3 Ingredient Mexican Rice – your favorite Mexican restaurant style rice at home with only 3 ingredients. This rice comes together in only 15 minutes and in only one pot. Yup, you heard that right!
You know that rice you get at your favorite Mexican restaurant along with your enchiladas or chimichangas, well I love that rice. But to be fair I love all Mexican food, but that rice is what brings the whole meal together. I don’t know about you though, but I can eat a bowl of this rice, call it lunch and be happy happy happy.
To make this, all you need are 3 ingredients and 15 minutes! It takes you longer to get to the restaurant and order it than make this in your home, seriously.
I sometimes feel like I don’t cook enough with rice, somehow I always gravitate towards pasta dishes, but I do love rice probably just as much as pasta. Some of my favorite dishes are made with rice, like chicken and seafood paella or this chicken enchilada rice casserole, but nothing beats the simplicity of this rice dish.
The 3 ingredients that you need are rice, chicken broth and enchilada sauce. Yep, by adding enchilada sauce to this rice dish you give it all those Mexican flavors you love so much. Then top it with whatever toppings you prefer, I used chopped tomatoes, green onions and cilantro. You don’t need the toppings though, this rice is so so good. I told you I like simple dishes, and you can’t get any simpler than this.
Ingredient Notes
- Rice – Basmati is what I used today, but feel free to use whatever kind is your favorite. Keep in mind that heartier rices will take longer to cook.
- Broth – Chicken broth low sodium as always please, we want to control the sodium content of our dish.
- Sauce – Enchilada sauce, 1 entire cans worth. If you’d rather go the homemade route you can use my recipe.
Optional Toppings
- Tomatoes
- Green onions
- Cilantro
How To Make 3 Ingredient Mexican Rice
- Cook the rice: In a large skillet or saucepan add the rice chicken broth and enchilada sauce. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stir well, cover the pot, then turn down the heat to a medium.
- Finish the dish: Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Top with tomatoes, green onions and cilantro before serving.
And that’s it! It’s literally that easy to put together a picture perfect little side dish, yum!
How To Make Enchilada Sauce
I love a rich, flavorful enchilada sauce. Packed full of complex flavors like cumin, chili, garlic, and acidic tomatoes, this sauce is a slam dunk whether you opt for store bought or homemade. Personally I love to make this dish even more complex by using a homemade sauce, luckily for you all there’s a recipe for doing just that right here on the blog.
What Can I Pair My Mexican Rice With?
This dish pairs well with so many dishes, especially big protein heavy entrees. Definitely play around with different combinations because regardless you can’t go wrong!
- Pork Carnitas
- Chicken Shawarma
- Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken Legs
- Gyros
- Roast Chicken
- Perfect Pork Tenderloin
- Lamb
- Beef Brisket
Some Tips
- Feel free to throw in any protein you’d like! This dish is a perfect way to use up some leftovers you have sitting around taking up space in your fridge.
- If you’d like to add some golden color and complex flavor to this dish, feel free to saute the rice in some oil before cooking.
- Sub some water and a chicken bouillon cube for the chicken broth to give a flavor concentrate to the dish.
- Once you’ve made this Mexican rice a few times you’ll never need to look at a recipe again, it’s just so easy to throw together.
Leftovers
Be sure to store this Mexican rice as soon as it’s cooled as rice is a breeding ground for bacteria. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. If freezing store this dish in a freezer bag with the air pressed out. Thaw overnight in the fridge and fluff the rice before reheating. This dish will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
More Incredible Rice Recipes To Enjoy
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3 Ingredient Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice I used Basmati
- 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 10 ounce enchilada sauce 1 can
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
Optional toppings
- tomatoes chopped
- green onions chopped
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients: In a large skillet or saucepan add the rice chicken broth and enchilada sauce. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stir well, cover the pot, then turn down the heat to a medium.
- Cook the rice: Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
- Season and garnish: Season with salt and pepper. Top with tomatoes, green onions and cilantro before serving.
Video
Recipe Notes
- I used canned enchilada sauce, but feel free to make your own.
- You can add ground beef, cooked chicken, or prawns to turn this into a full meal.
- Be sure to store this dish as soon as it’s cooled as rice is a breeding ground for bacteria. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. If freezing store this dish in a freezer bag with the air pressed out. Thaw overnight in the fridge and fluff the rice before reheating. This dish will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
I added green chiles, black beans, grilled mojo chicken and cheese. Wanted to make a full meal out of it. Very good.
Glad you liked it, Tracy!
Wow! This was very delicious! Thanks!
This was so easy and good! I can’t believe it! I added crumbled tofu mixed with taco seasoning, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and green onions. Thank you!
We are so glad you like it! You can also check out this awesome recipe for my taco seasoning… for next time 😉
Thanks for a great recipe. It looks especially pretty with chopped tomatoes and green onion on top and my family really liked it.
What brand of enchilada sauce do you use? I don’t like the taste of the brands I have tried, they’ve been too vinegary or something.
I used La Victoria.
Cheers… Will be trying this weekend…
Hope you like it!
Hi Jo. This is my recipe for Mexican Rice. It has more ingredients and steps but is authentic.
Mexican Rice
Makes 6 Servings
Preparation: 5 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Ken’s Cookbook
Mexican
This is an excellent authentic Mexican rice recipe (not to be confused with Spanish rice) that I make as a side dish with all of my Mexican dishes. The key is cooking the rice properly and using good quality chicken broth or stock.
1 cup white rice
1 tablespoon oil, or lard
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1. In a medium sauce pan, cook rice, onion, green pepper, jalapeno, and diced tomato in oil over medium heat until the rice browns slightly.
2. Pour in chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, cumin, cilantro, and garlic.
3. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes or until rice is done. If the rice is not done and the liquid is gone, add more chicken broth.
4. Garnish with roughly chopped Cilantro leaves before serving.
CAN I USE REGULAR RICE INSTEAD
Absolutely!
Hi would shredded chicken or prawns work with this?
Of course, that would be great then you could turn this into a meal.