If you’ve ever attempted your favorite Mexican restaurant’s rice at home and failed, raise your hand. Well, you can put it down now, because this one is my all-time family favorite and I think it will become yours, too. To be honest, I like it so much better than the rice usually served when I dine out.
Whenever I go to Mexican restaurants, I always find myself dumping salsa and queso over my rice to make it more delicious. I’ve always thought it had potential, though, and over the years I’ve tested countless different recipes in my quest to master it at home.
The funny thing is that I’m actually not a rice-lover at all, which probably explains why I like Mexican rice — because you’re supposed to add a bunch of stuff to make it better! The best kind of Mexican rice, to me at least, is infused with a complex tomato flavor and each grain has just the right amount of bite; no mush, please! (Cheese dip optional but not required.
INGREDIENTS
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup neutral cooking oil, such as canola or safflower (or rendered lard)
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 to 2 chile peppers, such as jalapeño or serrano, seeded and minced
4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Juice from 2 medium limes, plus more wedges for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the tomatoes and their juices and onion in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Transfer 2 cups of the tomato mixture to a medium saucepan. (Reserve any excess tomato mixture for another use, such as Tomato Sauce.) Stir in the chicken broth, salt, and cumin and bring to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, toast the rice.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the rice and sauté, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the jalapeños and cook until softened, about 2 minutes, lowering the heat as needed. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
Pour the boiling tomato mixture over the rice and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and gently fluff the rice with the fork. Cover again and set aside to steam for 10 minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice and fluff again to combine. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Serve with lime wedges.
Enjoy .