Every Mexican family has their own version of “Mom’s Rice”. On most days, the rice was prepared with a freshly blended tomato sauce, onions, 1 whole serrano pepper and minimal spices. I really don’t remember a day when it was not perfect. Well, at least in my eyes it was always perfect.
This Monday morning after Easter, I woke up with Mom on my mind. This happens after every major holiday. The memories of my childhood come flooding back in. And with the constant reminders on social media, it’s hard to escape the feelings of nostalgia. I have mentioned before that out of all of my Mom’s recipes, her Mexican-style rice recipe, holds a special place in my heart.
Go To The End Of Post To See Video For Simple Mexican-Style Rice.
Simple Mexican-Style Rice(Arroz Mexicano)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Grapeseed or Olive oil canola or corn oil was traditionally used
- 1 cup of long-grain rice
- 1 serrano pepper left whole but sometimes I slice it open
- 1/4 of a white onion left in large pieces
- 1 clove of garlic sliced or roughly chopped
- Pinch of Mexican oregano optional
- 2 roma tomatoes roughly chopped
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups water or low sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules if available use the Knorr brand that is tomato and chicken flavor together
- Small handful of cilantro optional
- Fresh cracked pepper and more salt if needed
- 1/3 cup of frozen peas and carrots mixed optional
Instructions
Directions
- Add oil, rice, serrano and onion to skillet. Heat to medium heat. After a few minutes, the rice will begin to toast. Stir as needed until the rice, onions and serrano become aromatic and begin to toast and brown lightly.
- While the rice toast, on another burner, add the water(or broth) and bouillon. Heat on medium and stir just to dissolve the bouillon. Do not let it boil.
- To the blender, add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. You may need to use a spatula to scrape the ingredients down so they will blend smoothly. Do not add any water to the tomatoes when blending. Once the rice is toasted, add the blended tomato sauce from blender. Gently stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce reduces and becomes thick.
- Add the warm broth to the skillet. It will come to a boil quickly. Stir gently, taste for salt and season with some fresh cracked pepper. Add the cilantro, reduce heat, cover pot and then cover with the lid tightly. Do not disturb the rice as it cooks. Do not remove the lid. Let it cook for 10 minutes. If you are adding the frozen peas and carrots, add them now. Set timer for another 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, check the rice to see if liquid has evaporated. If it has evaporated, remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Remember that all stove tops and cookware will vary on the time the rice is done.
- Remove the large pieces of onion and cilantro. Fluff the rice with a fork stirring from the outer edges in to combine everything. Keep covered until ready to serve.
Notes
There are a few variations to her recipe. It was always prepared with a white long grain rice. She never measured any ingredients, which still amazes me. Most times she would add frozen peas or carrots if available. In a pinch she would use a splash of canned tomato sauce instead of freshly blended. While I was visiting my Tia(aunt) in Monterrey, she prepared her version of red rice by adding a cube of caldo de pollo con tomate (chicken/tomato flavored bouillon). It’s a combination of chicken and tomato bouillon and gives the rice a lighter red color. It has a distinct flavor, that I have to admit I have grown to like. Although I must say that the best recipes are the ones prepared with homemade broth when available. Read through the whole post for extra tips and troubleshooting, lol! It’s good to know, especially when preparing rice from fresh ingredients for the first time. This is my version of Mexican Rice.
Tips~ If using tomato sauce, paste or tomato/chicken bouillon will yield a darker orange/red rice.
The pictures rice above, I only used fresh blended tomatoes, no sauce or tomato bouillon. It yields a lighter colored rice.
If you prefer a rice richer in red color, you could add a splash of tomato sauce when you add the freshly blended tomatoes.
Add more flavor, texture and color with a mix of vegetables like carrots, peas and corn!
Mom used to make a rice that everyone loved. Our basic arroz con gandules. Hers was wanted by all. I love the color of your and that Serrano pepper just teasing the rice. Moms are great.
We just love rice and could eat it once a day…so comforting.
I like to add bottled salsa, like Pace, Herdez, or La Victoria with the water or broth to give the rice more flavor.
Hi Robert! I am all for whatever works. There is no wrong or right way. As long as you get in the kitchen and cook, it’s all good, I say! Thanks for the feedback.
Excellent!! I followed your recipe exactly..You made me look like a star in the kitchen this past weekend. Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂
Oh, good! I am so happy that you liked the recipe! Thank you for sharing your comments with me. It inspires me to keep on cooking and sharing.
I should start measuring ingredients to see exactly how much of what goes into making the rice. Eyeballing it with a little of this and a little of that just doesn’t cut it for those wanting to learn how to make it!
My Mom never measured anything when she made rice. I on the other hand, always measure everything, lol! I don’t know how she did it.
So good! I did homemade chicken broth instead of the bullions (this time). I accidentally used brown jasmine rice, so my cooking time was horribly off, but next time I will grab the right rice. What rice would be considered authentic? ¡Muchas gracias!
Homemade broth is always the best though. I can’t really suggest a particular brand of rice. I live in an area where there are not many Hispanic products. Just look for a good quality long grain rice.
Although my mom was the “tomboy” of her family, she still cooked arroz. It was my abuelita who taught me. I love the added touch with peas and carrots. I cannot wait to try this. I’ve used jasmine rice in a pinch and works great. Hey, my dad’s family is from Monterrey!
Arriba Monterrey!! Lol! I love it! Let me know how it goes when you prepare the rice.
Yes wat kind pan do you use cause my rice comes out good then other times like soggy wat kind of oil
Sylvia, I have the best results when I use a cast iron skillet or a cazuela de barro. I use grapeseed oil for my everyday cooking of Mexican food. I tend to add a little extra oil when I toast my rice too. You need to have a tight covering lid on your skillet too. I cover tight with foil first, then place the lid on if I feel the lid does’t fit tight. The cast iron and mexican cazuela cook the rice in about 12-13 minutes on low heat. But all stove tops can vary on the times.
I LOVE this!!! Now my daughters want to learn this new way we will now eat arroz! Gracias!!!
Oh good Anne! I hope you enjoy the arroz!
What flavor dose grape seed oil give to the rice.
Angelica, grapeseed oil is flavorless and has a high smoke point which makes it perfect for Mexican cooking. Plus it’s a natural oil compared to vegetable, canola or corn oil.
avocado oil has a high smoke point as well btw. I haven’t tasted any difference in my cooking with the oil just I love it for the high smoke point since EVOO gives things a flavor. I never used Grapeseed though.
I use both grapeseed and avocado oil in my daily cooking.
I use avocado oil too, and tend to add Herdez salsa casera hot (a full 7 Oz can) to the chicken broth as well as tomatoes,peppers
And onions from the garden
I don’t like to add frozen vegetables to the mix. No.
I grew up in a barrio of Phoenix and have lived for years in Nayarit (Santa Cruz) and Jalisco.
I don’t like to add salsa to my rice though. I follow pretty much the way my mom prepared it. Frozen peas and carrots were easy for her because she was cooking for 10 of us. I don’t always use them. It’s more of a nostalgic thing really.