Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

I’m not going to lie. When I visit a Mexican Restaurant, I can almost eat my weight in two things: chips and salsa, and rice. There is something about those two things that are like a comfort food to me. I don’t know what it is about the chips at a Mexican Restaurant, but they are extra thin, always super crunchy and have the right amount of salt. YUM!

Then there is the rice. Which is what this post is really about. The rice is always so fluffy and so full of flavor. I always ask my server for extra so that my plate is really just one big bed of rice for whatever entree I order.

My husband didn’t grow up with the Mexican flavors (or lets be honest, Mexican American flavors) like I did, so for him it is still an acquired taste. So we don’t eat Mexican food as often as I would like. Trust me, I’d eat it weekly if I could! However, for my recent birthday he indulged me and we ordered takeout for my birthday.

As we sat at home with our giant fiesta platters, one of the things he commented on was the rice. He asked me how Mexican Restaurants got the rice so fluffy and tasty. My immediate reply was fat–oil or butter was my guess. Which I suspected was true. However, it got me thinking. I actually don’t know how the restaurants got the rice so fluffy and perfectly seasoned.

I have purchased boxed Spanish and Mexican rices mixes for years and never gotten the same results as those from a Mexican Restaurant. So why was restaurant rice so different? Don’t get me wrong. I love the box rice, with Zatarains being a favorite. However, it just isn’t the same.

So in honor of Cinco de Mayo, I decided to do a little Internet research. The first thing I found was that my suspicion was correct, Mexican Rice (which is also known as Spanish Rice) does have oil in it. That is what keeps the grains fluffy. I also found that where the box rices keep things chunky by using canned tomatoes, restaurant rice uses a much simpler tomato sauce for flavor which doesn’t weigh things down. The seasonings were pretty simple and a little time is all it took to get to that perfect fluffiness. Browning the rice before cooking also added a flavor dimension to the rice as well.

The best part about making restaurant style Mexican rice is that it is easy. In the time it takes to order and pick up take out (or have it delivered if you live in the city!), you can have this delicious side dish on the table. I also cut WAY back on the fat, so I guarantee this is probably healthier too!

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

Recipe by Kacey Baxter, Oven and SpiceCourse: SidesCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

This Mexican Rice recipe is so tasty and easy, you’d think it came from a restaurant. Plus, you can have this side dish on the table faster than you can order and pick up take-out. So throw away those take-out phone numbers. You won’t need them anymore!

Ingredients

• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

• 1 cup long grain rice

• 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base

• 2 cups water

• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp garlic, minced

• Dash of ground cumin

• Dash of garlic powder

Directions

• Heat oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add rice and cook until about 1/3 to 1/2 of rice is browned, stirring constantly.
• Stir chicken base into rice to warm. Then add water.
• Mix in tomato sauce, salt, garlic, cumin and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, if mixture is not boiling already. Cover. Reduce to low heat and simmer 30-40 minutes until rice is cooked and no liquid remains.
• Fluff rice before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

• Adapted from a recipe by Lil Luna.