Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice

Ingredients

Stovetop batch

• 2 cups (about 380 g) regular long-grain white rice; not instant or parboiled
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• ½ cup finely diced white onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup (240 ml; about one 8-ounce can) plain tomato sauce, preferably no-salt-added
• 3 cups (720 ml) unsalted chicken broth or water
• 1 teaspoon fine salt with unsalted broth, then adjust; OR chicken bouillon at its label’s dose for 3 cups water, with no initial added salt
• Optional: ½ cup frozen peas and diced carrots

Method

1. Rinse and toast.

   Rinse rice in a fine strainer until the water is mostly clear. Drain well. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan with a tight lid. Add rice and stir over medium heat 5–7 minutes until dry-looking and lightly golden.

2. Add aromatics.

   Stir in onion and cook 3–4 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then carefully add tomato sauce. Stir for 1 minute.

3. Add liquid.

   Pour in broth and salt, or water and the measured bouillon. Add optional vegetables. Stir once and bring to a simmer.

4. Cover and cook.

   Cover tightly, reduce heat to low, and cook 18–22 minutes without stirring, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. If still firm and dry, sprinkle in 2–4 tablespoons hot water, cover, and cook 3–5 minutes more.

5. Rest.

   Remove from heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork and serve.

Kitchen notes

Instant Pot version — different tomato ingredient

For the same 2 cups rinsed and drained rice, use 3 cups unsalted broth and 2 tablespoons tomato paste INSTEAD OF the cup of tomato sauce. Keep the oil, onion, garlic, and seasoning above. On Sauté, toast rice and soften onion, then add garlic. Turn Sauté off; add broth and scrape the bottom completely clean. Dissolve the paste in the liquid. Seal and cook on HIGH pressure 4 minutes, followed by 10 minutes natural release; then release remaining pressure as your manual directs. Fluff. Heat optional frozen vegetables separately according to their package and fold them in. Stay below the cooker’s rice/expanding-food fill limit. Allow time to reach pressure.

Variations

For tomato-free stovetop rice, omit tomato sauce and use 3½ cups broth, adjusting to your rice package. To use salsa, replace the cup of sauce with 1 cup smooth, pourable salsa and reduce salt; very thick salsa needs a little extra water. Brown rice requires a separately timed method and more liquid: follow its package rather than applying the white-rice timing.

Bouillon and salt

Bouillon brands vary greatly. Two tablespoons can be excessive in this batch, especially with salted tomato sauce. Measure by the product’s directions and taste the liquid before it simmers, aiming for lightly seasoned rather than salty.

For cooked dishes, cool promptly and follow the storage and reheating guide. Follow the shorter storage directions above where given.