Cinco de Mayo is Saturday! I have to admit it is one of my favorite non-traditional holidays. I mean who doesn’t love an excuse to eat Mexican food? Tacos, Chips, Salsa, Cheese Dip, Rice, Beans! I want it all! The only down side to Cinco de Mayo becoming more of a mainstream holiday these days is that the Mexican restaurants are so crowded on that day. So why not have your fiesta at home?
Over the years I have made many versions of Mexican Rice. Most times I wouldn’t use a recipe more than once because it just wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I always wanted that fluffy consistency that the rice has in all the Mexican Restaurants. Finally one day I came across a recipe that explained in detail how to get the fluffy rice I had been trying to achieve all these years. The secret to achieving the fluffy rice is rinsing it under water before you start cooking. That helps get rid of some of the extra starch and keeps the finished product from being sticky and heavy.
While that recipe was good, there were still a few things about it that I wasn’t crazy about. I decided to start experimenting with some things and finally came up with something that is just like my family’s favorite Mexican Restaurant!
This Mexican Rice recipe has all the things you would expect. Rice, onions, garlic, jalapenos, tomatoes and broth. The difference in this Mexican Rice recipe is rinsing the rice and then it is put in the oven to cook as opposed to cooking it on the stove top. I think those two things help achieve the fluffy Mexican rice like you would find in your favorite Mexican restaurant.
Leave the crowded restaurants behind and have your own Cinco de Mayo Fiesta at home this year! This Restaurant Style Mexican Rice should definitely be on the menu!

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 cups long grain white rice (not minute rice)
- 1/3 cup onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalepeno, seeded and finely diced
- 2 cups diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp cumin
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350
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If using diced tomatoes, process in blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside.
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Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. This will take about 2 minutes. Shake to remove excess water.
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Heath oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once oil is hot, sauté rice until it is light golden and translucent. This will take about 6-8 minutes
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Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, onions and jalapenos and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Sprinkle with garlic salt and cumin.
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Stir in broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
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Cover pan and transfer to oven to bake about 30-35 minutes. Stir after 15 minutes.
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Remove from oven. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes before serving
1 Comment
The rice looks yummy! Love all your recipes!