This rice cooker Mexican rice, also called Spanish rice, is about to be your new go-to family favorite side dish. It’s super simple, requires minimal effort, gets on the table quickly for busy nights, and has maximum flavor.
Rice Cooker Mexican Rice
Making Mexican rice in a rice cooker has to be one of my favorite easy side dishes! I grew up eating this, so it’s a super nostalgic recipe for me. Plus, it’s totally foolproof, super easy, and even picky kids like it. I can just dump everything in the rice cooker, turn it on, and finish up a quick dinner while the rice cooker does all the work.
The rice turns out perfectly tender every single time, and it’s not your average plain rice. It’s so so so full of flavor. Flavoring it with broth, garlic, cumin, chili powder, tomato, onion, tomato sauce, and fresh cilantro makes it truly so delicious.
This is the ultimate easy side dish, and it pairs perfectly with grilled meats, roasted vegetables, tacos, enchiladas, or burrito bowls.
Ingredients
Long Grain White Rice: I used Basmati because it’s a firm version of long grain white rice, so it’s perfect for this dish. You could also use Jasmine, but it does tend to be a little softer and stickier.
Tomatoes and Yellow Onion: These both add texture, which levels this dish up from just being seasoned rice, to feeling like something more special and substantial. Tomatoes add a bit of acidity, and onion adds a subtle sweetness.
Chicken Broth: You need a liquid to cook rice in, and we’re opting for chicken broth because it seasons the rice from the inside out and adds a ton of flavor. You could also swap this for vegetable broth, or water if you didn’t have any broth on hand.
Garlic, Cumin, Chili Powder, Salt: Garlic adds a savory aromatic flavor, cumin adds an earthy flavor, chili powder adds mild spice, and salt enhances all of the other flavors. Add smoked paprika for a smokey flavor, or cayenne for some spice.
Tomato Sauce: In addition to the fresh tomatoes, this is where the rest of the tomato flavor comes from. This is also the ingredient that gives Mexican rice its signature red color.
Butter: This adds a rich flavor that pairs so well with the other elements in this dish.
Cilantro: Stirring fresh cilantro into the cooked rice adds a fresh element that makes such a difference in the flavor of this dish. If you’re one of the people that doesn’t like cilantro, use fresh parsley instead.
How To Make Mexican Rice In A Rice Cooker
Rinse: Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cool running water until the water runs clear. Shake to remove the excess moisture. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Combine: Add the rinsed rice, diced tomatoes, and onion to the rice cooker. Pour in the chicken broth.
Season: Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Add the tomato sauce and mix gently, making sure the liquid stays below the maximum fill line.
Cook: Place the butter on top, cover with the lid, and start the rice cooker. Let it cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Rest, Fluff, and Serve: Allow the rice to sit on warm with the lid on briefly.
Transfer to a bowl, gently fluff with a fork, and fold in the chopped cilantro. Serve, and enjoy! See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
Pro Tips
- Rinse the Rice: This is especially important with this recipe. Part of what makes it so delicious is the fact that the grains of rice are separate and aren’t gummy. If you don’t rinse the excess starch off the rice, the overall texture will change and it won’t be as good.
- Dice the Onion Very Finely: It would be so sad to make this delicious side dish and have the onion not be fully cooked through. Since we’re not sauteing it first, it’s important that you dice the onion finely so that it’s fully cooked through at the end.
- Let Rice Rest Before Fluffing: Giving the rice a chance to rest before you fluff it helps the grains of rice firm up and separate.
What Is The Ratio Of Water To Rice When Making Mexican Rice?
Normally you use 1.5 cups of water for every cup of rice when you’re cooking rice in the rice cooker. Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce do count towards the total liquid count though, so the ratios do change noticeably in this recipe.
Can I Turn White Rice Into Mexican Rice?
Definitely! To make white rice you’d just cook rice with water and maybe a little salt. To turn white rice into Mexican rice you also cook it with tomato sauce, tomato, onion, and seasonings.
Should I Use Basmati Or Jasmine Rice For Mexican Rice?
I prefer Basmati because it’s firmer and the grains stay separate, but both work well. Jasmine will just be a bit softer and stickier.
What Gives Mexican Rice Its Flavor?
Mexican rice has a delicious tomato-based flavor that’s mildly spiced. The flavor comes from chicken broth, tomatoes, onion, tomato sauce, spices, and cilantro.
What Spices Are In Mexican Rice?
The most common spices in Mexican rice are chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, oregano, paprika, cayenne, and smoked paprika. Different recipes use varying combinations of these spices.
Do You Put Peas And Carrots In Mexican Rice?
It’s optional, and some Mexican rice recipes do include peas and carrots. It’s up to you whether or not you want to include it in yours.
Why Is My Mexican Rice Always Mushy?
Mushy rice in the rice cooker normally comes down to one of four things. Either you didn’t rinse the rice, you used too much liquid, you stirred the rice too much, or you didn’t let it rest long enough before fluffing it.
Can I Use Tomato Paste For Mexican Rice?
Yes, you can substitute tomato paste for tomato sauce in Mexican rice. Since it’s more concentrated, you’ll need to mix it with some water or broth though. 6 Tablespoons of tomato paste and 6 Tablespoons of water mixed together until smooth is what you’ll need to replace the 3/4 cup of tomato sauce in this recipe.
Which Beans Are Used In Mexican Rice?
There aren’t normally beans in Mexican rice, but it’s very common to serve either black beans or pinto beans with this rice.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Side Dish Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other side dishes. Some reader favorites are:
- Seasoned Rice
- Easy Pico de Gallo Salsa
- Rotel Dip
- Instant Pot Tomato Sauce
- Crock Pot Chicken And Rice
- Cilantro Lime Rice Instant Pot
BEST Rice Cooker Mexican Rice (Spanish Rice)
Rice cooker Mexican rice, also called Spanish rice, is about to be your new go-to family favorite side dish. It’s easy, quick, and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice (I used basmati)
- 1 cup diced tomatoes (with seeds and jelly removed)
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder*
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cool running water until the water runs clear. Then gently shake the strainer to remove as much excess water as you can. (This removes the excess starch so that the rice doesn’t stick together.)
- To the rice cooker, add the rice, diced tomato, and onion, then pour in the chicken broth.
- Add the minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir together. Add the tomato sauce, and mix. (Make sure the liquid doesn't go above the “MAX” line on the rice cooker.)
- Place the butter in the rice cooker, cover with the lid, and turn the rice cooker on.
- Once the rice is done cooking (about 23 minutes), let it rest on warm for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, then transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl. Use a fork or spoon to break the rice up a bit. Add in the chopped cilantro and gently mix until the rice has been fluffed and the cilantro is thoroughly mixed in.
- Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with extra cilantro and lime slices, and enjoy!
Notes
*This is a spice blend sold in the US and Canada that’s much more mild that the pure chili powder sold in the UK and other parts of the world.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/8Amount Per Serving: Calories: 112Total Fat: 3.7gCarbohydrates: 17.2gFiber: 1.4gSugar: 2.9gProtein: 2.9g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
Looking for an easy, simple, and truly delicious side dish? Try this rice cooker Mexican rice! You can mix in some corn or green onions to make it even more special, too.
