Do you even know what Mexican rice is? I didn’t, until about 4 weeks ago. But what happened was that I had a bowl of leftover rice in the fridge, tacos on the board for dinner (heeeey weekly meal planners I’m one of you now!) and really felt like using up the rice rather than letting it sit in the fridge for 5 days and then putting it in the pig bucket. So after a quick google of Mexican rice I discovered 3 things.
- It is a legitimate thing.
- It pretty much involves rice, some form of tomatoes and Mexican spices.
- It sounded delicious and seemed like something that was pretty open to interpretation which is my kind of cooking.
Also, QUICK! This pan full of delicious Mexian goodness is on the table in 20 minutes.
So obviously, I went all in and made Mexican rice. And since then it has made an appearance on the dinner table every week when we have had tacos. Because apparently I love taco Tuesday more than I love originality when it comes to meal planning. But either way, Mexican rice is a winner.
Some versions involve cooking the rice in a tomato/chicken stock situation. I tried this and it was good but I prefered making Mexican rice using already cooked rice. Works for me because you can either use leftover rice or even use those quick cook packets for a super speedy side dish. Also, Basmati rice is definitely the best to use. No idea why, but I just liked it better!
All you need to do is quickly fry some onion, add the rice, spices (you could use homemade burrito spice mix if you have some of this handy!), a tin of tomatoes and some tomato paste and simmer away for a few minutes. Stir through some chopped fresh coriander, squeeze some fresh lime juice over top add a dollop of sour cream and you have the perfect quick lunch, or side dish for tacos or any other Mexican fiesta!
Margaritas optional, but highly recommended!
- 4 cups cooked Basmati rice
- 1 onion diced
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 TBSP ground cumin *see recipe note 1
- 1 tsp paprika *see recipe note 1
- 1/4 tsp chili powder (more if you like it hot) *see recipe note 1
- 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- Salt & pepper
- Fresh coriander
- Fresh lime
- Sour cream
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Saute the onion with 1 TBSP olive oil over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is translucent and soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds.
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Add all remaining ingredients and mix together well. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes, until the rice is heated through. Taste and season with salt & pepper.
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Remove from the heat and stir through chopped fresh coriander/cilantro and lime juice.
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Serve with sour cream
1. If you've made my Homemade Burrito Spice Mix you can use 1.5 TBSP of this in place of the 3 listed spices.
