This Mexican rice is a great side dish that goes well with many ethnic cuisines
Honestly, I’ve never heard of Mexican rice. Why is that, I wonder. Oh sure, there’s rice that’s served with Mexican food…the standard rice and beans. It’s not really Mexican rice. It’s just rice. The Spaniards have their version of rice. I love Spanish rice. Yet, somewhere along the line, Mexican cooks ignored rice and just served it up as bland as white on rice.
The thing is, a Mexican meal almost demands rice. Rice and beans is the norm. Without them, the meal somehow just doesn’t seem complete. Why not kick up the flavor and create a rice that truly compliments a Mexican entree? After all, Mexican cuisine offers some incredible flavors to work with. When you think of all the great ingredients available from the Mexican pantry, there’s really no excuse for boring rice.
It’s time to put an end to all that. My belief is that a side dish will remain a side dish until it is given some love and attention. Then it becomes an integral part of the meal. Join me as I boycott bland rice and balance my plate with flavor. Give this Mexican rice a try. I think you’ll like it.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced
- 1 medium tomato, pith removed and chopped
- 2 cups instant white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- hot sauce to taste (optional)
- In a frying pan, heat vegetable oil over a medium heat.
- Add onions, garlic and jalapeño pepper. Saute until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add rice and cook until it begins to brown, while stirring. About 5 to 6 minutes.
- Gently stir in chicken broth, then the remaining ingredients except the cilantro.
- Continue to cook while occasionally stirring. Cook until the desired constancy is achieved and chicken broth has been absorbed.
- Remove from heat and cover. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Add cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, hot sauce, if desired and mix well.
- Consistency may need to be adjusted prior to serving by mixing in additional chicken stock.
- Garnish with more chopped cilantro, if desired and serve immediately.
Recipe © 2015 Gary Glen | Photo © 2015 Gary Glen | All rights reserved
Leave a Reply