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You are here: Home » Basic Recipes » Easy Red Rice Recipe

Easy Red Rice Recipe

Published: Aug 16, 2016 · Updated: Mar 11, 2021 by Mely Martínez

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Easy Red Rice

Red Rice Recipe, this is one of the most popular side dishes in the Mexican Cuisine, either it is red rice, white, green or black (with beans).  Consequently, mastering the art of cooking rice is one of those “rites of passage” for any Mexican girl looking to get ready for marriage. Or, at least, that’s how it used to be.

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Easy Red Rice Recipe | Easy Authentic Mexican Recipes | This rice is also known as Spanish rice in english.

Authentic Mexican Red Rice Recipe - The Easy Version

Nowadays, everyone has busy lives and need everything done quick and easy.  This is reflected in the prevalence of Facebook recipe videos in fast-forward mode. There is not much time for cooking anymore… Easy Red Rice Recipe | Quick and easy using Chicken Bouillon and authentic Mexican Recipe. This is also known as Red Rice - Arroz Rojo.

That is why I’m sharing this easy recipe for red rice, which combines traditional techniques with the store-bought conveniences that people enjoy now, both in Mexico and around the world. I’m talking about Knorr Chicken-Tomato bouillon, which I use with surprisingly good results.

I have found that here in the USA this dish is also known with some of the following names: Rice with Tomato sauce, Rice with chicken bouillon, Mexican rice casserole, Spanish Rice,

I hope that you like it, and make sure to also try the Guacamole recipe from Knorr, which renders a creamy guacamole. Somehow, I don’t know why, I didn’t think of adding mayonnaise before,  rice and the guacamole make a great pair. Easy Red Rice Recipe | Ingredients to make an easy Mexican Red Rice.

Easy Red Rice Recipe

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

DIRECTIONS TO MAKE MEXICAN RED RICE:
Easy Red Rice Recipe | step by step instructions to make Mexican Rice.

  • Place rice in a colander and rinse until the water comes out clear.  If you don’t rinse it, the rice grains will stick together.  Once rinsed, place in a bowl and cover with water. Let it rest for 15 minutes.  After this time, drain excess water from rice. This step will render fluffy rice. (Please check the ingredients list below)
  • Now, in a nonstick frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the drained rice and fry, stirring from time to time. Besides adding extra flavor, frying the rice also help the grains from sticking together. This step will take about 7 minutes. The rice will get a very light golden color.
  • While the rice is frying, dissolve the 2 Knorr Chicken tomato bouillon, garlic, and onion powder in 2 cups of hot water, to form a uniform mix.

Easy Red Rice Recipe | step by step instructions to make authentic Mexican red rice.

Mexican Red Rice

  • Add the above water mixture to the rice, and stir. Add one Serrano pepper or a piece of the green pepper, if using. Turn the heat up to high for about one minute or until the rice water starts boiling. Then, reduce heat to low.
  • Place the lid or cover with aluminum foil, and cook for about 15 minutes. Do not stir the rice while it’s cooking during this step.  In case, and just in case, your rice looks dry after 10 minutes, add 2 tablespoons of hot water around the edges of the frying pan.  Once cooked, remove from heat and let it rest another 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Easy Red Rice Recipe | Mexican Red rice recipe tutorial. Also known in the USA as Spanish Rice.

Mexican red rice recipe, the easy version

EASY RED RICE RECIPE

Mely Martínez - Mexico in my Kitchen
Rice is one of the most popular side dishes in the Mexican Cuisine, either it is red, white, green or black.  Consequently, mastering the art of cooking rice is one of those “rites of passage” for any Mexican girl looking to get ready for marriage. Or, at least, that’s how it used to be.
5 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Resting time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Basic Recipes
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6
Calories 137 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup white rice
  • 1- tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 cups hot water
  • 2 Knorr Chicken tomato bouillon cubes or 2 Tablespoons of the granular version.
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

Optional:

