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Mexican Rice Recipes

8 recipes using rice — Tacos, enchiladas, mole and vibrant chilli-spiced dishes.

These 8 mexican rice recipes are ready in about 64 minutes on average, with 260–560 kcal per serving, and 50% are rated easy enough for a weeknight. Every recipe includes exact ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions and full nutrition per serving.

recipes

64 min

average time

404 kcal

avg per serving

50%

easy recipes

How Mexican cuisine cooks with rice

Mexican cooking is layered and vibrant — toasted chillies and charred aromatics built into salsas and slow-cooked dishes of real depth. When Mexican cooks work with rice, they reach for dried chillies, cumin, lime, coriander, garlic and tomatillos, and the techniques that come up most across these recipes are simmering, boiling, roasting and steaming.

The everyday grain for half the planet — a neutral base that soaks up the flavours around it, from pilafs to fried rice. In this collection it's most often cooked with garlic, fresh cilantro, fine sea salt, tomatoes, small onion and dried oregano. The dishes here span mexican classics ready in as little as 36 minutes to slower, more involved cooking that rewards a relaxed afternoon.

8 Mexican Rice Recipes

Dinner

New Mexico Chile Verde

Tender pork shoulder braised in roasted green chile and tomatillo — the pride of New Mexico.

⏱ 150 min🔥 420 kcalMedium

✨ NewLunch

Mexican Tamarind-Lime Chicken Rice Bowl

Grilled chicken glazed with a sweet-tart tamarind and lime sauce, served over cilantro-lime rice.

⏱ 40 min🔥 420 kcalEasy

✨ NewDinner

Mexican Green Herb Rice with Mint (Arroz Verde)

Rice simmered with a blended poblano, cilantro, and mint base for a fragrant, bright green one-pot side.

⏱ 40 min🔥 260 kcalEasy

✨ NewLunch

Esquites Grain Bowl with Fresh Mint and Lime

A hearty bowl of charred corn esquites over rice, brightened with fresh mint, lime, and cotija cheese.

⏱ 60 min🔥 430 kcalHard

✨ NewDinner

Arroz a la Tumbada (Veracruz Seafood Rice)

A brothy, one-pot Veracruz-style seafood rice simmered with tomato, chiles, and warm spice until the rice drinks up all the flavor.

⏱ 80 min🔥 410 kcalMedium

✨ NewLunch

Lentil and Orange Tinga Bowl

Smoky chipotle-spiced lentils simmered with orange and ginger, served over rice for a bright, hearty bowl.

⏱ 46 min🔥 420 kcalEasy

✨ NewDinner

Chiles Rellenos-Style Stuffed Poblanos with Mint

Roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, rice, and fresh mint, baked until the filling is molten.

⏱ 36 min🔥 310 kcalMedium

✨ NewDinner

Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole (Arroz con Pollo Bake)

A baked spin on arroz con pollo, with warm spices, tomatoes, and bone-in chicken roasting right into the rice.

⏱ 56 min🔥 560 kcalEasy

Choosing & preparing rice

How to choose

Choose by use: long-grain (basmati, jasmine) for fluffy, separate grains; short-grain for risotto and sushi where stickiness is wanted. Aged basmati cooks longer and fluffier.

Prep & storage

Rinse until the water runs clear to wash off surface starch and prevent clumping. The absorption method — a fixed water ratio, lid on, then a 10-minute steam off the heat — gives reliable results.

Nutrition

A gluten-free carbohydrate staple; brown and wild varieties keep the bran for extra fibre, B vitamins and minerals.

Classic flavour partners: onion, garlic, saffron, peas, soy sauce, cumin

Mexican Rice Recipes — FAQ

How long do Mexican rice recipes take to make?

Most of these 8 Mexican rice recipes are ready in around 64 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Chiles Rellenos-Style Stuffed Poblanos with Mint, takes about 36 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 150 minutes.

How many calories are in Mexican rice dishes?

Across this collection they range from about 260 to 560 kcal per serving, averaging 404 kcal — Mexican Green Herb Rice with Mint (Arroz Verde) is the lightest option at 260 kcal.

What is the easiest Mexican rice recipe for beginners?

Mexican Tamarind-Lime Chicken Rice Bowl is a great place to start — it's rated easy and comes together in about 40 minutes. 50% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.

What goes well with rice in Mexican cooking?

In these recipes, rice is most often paired with garlic, fresh cilantro, fine sea salt, tomatoes, small onion and dried oregano. Mexican kitchens also lean on dried chillies, cumin, lime, coriander, garlic and tomatillos.