Authentic Mexican Rice (Arroz Rojo)

A staple in Mexican cuisine, arroz rojo is typically made with long grain rice and gets it beautiful red color from fresh tomato juice.

Prep time: PT5M

Cook time: PT30M

Total time: PT35M

Rating

4.97 stars (185 reviews)

Keywords

arroz rojo, Mexican rice, sopa de arroz

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Mahatma® Rice Extra Long Grain White Rice
3 tbsp neutral oil
1/4 onion (diced)
1 garlic clove (crushed)
1 tbsp Knorr chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 roma tomatoes ((makes 8 oz tomato juice))
2 cups hot water
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
3 sprigs cilantro
1 jalapeno

Cuisine

Mexican

Steps

Over medium heat, add the oil to a heavy-bottomed or good quality non-stick pan, then fry the onions and garlic
When the onions and garlic have lightly browned, remove the garlic and set it aside.
Add Mahatma® Rice Extra Long Grain White Rice to the pot and toast the rice in the oil, moving it constantly for about 5 minutes or until it becomes slightly puffy and golden brown.
Add the Knorr chicken bouillon and garlic powder, the mix and continue toasting for another minute.
Blend together the roma tomatoes and fried garlic clove. You should have about 8 oz (1 cup) of tomato sauce.
Add it to the rice, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. The color should change to warm reddish orange color. At this point, watch the heat to make sure the bottom is not burning. Adjust the heat if you need to.
Add the HOT water to the rice. It has to be hot- if the liquid isn't bubbling on the sides of the pot, your water is not hot enough. Stir in salt to taste at this point if you're adding. I recommend about 1/4 tsp.
Add the cilantro and jalapeno on top, continue boiling over medium-low heat until some of the water has evaporated. Then turn the heat to the low and cover for 20 minutes. Do NOT lift the lid!
After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. There will be a thin layer of tomato sauce at the top- that is what we want. Just gently fluff & mix it into the rice to distribute evenly.
At this point, the rice is ready if you don't like overly soft rice. This is good for me, but if you want it more soft & fluffy, cover for another 10 minutes (no heat).

Reviews

Angie on 2026-06-12 (5 stars):
The best red rice ever! i was skeptical about the jalapeño but it gives it just enough of a kick after stirring and really brings out the flavor.
Liala Elrafihe on 2026-05-28 (5 stars):
fantastic recipe, great flavor. easy to follow, thank you
Marla Kavouras on 2026-05-10 (5 stars):
Great recipe! I have been making it for a while now after trying other recipes, this one is the best! I need to make it for my exrtended family so need to increase the recipe, I noticed when you update the servings the tomato sauce quantity does not increase, if you double the recipe I assume it should update the sauce to 16 oz.? Thanks again!
Craig on 2026-04-21 (5 stars):
Best Mexican rice recipe ever. Thank you for sharing
Debi on 2026-03-23 (5 stars):
I made this last night. I halved the recipe and used Basmati rice (all I had). It turned out really good! I will be using this recipe from now on!!
Abby on 2026-03-11 (5 stars):
Do you rinse your rice till it comes clear?
Nicole on 2026-03-04 (5 stars):
This recipe came out absolutely perfect, and I will be making it time and time again
Steph on 2026-03-03 (5 stars):
I've tried a million recipes to get Mexican rice right...and this one was exactly what I have been trying to achieve! Thank you so much :) looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Lauren on 2026-02-24 (5 stars):
Fantastic recipe! Made this for a big family meal and received many compliments! Rice grains stayed individualized and did not get mushy or clumpy. Flavor was great too! Definitely will be saving this recipe for future uses!
Monica Bullock on 2026-02-04 (5 stars):
I’ve tried several recipes for Mexican tie and this one is the best by far. I’ve come back and made it several times. It’s amazing
Jazmin on 2026-02-01 (5 stars):
My go to recipe for authentic Mexican rice. It definitely taste like legit mexican rice.
anayancy ocampo on 2026-01-25 (5 stars):
Love!
C on 2026-01-25 (5 stars):
I made this last night for dinner and oh WOW the rice is better than any I have had at a restaurant! My family loved it. We are adding this into our regular meal planning. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Cynthia on 2026-01-21 (5 stars):
This recipe is my "go to" for Mexican rice. It comes out perfect in flavor and texture every time. Thank you for sharing!
Mark on 2026-01-17 (5 stars):
Your grandma knows what she is doing