The Heritage Cook ®

Sharing traditions, one recipe at a time!

  • Home
  • About
    • The Heritage Cook
    • Disclaimers & Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
  • My Cookbooks
  • Press
  • Gluten-Free
    • My Favorite Gluten-Free Flour Recipes
    • Converting a Recipe to Gluten-Free
    • GF Baking Tips & Hints
    • How to Make Gluten-Free Bread without a Bread Machine
    • How to Build a Gluten Free Flour Blend From Scratch
    • GF Resources & Websites
  • The Pantry
    • Setting the Perfect Table
    • Food Safety Guideline FAQs
    • Kitchen Glossary
    • When to Buy Organic
    • Chocolate FAQs
    • Vegan Baking Substitutions
    • Reviews
    • Favorite Sites
  • The Bookcase
    • Baking Shelf
    • Cuisine / Diet / Ingredient Shelf
    • General Cooking and Reference Shelf

27 August 2019

Easy Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice (Gluten Free)

Jump to Recipe
This entry is part 38 of 38 in the series Progressive Eats

Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice © 2019 Jane Bonacci, The Heritage CookWhen we go to a Mexican restaurant for dinner, one of my favorite parts of the meal is the rice. Today I am sharing a recipe for easy restaurant style Mexican rice. Packed with flavor, it is everything you want and so much more. It is so good you’ll swear you can hear the mariachi music playing!

I love how easy this is to make, sauté some aromatics together, add the rice and flavored liquids and simmer until tender. Add a few peas and cilantro (parsley if you don’t like cilantro), and scoop onto plates to serve. Most of the work is hands-off and it all comes together in about 30 minutes. Win!

Rice in the cooking saucepan

Many similar dishes are lacking in flavor and can be quite boring to eat. To combat that, I’ve increased the vegetables and used stock instead of water. A little fresh lime juice brightens the flavors and seasonings wake up your taste buds without adding a lot of heat.

If you want a vegetarian version, just swap out vegetarian stock for the chicken. It will blend with the tomato sauce beautifully and give you a dish where even non-vegetarians will be asking for seconds.

Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice © 2019 Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook

This is the perfect side dish to any Latin main course or you can serve it as a vegetarian meal. It complements so many different flavors that I know you will love having it as part of your dinner. 

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

This recipe is gluten-free, but always watch the labels on any prepared foods and seasonings. If you have any questions, contact the manufacturer. I like McCormick and Penzey’s spices which are well marked and easy to find.

Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice © 2019 Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook

Can I make this recipe with brown rice?

Yes, but the amount of liquid is higher and cook time will be longer. Follow the directions on the rice package for the best results.

 

PRO Tip:

I like to use Lundberg Family Farms brand of rice, which comes in a wide variety of types and styles. They are consistently high quality and trustworthy for your best recipes.

 

How to make Easy Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice:

  1. Whisk the liquid ingredients together
  2. Sauté the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and rice
  3. Add the liquids and seasonings; stir well
  4. Cover and cook until tender, add the peas, then remove from the heat and let rest to finish cooking
  5. Fluff the rice, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve

 

Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice © 2019 Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook

Key Ingredients for this Recipe

  • Chicken or vegetable stock
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Tomato sauce
  • Onion, bell pepper, and garlic
  • White rice
  • Cumin, oregano, and chili powder
  • Frozen peas
  • Cilantro

 

Kitchen Tools I Use to Make This Recipe

  • Saucepan
  • Whisk
  • Serving spoon

 

Logo for Progressive Eats

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a progressive dinner party where each course is held at a different home. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out. This month’s theme is Late Summer Latin American Cuisine hosted byTamara of Beyond Mere Sustenance. We have a great mix of recipes including appetizers, sides, entrees, and desserts. Come along and see all of the deliciousness we’ve put together for our celebration inspired dishes!

Enjoy today’s Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice below and be sure to check out the recipes from my fellow bloggers. You can create an entire meal with our Progressive Eats suggestions!

 

Late Summer Latin American Cuisine!

