Restaurant style Mexican rice doesn’t have to come from a box. You’ll love this flavorful side dish for everything from taco night to stuffing breakfast burritos!

I have a confession to make. I’ve been making my Mexican rice from a box mix for years!

No more though. This one pot recipe for Mexican style rice is perfect as a side dish or burrito filling.

Yes, it’s more time consuming than a box with spice mix, but the addition of fresh onions, garlic and peppers makes all the difference. I thought I would need to use a different type of rice, but I stuck with my basmati and it turned out great.

Tips for Making Stovetop Mexican Rice

The trick to this rice dish is not to over-cook your rice. You want to have rice grains that are loose, not mushy or sticky.

So make sure you rinse the rice well to remove those sticky starches!

I like to use a clear lid so I can watch the rice cooking without letting all the steam escape. When all the water looks like it’s gone, I just turn off the stove and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Open it, fluff it, and it’s perfectly cooked.

Oh, and the best part is that it all happens in one pot. Who doesn’t love an easy cleanup?

Serving Ideas

We love having this rice as a side to our enchilada casserole or spicy tofu quesadillas. Leftovers usually get stuffed into a lunchtime burrito wrap the next day.

Sometimes, we even throw some cubed seitan into it and make it into a full entrée. No matter how you want to have it, it’s easy, delicious and not from a box!

I first shared this restaurant style Mexican rice recipe on Food Fanatic so be sure to visit it there along with other great recipes!