I would like to know how to make rice that comes with your meal at most mexican resturants. any one have any ideas?:???:
For us, the touch of cumin is essential
Spanish Rice 
1 (15 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 cups rice
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon cumin
In medium saucepan, combine all ingredients (Original cook’s note: I usually mash tomatoes with potato masher or give them a quick spin in food processor).
Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is done. (Original cook’s note: Unless you like sticky, gooey rice, don’t take off the lid and stir at all until it is done).
Garnish with green onions and/or cheddar cheese.
You can add all the ingredients to your rice cooker, set it and forget it. just be sure the liquid is to the depth of from you finger tip to the first knuckle above the rice.
This is a great recipe, however, I substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth. Healthier and tasty!
When did chicken broth (de-fatted) become unhealthy?
I prepared this in my rice cooker and it came out great! I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken, and served with sour cream and fresh cilantro.
The best way for Mexican rice is to use Caldo de Tomate Consabor De Pollo (Tomato Bouillon with Chicken Flavor. It is made by KNORR, found in the Mexican section of the grocery store and is a cube. I usually use 2 cubes, decide on how flavor full you want it. I also brown the rice slightly before I cook it in a little oil. You can use it as the chicken stock in your recipe with water. I teach Family Consumer Science and my Hispanic students taught me how to make it. It is great!
I HAVE BEEN USING THIS BOUILLON FOR YEARS (NO I AM NOT HISPANIC) IN SO MANY THINGS.
I EVEN DROP ONE OR TWO IN MY WATER WHEN BOILING PASTAS. GIVES IT A GREAT FLAVOR.
Cin(\0/)
Mexican Rice Restaurant Style
This recipe makes a dry, fluffy style, Mexican rice that
is served as a side dish at Mexican restaurants. This involves
rinsing the rice, frying on the stovetop and then baking in
the oven. Follow this recipe and it will make exactly what you
get at most Mexican restaurants.
We love this recipe and always make it as a side dish with Mexican food.
2 cups long grain white rice (Comet, Uncle Ben’s, etc.), uncooked, rinsed for 2 minutes
1/3 cup canola oil
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 Tbsp dried onion flakes
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp table salt or to taste (depending on how salty the chicken broth is)
2 or 3 Tbsp ketchup
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel, etc), with liquid
Preheat oven to 350-F. - Baking time 30 minutes total, stirring after 15 minutes.
Place uncooked rice in a strainer and rinse under running water until it runs clear. Rinse about 2-minutes. This is to remove as much starch as possible. This is important to create a dry, fluffy, non-sticky Mexican restaurant style rice.
Drain rice, making sure to shake out as much water as possible.
Heat canola oil on medium high heat in an enameled, cast iron, dutch oven (3-qt to 6-qt size) on the stove top. Drop a few rice grains in the oil, when hot. When they sizzle, add all remaining rice. Stir constantly and fry rice until it is light golden brown and slightly translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
In another saucepan, combine the chicken broth, onion flakes, garlic powder, ground cumin, dried parsley, salt, ketchup and canned tomatoes with chiles and its liquid. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Reduce to a simmer and keep warm until needed.
When the rice, in dutch oven, is light golden brown, stir in from the saucepan, the chicken broth / spice / tomato & chile mixture. Stir well and bring to a boil in the dutch oven.
When rice in dutch oven reaches a boil, place lid on dutch oven and place in a 350-degrees F preheated oven.
Bake 15-minutes then open dutch oven and stir well. Replace dutch oven lid and bake another 15 to 20-minutes until done.
Remove from oven and stir well. Cover and allow to rest about 5 minutes before serving.
Makes about 4-cups of rice.
I just found this today, and tried it right away. It is excellent! It was in the Hispanic foods aisle at my grocery store, and I had never noticed it before. Available in cube or instant granules.
Many thanks!
MissiK999 the Caldo de Tomate Consabor De Pollo (Tomato Bouillon with Chicken Flavor by KNORR) will give the rice a genuine flavor, but if you want the rice to be dry and fluffy, you need to rinse the uncooked rice for 2-minutes to remove excess starch, saute the rice and then bake it. Along with the Tomato Bouillon this will give yon an exact copy as you get at a Mexican Restaurant. See the technique in my recipe above. It comes from Cook’s Illustrated.
I will try the 2 minute rinsing. I’ve always done a quick rinse, probably 20 seconds at most. Thanks for the tip, that is my next step in my quest for perfect Mexican rice.