Cocktails

  • Brazilian Caipirinha Cocktail – That Skinny Chick Can Bake
  • Easy Peruvian Pisco Sour Cocktail – The Wimpy Vegetarian

Appetizers

  • Patacones – Colombian Plantain Chips – SpiceRoots
  • Chorizo Empanadas – The Red Head Baker

Main Courses

  • Grilled Citrus Chicken with Spicy Basil Chimichurri – From a Chef’s Kitchen
  • Steak Adobado Tacos – Karen’s Kitchen Stories
  • Citrus-Marinated Pork Chops with Hatch Chile – Beyond Mere Sustenance

Sides

  • Quick Mexican Pickled Onions and Carrots – Shockingly Delicious
  • Venezuelan-Style Black Beans (Caraotas Negras) – Sarah’s Cucina Bella
  • Easy Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice – The Heritage Cook

Desserts

  • Easy Tres Leches Cake – Clandestine Cake Club
  • Chocotorta – Argentinian Chocolate Cake – Creative Culinary

 

Continue to Content
Yield: 6 servings

Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice (Gluten Free)

Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice © 2019 Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook

Today I am sharing a recipe for easy restaurant style Mexican rice that is packed with flavor - it is everything you want and so much more.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder, optional
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Place the stock, lime juice, and the tomato sauce in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a 3 to 4 qt. saucepan over medium heat. When shimmering, add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the rice is beginning to color, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the liquids, add the cumin, oregano, and chili powder, and season with salt and
    pepper. Stir well and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low.
  3. Cook at a low simmer, covered, until rice is tender and nearly all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes, or according to package directions. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the peas over the top, replace the lid, and let sit for 10 minutes to finish steaming the rice.
  4. Remove the lid and gently fluff the rice with two forks. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve. Garnish with lime wedges if desired.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe on Delish.com

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 131Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 351mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 3g
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: Sides

If you love this recipe, be sure to follow me on social media so you never miss a post:

| Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter |

 

Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice © 2019 Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook

Create a New Tradition Today!

 

Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This page may contain affiliate links.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Email this to someone
email
Print this page
Print
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Share on Yummly
Yummly
Share on Tumblr
Tumblr

You may also enjoy ...

No related posts.

« Double Chocolate Cookies for Two (Gluten Free option)
Sugar Coated Chocolate Studded Ginger Cookies (Gluten-Free) »

Comments

  1. mobile legends says

    22 February 2020 at 6:23 pm

    Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an very long
    comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear.
    Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways,
    just wanted to say great blog!

    Reply
    • Jane Bonacci says

      23 February 2020 at 10:55 am

      Thanks for the kind words – sorry your first comment disappeared, how strange!

      Reply
  2. Barbara | Creative Culinary says

    29 August 2019 at 12:05 pm

    You’re so right Jane, most ‘Mexican Rice’ is rather boring but I love the spices in this recipe. I have a thing for Cumin especially so have to try this version!

    Reply
    • Jane Bonacci says

      29 August 2019 at 11:03 pm

      I hope you enjoy it Barb – we did and I think the leftovers were better than the freshly made rice!

      Reply
  3. Tamara Andersen says

    29 August 2019 at 5:27 am

    I love the Mexican rice when it’s good, and hate it when it’s bad! Haha. The mix of veggies and aromatics/spices definitely sound delicious! I think it’ll be perfect with my pork chops!

    Reply
    • Jane Bonacci says

      29 August 2019 at 8:46 am

      Your pork chops look amazing and I think the rice would be a nice accompaniment. I hope you enjoy it!!

      Reply
  4. Dorothy Reinhold says

    28 August 2019 at 5:27 pm

    The perfect side dish to any Latin inspired dish! I can’t wait to whip up a batch!

    Reply
    • Jane Bonacci says

      28 August 2019 at 6:56 pm

      I hope you enjoy it as much as we did Dorothy! Cheers!

      Reply
  5. Carol Borchardt says

    28 August 2019 at 8:07 am

    The Mexican rice at Mexican restaurants is always one of my favorite parts of the meal but I’ve never tried to recreate it at home. Love this and definitely going to try now!

