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Arroz Rojo - BEST Mexican Red Rice Recipe

by Lola Dweck
Arroz rojo, translated as "red rice," is actually orange in color and is a traditional Mexican side dish made by cooking rice with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and a well-seasoned broth, resulting in its distinctive color and rich flavor.
5 from 12 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 10
Calories 187 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 small onion diced finely
  • 4 small garlic cloves diced, sliced, or whole
  • 2 cups long-grain white rice
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste (I use Diamond Kosher Salt)
  • 4 cups chicken broth well-seasoned broth may require less salt in this recipe

Instructions
 

  • Sauté rice, onion, and garlic. Over medium heat, add oil to your saucepan and once it’s hot, add rice, onion, and garlic. Using a wooden spatula, move constantly and cook for 3 minutes until onion is translucent and some of the rice turns golden in color. PRO TIP: If you notice that your rice is turning dark brown (or black!) too quickly, lower the heat.
  • Add tomato sauce and sauté. Once you’ve lightly toasted the rice, mix in tomato sauce and sauté an additional 2 minutes.
    PRO TIP: This step ensures that the tomato sauce is evenly distributed and that you don’t end up with a big red rim of sauce around the edges of your rice once it is cooked.
  • Add broth and season with salt. Next, add broth and salt and stir ingredients. Taste the broth and adjust for salt if necessary. The broth should be flavorful so make sure it has enough salt before covering. Raise your heat to high, stir well, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let the water evaporate until you begin to see the rice through the broth. This process should take about 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Cover and simmer. Cover rice with a lid, lower heat to the lowest setting, and set a timer for 20 minutes.
    PRO TIP: Do NOT uncover your rice at any point to check if it’s ready. Uncovering your rice too soon may result in mushy rice. Remove from heat and let stand for another 10 minutes.
  • When ready, fluff with spoon or fork and serve hot.

A Note from Lola

RECIPE VARIATIONS
  • Use the right rice. See the “Ingredients You’ll Need” section above for the brand I use when making any type of Mexican rice.
  • For an additional layer of flavor, make your own Mexican Tomato Sauce from scratch.
  • If you don't have tomato sauce and are pressed for time, simply blend two Roma tomatoes with the onion and garlic in this recipe. You'll want to add this after sautéing the rice in oil for three minutes, and sauté the mixture for at least 5 minutes to get rid of the raw tomato, onion, and garlic flavors. 
  • Add veggies. Many versions of this recipe incorporate peas, finely diced carrots, or frozen mixed vegetables, all of which add a nice pop of color.
  • Broth vs. bouillon. Chicken broth adds the most flavor, but vegetable broth or water will also work in this recipe. I always taste my broth before covering the rice to make sure it has enough salt and adjust accordingly. I’m not a fan of using artificially flavored chicken bouillon, but if you use it, make sure to reduce the amount of salt you use.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 187kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 924mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 100IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
    187
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