Spicy Mexican Rice
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Spicy Mexican Rice is made with your choice of brown (our favorite) or white rice and flavored with onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrot, tomatoes, and spices. We cook the rice in broth for extra flavor then stir in some corn, cilantro, and lime juice at the end. It’s an incredibly zesty and delicious side dish that’s perfect for all your Mexican meals.
This is the spicy Mexican rice recipe that we’ve been making for years. You’ll find that it’s really versatile and has a wonderful flavor that goes well with so many different mains. It is perfectly spicy without being overly hot. Or you can even omit the jalapeño for a mild version.
It’s packed with sweet, crunchy corn kernels, carrots, and peppers. There’s so much flavor here that we sometimes eat it on its own as a one-pot dinner. Or you can go authentic and serve it with some beans and Mexican BBQ chicken.
Ingredient notes
- Onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrot, and tomato – we use these Mexican vegetables to add flavor and texture to the rice.
- Cumin and salt – Cumin adds a wonderful, Mexican flavor to the rice and salt enhances all the other flavors.
- Stock – chicken or vegetable stock both work well. Beef stock can be used for an even richer flavor.
- Rice – We love using brown rice to turn this into whole grain spicy Mexican rice; The chewier texture works perfectly with the other flavors. But if you love white rice, that works deliciously well, too.
- Jalapeño pepper – Adds the spice to this spicy Mexican rice. You can omit the seeds or use less of the pepper for a more mild heat level.
- Corn – Frozen corn works great in this recipe. You can also use fresh corn, but you’ll want to add it to the pot about 15 minutes before the rice finishes cooking.
- Cilantro and lime juice – Both add a wonderful fresh and bright flavor to the rice.
Variations to try
This is a really flexible recipe, so if you’re not a fan of one of the veggies (cilantro, perhaps?) you can simply omit it. Here are a few ways that we like to switch up this spicy Mexican rice recipe:
- Add cubes of chicken when you add the rice and broth to the pot.
- Put some shrimp on top of the rice 5 minutes before the rice finishes cooking.
- Stir some black beans into the rice after it’s cooked. Add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to the sautéed veggies to give the rice a brighter red color.
What to serve with spicy Mexican rice
We love to serve Mexican rice with an easy to make protein, like our baked chicken thighs or juicy baked pork chops, and a simple green salad. But you can easily turn this into a Mexican feast:
Spicy Mexican Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 small onion (minced)
- 1 medium red pepper (minced)
- 1 medium carrot (minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 ½ cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (see notes)
- 2 cups brown rice (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large tomatoes (diced)
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper (minced (see notes))
- 1 cup frozen corn
- ½ cup cilantro (minced)
- 2 tablespoon lime juice (fresh is best)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, and carrot and cook until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cumin and let them cook for 1 minute.1 tablespoon cooking oil, 1 small onion, 1 medium red pepper, 1 medium carrot, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Add the stock, rice, salt, tomatoes, and jalapeño pepper and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the rice is tender.3 ½ cups chicken stock or vegetable stock, 2 cups brown rice, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 2 large tomatoes, 1 medium jalapeño pepper
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the corn, cilantro, and lime juice.1 cup frozen corn, ½ cup cilantro, 2 tablespoon lime juice
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Super easy and delicious!
Could this be done in an instapot?
That should work!
Great, simple dish. I used a red chilli (chopped and left in the dish.) I also added a teaspoon of turmeric. Yum!
OKAY this was seriously so good!!! I love Mexican food (actually going to Mexico in a few weeks!) and rice is always such a great staple for every dinner. Cant wait to make this one again – appreciate the easy to follow step by step photos!
Such a great flavor-packed rice side dish. And so easy, too!
I love Mexican cuisine and this rice was very good, I will try it again soon.
You reference “see note” on the serano pepper but I’m not finding one.
Thank you for pointing that out! The note was supposed to be about serrano peppers being very hot so use less for less spicy rice.