    Reply
    • Jane Bonacci says

      28 August 2019 at 3:21 pm

      It was fun to try and replicate what I get from the restaurants. This is pretty close and darn tasty!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Lynn Hill says

    27 August 2019 at 10:25 pm

    What a lovely side dish for our Progressive Eats menu. It looks so versatile and easy to make. Another alternative side dish to add to my collection.

    Reply
    • Jane Bonacci says

      28 August 2019 at 6:30 am

      Thanks Lynn, I love how easy it is to make and quick to get on the table. It will go well with all the other recipes in our dinner party. Welcome, so glad you joined us!!

      Reply
  7. Karen says

    27 August 2019 at 6:12 pm

    This rice is so gorgeous! I love the beautiful colors and your tips for adding flavor. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try.

    Reply
    • Jane Bonacci says

      27 August 2019 at 9:50 pm

      I hope you love it Karen, it is packed with flavor and I’m really enjoying it!

      Reply
  8. Ansh says

    27 August 2019 at 5:29 pm

    I love the extra flavors and oomph in your Mexican rice!! I can eat unlimited quantities of this!

    Reply
    • Jane Bonacci says

      27 August 2019 at 9:50 pm

      I’ve really been enjoying the leftovers – I can eat my weight in rice too LOL!

      Reply
  9. susan | the wimpy vegetarian says

    27 August 2019 at 12:42 pm

    I’m crazy about Mexican style rice, but for some crazy reason have never made it! You’ve motivated me to try it with this recipe!! It sounds and looks fabulous!

    Reply
    • Jane Bonacci says

      27 August 2019 at 4:53 pm

      You know Susan, I hadn’t really ever made it either and I’m so glad I did. I’m finishing it up tonight with our dinner – yum!! Thanks for your kind words! <3

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Modish Taste Redirecting says:
    27 September 2020 at 4:04 am

    […] Click here if the page doesn't appear […]

    Reply
  2. Venezuelan-Style Black Beans | Sarah's Cucina Bella says:
    11 November 2019 at 10:57 am

    […] Easy Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice (Gluten Free) • The Heritage Cook ® says: August 27, 2019 at 12:08 pm […]

    Reply
  3. Easy Peruvian Pisco Sour Cocktail | The Wimpy Vegetarian says:
    28 August 2019 at 2:42 pm

    […] Easy Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice – The Heritage Cook […]

    Reply
  4. Quick Mexican Pickled Onions and Carrots | Mexican Restaurant Pickled Vegetables Recipe | Shockingly Delicious says:
    28 August 2019 at 11:36 am

    […] Easy Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice – The Heritage Cook […]

    Reply
  5. Grilled Citrus Chicken with Spicy Basil Chimichurri - From A Chef's Kitchen says:
    27 August 2019 at 4:17 am

    […] Easy Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice – The Heritage Cook […]

    Reply
  6. Citrus-Marinated Pork Chops with Hatch Chile • Beyond Mere Sustenance says:
    27 August 2019 at 4:01 am

    […] Easy Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice – The Heritage Cook […]

    Reply
  7. Argentina's Chocotorta Dessert | Creative Culinary says:
    27 August 2019 at 3:01 am

    […] Easy Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice – The Heritage Cook […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe Here

Enter your email address in the box below to get posts directly to your inbox!

iconmonstr-email-9-icon-32 iconmonstr-facebook-4-icon-32 iconmonstr-twitter-4-icon-32 iconmonstr-pinterest-4-icon-32 iconmonstr-instagram-9-icon-32 iconmonstr-linkedin-4-icon-32

Buy my cookbooks today!

Finalist, IACP Best Recipe Blog

Hi!

Welcome to The Heritage Cook! Traditional recipes, gluten-free options, and healthy alternatives merge with today's food trends to give you over a thousand recipes to choose from. Learn techniques, get inspired, and join in the fun of our weekly Chocolate Mondays. Don't see what you're looking for? Just ask, I'm always happy to help! Read More…

Archives

Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2021 | Website Design by Peppercorn Creative | Child Theme Framework by Restored 316