Mexican-style rice

Mexican rice bowl recipe

It can be easy to assume that Mexican rice refers to Mexican beans and rice, but this is a completely different dish. When refried beans are served separately as a side to accompany rice, the rice is usually unflavoured and white. In the case of Mexican rice, however, the rice is orangey-red, infused with the flavours of tomato, savoury stock and spices. This side dish is seen everywhere in northern and central Mexico and almost always served as an accompaniment to other traditional dishes. In this recipe, we show you how to use Mexican-style microwave rice to build a more substantial Mexican rice bowl that you can have for a quick work lunch, easy midweek dinner or a potluck dish you can bring to share at a BBQ or picnic.

Fire up your Mexican rice bowl with some smoke

Fire is a big part of Mexican cooking, from underground ovens (píib) and clay chimneys (chimenea) to roasting over the open flames. Chargrilling is a great way to add smoky flavour to your Mexican dishes. Veggies that love a good char are peppers like capsicum and chilli, onions (including spring onion), and garlic as these grow soft and tender on the inside while the skin blackens. Corn is another obvious choice since it becomes beautifully sweet and juicy when charred.

You can chargrill your veggies on the barbecue, in a dry pan on the burner, over the gas flame of your stove (though this might get a little messy) or with a blow torch. You don’t have to be too pedantic about chargrilling veg as the goal is actually for them to burn on the outside – the more colour, the more flavour. Just make sure to turn the cobs regularly so that the kernels don’t burst on the flame, and you get an even colour. 

How to store Mexican rice

Before storing it in the fridge, spread the rice on baking paper so it cools down quickly. Store the cooled rice (without avocado added) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, portion the rice into airtight containers or resealable freezer bags and pop into the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat the rice in the microwave, place the rice and a splash of water into a bowl, and cover with a damp paper towel while reheating so the rice doesn’t dry out.

Love this recipe?

Now that you know how to make Mexican rice part of a dinner party menu, you can build a Mexican culinary fiesta by serving Mexican rice bowls with other dishes like grilled or roast chicken, carne asada, fried fish, enchiladas, tacos, burritos or Mexican chicken soup with crispy tortilla strips. You can also serve it with steak, like in this recipe for Cajun T-bone steaks with Mexican rice.