylahurst says:
Made this tonight as a side to the slow cooked Mexican Beef and OMG so much flavour for such minimal and simple ingredients. It was absolutely delicious!
Nicole says:
Isn’t it ridiculously good! Ahh I am so glad you loved it as much as we do! Thank you SO much for taking the time to write, means so much to me! x
tamarakennedy says:
Can you substitute the stock with water instead? I forgot to buy it 🤦🏼♀️
Sara says:
Super yum paired with the Mexican slow cooked beef! I didn’t rinse the rice though – do you normally do that?
Nicole says:
Hi Sara, In Australia we don’t need to rinse rice as we have stringent processing practices on the packaged rice sold in our supermarkets. But I do rinse if I want to remove excess starch to prevent the rice being too sticky or gummy. Rinsing can help to improve the texture of the rice by separating the grains. I generally always specify if rice needs to be rinsed in my recipes. However, for this recipe I prefer not rinsing the rice, as it makes the final result creamy and delicious. I hope this helps. I’m so glad you enjoyed this, though and thanks for the rating! Nic x