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Mexican

Mexican red rice

Non-vegetarian

Arroz rojo

Fluffy long-grain rice toasted in oil until golden, then simmered in a blended tomato, onion and garlic broth — the classic side for Mexican mains.

Mexican red rice is a Mexican side dish from Mexico, ready in about 50 minutes and made with long-grain white rice and tomato. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Appetizing Mexican meal featuring seasoned rice, meat, and fresh vegetables on a white plate.
Photo: Jonathan Reynaga / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
10 min
Total
50 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
270

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Blend the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), onion (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) until smooth. You should have about 300 ml.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil in a saucepan (opens in a new tab) over medium heat and fry the drained rice, stirring often, until the grains turn opaque and golden, 5–7 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Pour in the tomato (opens in a new tab) purée and stir for 2 minutes until it is mostly absorbed. Add the stock, salt, carrot (opens in a new tab), peas (opens in a new tab), jalapeño (opens in a new tab) and cilantro (opens in a new tab) and bring to a boil.

    • 4 min
    • medium-high heat

  4. Step 4

    Cover, turn the heat to low and cook without lifting the lid for 18 minutes. Rest off the heat, covered, 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

    • 28 min
    • low heat

About this dish

Origin
Mexico · Well documentedAlso popular in United StatesMore food from Mexico
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes · Rice dishes
Cooking method
Toasted, Simmered
Taste
savoury, mild, fresh
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · DASH-style
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, PescatarianWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Everyday · One-pot
Cook more with
Long-grain white rice · Tomato · Onion · Garlic · Chicken stock
Techniques
Toasting · Boiling · Simmering · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)

Allergens

  • May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

270 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 201 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 10%
  • Carbohydrate 69%
  • Fat 21%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy270 kcal134 kcal
Protein6.6 g3.3 g
Carbohydrate45.9 g22.8 g
Net carbohydrate44.7 g22.2 g
Sugars2.9 g1.4 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre1.2 g0.6 g
Fat6.2 g3.1 g
Saturated fat0.8 g0.4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol3 mg1 mg
Sodium536 mg266 mg
Salt equivalent1.3 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
269 mg
Calcium
25 mg
Iron
2.5 mg
Magnesium
22 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
18 µg
Vitamin C
6 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
205 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: carrot, green peas, jalapeño, coriander leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Drain the rinsed rice very well so it toasts rather than steams.

Common mistakes

  • Stirring while it simmers breaks the grains and makes the rice sticky.

Serve with

  • Serve with enchiladas, carnitas or black beans.

Food safety

  • Don't leave cooked rice at room temperature for more than an hour.

Storage

  • Cool quickly and refrigerate up to 3 days.

Reheating

  • Microwave with a splash of water, covered, until piping hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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