Taco Rice
This taco rice is a simple but flavorful Mexican side or filling for burritos, bowls, and more. It's flavorful seasoned rice dotted with corn, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. It's easy to make, and it's ready in under 30 minutes!
For more tasty rice dishes, try our spicy Mexican rice, pineapple fried rice, and golden turmeric rice.
Table of contents
This taco rice recipe turns plain old white rice into a delicious side dish or filling packed with Mexican flavor. It's light and fluffy rice jazzed up with our homemade taco seasoning, corn, and cilantro.
Serve it as a side with beans as they do at Mexican restaurants, use it as a filling for burritos, or layer it into a bowl. It's flavorful without being too spicy, and everyone loves this spin on plain rice.
To make it, simply sautƩ the onion until soft then add the garlic. Stir in the rice and taco seasoning until fragrant, then add the broth, rice, and corn. Cover and simmer it to cook, then turn off the heat so the steam can finish the cooking. Mix in the chopped cilantro and lime juice before serving.
Enjoy this taco rice at your next Mexican dinner or fiesta as a dish the whole family will enjoy. Serve it family-style with other dishes like enchiladas or carnitas for a larger crowd. And a side of guacamole and a margarita will make this rice taste even better!
It's also an easy one to make ahead of time as part of your meal prep, and leftovers taste great tucked into lunches!
How to make taco rice
Mexican night just got a lot tastier with this taco rice recipe! It's easy to make and tastes great as a side dish, or layered into tacos or burritos. Let's make some!
- Start by sautƩing the onion in a pot until soft, then add in the garlic.
- Add the rice and taco seasoning, and sautƩ for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add in the stock, corn, and salt, and bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cover to cook, then turn off the heat and let it sit to steam before removing the lid.
- Stir in the cilantro and lime juice, and serve.
Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
Taco rice ingredients
If you've ever wondered how to season white rice for tacos, this is your recipe! Here's everything you need to make this tasty taco rice:
- Oil – any cooking oil like olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil.
- Onion + garlic – for that bold base of flavor.
- Basmati rice – we use white basmati rice but brown basmati or plain long-grain rice works, too. Just be sure to adjust the cooking times accordingly, and avoid jasmine rice as it will be too clingy for this recipe.
- Taco seasoning – we use our homemade taco seasoning which we highly recommend. But feel free to use a store-bought blend or your own mix of a few of the seasonings from the recipe.
- Chicken stock – or vegetable stock for vegetarian taco rice.
- Frozen corn – we always go for frozen vegetables over canned ones because they're a lot less processed, but canned works if that's what you've got.
- Sea salt – if your taco seasoning already has salt in it, you don't need to add any additional salt.
- Cilantro – a bit of fresh cilantro adds freshness and a pop of green color.
- Lime juice – for that bright citrus zing.
FAQS
Store any leftover taco rice in your fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It tastes great the next day and is perfect for packing into lunches.
We find white basmati is an ideal choice for this taco rice but you can use brown basmati rice. Regular long-grain rice will work, but avoid jasmine rice because it will be a bit too sweet and clingy.
We love the flavor of cilantro, but if you're not a fan then feel free to skip it.
What to eat with taco rice
Wondering what you can do with taco rice? Just about anything! Serve it as a side with just about any Mexican dish alongside refried beans, or stuff it into a burrito, or layer it into a bowl.
Recipes that pair well with taco rice
Popular Tex-Mex sides
Taco Rice
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Ā½ cups basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 Ā¼ cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Ā½ cup chopped cilantro
- Ā¼ cup lime juice
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.1 tablespoon cooking oil, 1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the basmati rice and taco seasoning and stir for 2 minutes, until the seasoning is fragrant.1 Ā½ cups basmati rice, 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- Add the stock, corn, and salt and stir the pot one more time. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit with the lid on for 10 minutes.2 Ā¼ cups chicken stock, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Stir the cilantro and lime juice into the rice and serve right away.Ā¼ cup lime juice, Ā½ cup chopped cilantro
This was perfect for our taco bar! Next time making a triple batch!!!
We had taco night for dinner tonight and made this as a side dish, and everyone loved it! It was flavorful and satisfying!
I made this for dinner tonight and the family gobbled it up. They are already asking for it again tomorrow night. This recipe is now on my weekly/monthly rotation for side dishes for dinner.
This taco rice went perfectly to fill out the shredded chicken tacos my family loves. So good, thank you.
LOVE that this ready in 30 minutes!