Uploaded January 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
This recipe produces a rice very similar to what I am used to receiving in Tex Mex restaurants from my hometown of Houston, Texas. Of course to call it “Mexican rice” is somewhat reductive – there are a lot of different ways to prepare rice in Mexico, just as there are a lot of ways to make sofrito, which is the basis of this rice’s flavor. We make this in a rice cooker, which is a good way to make sure the rice cooks properly. It can be done on a stove, carefully. If you are using a rice cooker make sure to measure the rice with the cooker’s scoop.
As mentioned above, this is another one of those recipes where substitutions are the rule. We make the sofrito with mainly onion and tomato, and a little bit of pepper. We didn’t use any spices. However, spices such as cumin, allspice, clove, powdered dried chiles, etc, may be added to sofrito. We used diced carrot and frozen peas; green beans could be used instead, and diced fresh peppers could also be added. It may depend on what the rice is to go with what flavoring elements you choose to use.
Because the sofrito brings an inexact amount of moisture, we are relying upon observation to know when the rice is cooked. Using a rice cooker removes a lot of the guesswork, but if you’re using a stove instead, follow the usual pattern for rice cooking, but at the end of the boiling phase, try to determine how dry the rice has become. Normally, at this stage, there should be no standing moisture remaining – the rice should have soaked it all up. We found that once done, the rice was a little wet, but that allowing it to cool and then re-heating it at dinner time caused it to be perfect.
Makes enough for 6-8 people, roughly 4 cups.
Equipment:
• rice cooker or pot for cooking rice
• skillet or low-sided saucepan for reducing the sofrito
• skillet for nacréing the rice
• blender or food processor, or molcajete
Ingredients:
2 cup white rice medium or long-grain
1/2-1 lb tomato
1/2-1 lb onion
1/4-1/2 lb sweet pepper optional
1 ea carrot small dice
3/4 cup peas frozen
1 cup water or broth
4 Tbsp lard or bacon grease, butter, oil
1 Tbsp salt
Procedure:
1. To make the sofrito, purée the tomato, onion and optional pepper (and/or garlic) in the blender or food processor, or grind it up in your molcajete.
2. Get the sofrito skillet hot with 2 Tbsp of grease, and dump in the purée and add the salt.
3. Let the sofrito reduce over medium heat until it is nearly dry. It will be bubbling, but when stirred it will no longer flow immediately to cover the exposed bottom of the pan.
4. Meanwhile, peel and dice the carrot.
5. Heat up the second skillet with the other 2 Tbsp of grease, and nacré the rice along with the diced carrot, until the carrot it starting to become translucent and the rice is becoming toasty and aromatic.
6. Add the rice to the rice cooker.
7. Add the sofrito to the rice cooker once it has reduced au sec.
8. Add a cup or so of water or broth to the cooker. I used two “cups” of rice and my carrot came to about another “cup”, and I filled my rice cooker to the 3-cup mark, and it was initially a little moist but after cooling and reheating was perfect, which is really what I want since I eat most of my rice leftover.
9. Start your rice cooker. 10. If you’re working on the stove, bring the rice to the simmer and cook for 15+ min, then turn it off and let it stand for 10 or more minutes. Check before turning off the fire to ensure there is no liquid at the bottom of the pan which swishes around when the pan is tipped.
11. As previously noted, if the rice is too moist it can be allowed to dry out. If it is too dry, there is no remedy. But try to add the “right amount” of stock, though it can be a guessing game the first couple of times.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
This recipe produces a rice very similar to what I am used to receiving in Tex Mex restaurants from my hometown of Houston, Texas. Of course to call it “Mexican rice” is somewhat reductive – there are a lot of different ways to prepare rice in Mexico, just as there are a lot of ways to make sofrito, which is the basis of this rice’s flavor. We make this in a rice cooker, which is a good way to make sure the rice cooks properly. It can be done on a stove, carefully. If you are using a rice cooker make sure to measure the rice with the cooker’s scoop.
As mentioned above, this is another one of those recipes where substitutions are the rule. We make the sofrito with mainly onion and tomato, and a little bit of pepper. We didn’t use any spices. However, spices such as cumin, allspice, clove, powdered dried chiles, etc, may be added to sofrito. We used diced carrot and frozen peas; green beans could be used instead, and diced fresh peppers could also be added. It may depend on what the rice is to go with what flavoring elements you choose to use.
Because the sofrito brings an inexact amount of moisture, we are relying upon observation to know when the rice is cooked. Using a rice cooker removes a lot of the guesswork, but if you’re using a stove instead, follow the usual pattern for rice cooking, but at the end of the boiling phase, try to determine how dry the rice has become. Normally, at this stage, there should be no standing moisture remaining – the rice should have soaked it all up. We found that once done, the rice was a little wet, but that allowing it to cool and then re-heating it at dinner time caused it to be perfect.
Makes enough for 6-8 people, roughly 4 cups.
Equipment:
• rice cooker or pot for cooking rice
• skillet or low-sided saucepan for reducing the sofrito
• skillet for nacréing the rice
• blender or food processor, or molcajete
Ingredients:
2 cup white rice medium or long-grain
1/2-1 lb tomato
1/2-1 lb onion
1/4-1/2 lb sweet pepper optional
1 ea carrot small dice
3/4 cup peas frozen
1 cup water or broth
4 Tbsp lard or bacon grease, butter, oil
1 Tbsp salt
Procedure:
1. To make the sofrito, purée the tomato, onion and optional pepper (and/or garlic) in the blender or food processor, or grind it up in your molcajete.
2. Get the sofrito skillet hot with 2 Tbsp of grease, and dump in the purée and add the salt.
3. Let the sofrito reduce over medium heat until it is nearly dry. It will be bubbling, but when stirred it will no longer flow immediately to cover the exposed bottom of the pan.
4. Meanwhile, peel and dice the carrot.
5. Heat up the second skillet with the other 2 Tbsp of grease, and nacré the rice along with the diced carrot, until the carrot it starting to become translucent and the rice is becoming toasty and aromatic.
6. Add the rice to the rice cooker.
7. Add the sofrito to the rice cooker once it has reduced au sec.
8. Add a cup or so of water or broth to the cooker. I used two “cups” of rice and my carrot came to about another “cup”, and I filled my rice cooker to the 3-cup mark, and it was initially a little moist but after cooling and reheating was perfect, which is really what I want since I eat most of my rice leftover.
9. Start your rice cooker. 10. If you’re working on the stove, bring the rice to the simmer and cook for 15+ min, then turn it off and let it stand for 10 or more minutes. Check before turning off the fire to ensure there is no liquid at the bottom of the pan which swishes around when the pan is tipped.
11. As previously noted, if the rice is too moist it can be allowed to dry out. If it is too dry, there is no remedy. But try to add the “right amount” of stock, though it can be a guessing game the first couple of times.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