  • 1 Serrano pepper or ⅓ of a green bell pepper

Instructions
 

  • Place rice in a colander and rinse until the water comes out clear. If you don’t rinse it, the rice grains will stick together. Once rinsed, place in a bowl and cover with water. Let it rest for 15 minutes. After this time, drain excess water from rice. This step will render fluffy rice.
  • Now, in a nonstick frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the drained rice and fry, stirring from time to time. Besides adding extra flavor, frying the rice also help the grains from sticking together. This step will take about 7 minutes. The rice will get a very light golden color.
  • While the rice is frying, dissolve the 2 Knorr Chicken tomato bouillon, garlic, and onion powder in 2 cups of hot water, to form a uniform mix.
  • Add the above water mixture to the rice, and stir. Add in one Serrano pepper or a piece of the green pepper, if using. Turn the heat up to high for about one minute or until the rice water starts boiling. Then, reduce heat to low.
  • Place the lid or cover with aluminum foil, and cook for about 15 minutes. Do not stir the rice while it’s cooking during this step. In case, and just in case, your rice looks dry after 10 minutes, add 2 tablespoons of hot water around the edges of the frying pan. Once cooked, remove from heat and let it rest another 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Serve rice with a side of the Knorr Guacamole, check the recipe on the picture. You will like it, really creamy, thanks to the addition of Hellmann’s Mayonaise. Remember that you can find these products at your local Walmart store.
  • For the more traditional way to cook Mexican rice, check the recipe section.
  • Almost always, I use a clay pot to cook my rice, but not everyone has one in their kitchen. The next best thing (and better for novices) is a nonstick frying pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 324mgPotassium: 35mgVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword easy mexican rice recipe, easy red rice recipe, Mexican Rice, mexican rice authentic
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Easy Red Rice Recipe

Provecho!

Mely Martínez,

Leave a comment and share your experience with this red rice recipe.

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More recipes:
Basic Tomato Sauce for Stew, Soups, Rice, and many other Mexican Dishes
How to Make Mexican Style Rice / Cómo Hacer Arroz a la Mexicana

Previous Post: « Chayote Salad Recipe
Next Post: Habanero Tomatillo Salsa Recipe »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    August 16, 2016 at 10:11 pm

    5 stars
    Mely,

    I have been using mayo in my avocado for years. First learned to eat avocado in S. Fla,years ago by cutting in half and remove the seed and then fill the holes with mayo and/or pepper and salt and eat with spoon..........mack BTW, the rice came out perfect. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Katie Mae Stanley

    August 17, 2016 at 2:44 am

    5 stars
    This is how I was first taught to make rice with the addition of a bit of tomato sauce before I starting making mine 100% from scratch. It makes for fond memories. Sometimes you need that balance to still have a meal made at home. Now I want red rice... 🙂

    Reply
  3. Eboni

    December 03, 2016 at 2:06 am

    5 stars
    Followed the directions exactly and it was perfect. I hardly ever buy tacos without getting a side of red rice. Now I can make it myself. Thank you for being so generous with all your recipes. They are shared online whenever there is a chance to.

    Reply
  4. Anonymous

    January 09, 2017 at 12:17 am

    5 stars
    yum.It came out perfect. thank you!

    Reply
  5. Maria Velasquez

    July 06, 2017 at 5:40 pm

    I want to know what kind/brand of rice you use. I like the jasmine rice. I also have doubts on what rice is legit.Have you seen that on the internet about fake rice what are your takes on that.

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      July 07, 2017 at 11:01 pm

      Hello Maria,

      I regularly use long grain rice. I only use jasmine rice when making an Asian dish.

      Reply
  6. Norma

    January 31, 2018 at 8:38 am

    5 stars
    Where does the Red come from if there is No tomato sauce in it?

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      February 05, 2018 at 10:25 am

      Hello Norma,
      From the tomato-chicken boullion.

      Reply
  7. Terry

    August 22, 2018 at 9:43 pm

    If I wanted to use some of the tomato sauce recipe ...20 oz tomatoes and onion, how much would I add to this rice? I'd like to use that instead of the boullion.

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      August 23, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      Hello Terry,
      Then you are better off using the recipe that uses tomatoes. Click the following link:
      Mexican Rice Recipe

      Reply
  8. Tracy Breitung

    April 21, 2019 at 7:24 pm

    5 stars
    I made this rice today to bring to our Easter dinner and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved it! I enjoy your recipes so much, thanks for sharing them with us 😁

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      April 22, 2019 at 8:38 am

      Hello Tracy,

      Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know about your success in cooking the Red mexican rice.

      Reply
  9. John

    February 23, 2020 at 6:24 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent. You’re website is such a treasure. Thank you for doing this. You make everything so easy to follow and your flavors are great. Followed your recipe exactly and it turned out just as described. Will definitely make your recipes a frequent addition to our family table.

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      March 13, 2020 at 6:20 pm

      Hello John,
      Thank you for trying the recipe.

      Reply
  10. Heather

    April 22, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    Hi! Your recipes are amazing! I am looking for a clarification with this one...for the optional Serrano pepper, do I just place the whole pepper into the water mixture and then remove when finished cooking the rice? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      April 23, 2020 at 9:04 pm

      Hello Heather,
      You add the serrano pepper whole and remove it at serving time. At home, I usually eat it with my meal.

      Reply

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Mexico in my kitchen | Mely Martinez

Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.

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