Spicy Mexican Rice has the perfect blend of ingredients to make it a memorable addition to any Mexican themed dinner.
Ingredients
I used the following ingredients for the Mexican Rice: Canned whole tomatoes, onion, low sodium chicken broth, tomato paste, vegetable oil, rice, jalapeño peppers, garlic, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Making the Mexican Rice
Unlike a lot of recipes, the prep time for this Mexican Rice is minimal. First I drained the canned tomatoes and placed them into a blender. Then I peeled and chopped the onion and added it to the blender. Next I puréed both the tomato and onion until they were smooth.
For the recipe I needed two cups of the puréed tomato mixture. I set the remainder aside for later use if needed.
I placed the rice in a wire mesh strainer. Then I rinsed it under cold water for a minute or two to remove as much of the starch as possible then allowed it to drain. For the remaining prep I mixed the tomato paste with the chicken broth then seeded and diced the jalapeño peppers.
The cooking process is pretty much minimal as well. First I heated the oil over medium high heat in an oven-proof 12-inch skillet with a lid. When the oil was hot, I added the rice and cooked it for 7 to 8 minutes until it startsed to brown lightly.
Next I added the diced jalapeño peppers and minced garlic to the rice. Then I cooked them for a minute or two until they were fragrant.
Then I added the tomato purée mixture to the rice (Photo 1), followed by the addition of the chicken broth mixture (Photo 2), salt and pepper (Photo 3).
Finally, I placed a paper towel on top of the pan and covered the pan with the lid (Photo 4). The reason that I covered the pan with the paper towel was to absorb the condensation that normally rises. This prevents the condensation from falling back on the rice and making the rice mushy.
After a quick stir, I covered the rice and it put into a preheated 350° F oven for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes I gave the rice a quick stir, covered it, and cooked it in the oven for another 10 minutes.
I ended up with a spicy and perfectly seasoned Mexican Rice fit for any Mexican themed dinner. Yum!
If you’re looking for more recipes for your Mexican themed celebrations, check out my Cinco de Mayo Recipe Roundup. If you’d like to see some more Mexican rice recipes why not try my Easy Cheesy Mexican Rice with Chicken or Instant Pot Mexican Rice with Black Beans.
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Recipe
Spicy Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups long grain rice
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 medium jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon green onion tops or chives, diced for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Purée tomatoes and onion in blender until smooth, about 15 seconds. Transfer mixture to liquid measuring cup; you should have 2 cups (if necessary spoon off excess so that the volume equals 2 cups, or add some water so that the volume equals 2 cups). Set aside.
- Mix tomato paste with chicken broth. Set aside.
- Place rice in large fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear, about 1½ minutes. Shake rice vigorously in strainer to remove all excess water.
- Heat oil in heavy-bottomed oven safe 12-inch skillet with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Drop 3 or 4 grains of rice in oil; if grains sizzle, oil is ready. Add rice and fry, stirring frequently, until rice is light golden and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and seeded minced jalapeños; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 ½ minutes. Stir in pureed tomatoes and onions, chicken broth, tomato paste, salt and pepper; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil.
- Cover pan with paper towel and lid and transfer to oven; bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring well after 15 minutes. If necessary add additional liquid.
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Made this thinking that I would give a portion to my daughter and son. Well, I ate most of it within a couple of hours! Delicious! Will make another batch for my daughter and son.
So glad you liked the Mexican Rice!
Chula