Spicy Mexican Rice

This Spicy Mexican Rice can be adjusted to the tastes of your family and is exactly the side dish you need for your next Taco Tuesday!

I have done it, y'all! Taco Tuesdays have finally become all they were meant to be. I might be tooting my own horn, but I have been trying to replicate the rice you find in Mexican restaurants for so long and I'm so excited to share it with you!

Whether you like to add yours to burritos or southwest chicken bowls, smother it with smoked queso (am I the only one who does that?), or serve it along side your Mexican or Southwestern entree made with slow cooker shredded beef, you're going to love this Spicy Mexican Rice!

It also pairs perfectly with grilled pork seasoned with easy coffee rub or Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers. In fact, most of these poblano recipes would be great with this rice.

How Spicy is "Spicy"?

Now don't let me scare you if you're not a big fan of spicy food. My family is chock full of spicy food lovers (we even make spicy magaritas!) but your Spicy Mexican Rice can be as mild as you want it to be.

The heat in this rice comes from the fresh jalapeno peppers and the heat of the pepper comes from the ribs and seeds inside. So what does that mean for you?

In a nutshell, if you don't like your food super spicy, cut out all the ribs and seeds before you dice up the peppers. If you want a big kick, leave them all in. If you're somewhere in between, take out the seeds and a little bit of the ribs and leave the rest.

It's totally up to you wehter you want to make this a spicy or a not-so-spicy Mexican rice! If messing around with a hot pepper makes you a little nervous, check out this video for tips and tricks.

How Do You Make Spicy Mexican Rice?

Start out your Spicy Mexican Rice by sauteeing the onions, peppers, and garlic with oregano and cumin. Once the onions are done, you're ready to add the tomatoes, lime juice, sugar and salt. Be sure not to drain those tomatoes! You'll need plenty of moisture to get the rice cooked through.

Lower your temp to a simmer and then add the chicken broth and rice. Give the rice a good stir and cover, but don't go far! You're going to want to stir it often to make sure the rice is cooking evenly and to monitor the moisture level.

If you notice that your broth is cooking out and the rice is still a little crunchy, just add more broth (or water in a pinch) ¼ cup at a time.

We have a whole section of Mexican inspired dishes like spicy Mexican rice here on B&B, which actually even include a Low Carb Enchilada recipe. If you love this cuisine, but are watching your carb intake you'll love it.

For a somewhat different twist on a rice and tomatoes dish check out Gullah Style Red Rice. It's a low-country classic!

Southwest Salad Dressing is an easy-to-make vinaigrette that's really good over lots more than just salads!

If you love spicy dishes like we do, check out this Grilled Bang Bang Chicken.

If you make any of our recipes we'd love for you to leave us a comment and star rating. If you're into sharing your creations, snap a photo and tag us when you post it to Facebook or Instagram.

📖 Recipe

Spicy Mexican Rice

Sara

This Spicy Mexican Rice can be adjusted to the tastes of your family and is exactly the side dish you need for your next Taco Tuesday!

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 8 servings

Calories 228 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper seeded to taste and chopped
• 5 cloves garlic smashed
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 26 oz diced tomatoes NOT drained
• 2 limes juiced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups rice
• 3 cups chicken broth plus more as needed

Instructions

 

• Heat oil on medium high heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, oregano, and cumin and cook until onions are translucent, stirring often.
• Add tomatoes (and their juice!), lime juice, sugar, and salt and simmer 5 minutes.
• Lower heat to a simmer and add rice and chicken broth. Stir and cover. Check often to stir and monitor liquids. If liquids cook out before rice is done, add more as needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 631mgPotassium: 307mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 152IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 2mg

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