A Mexican-style dinner isn’t Mexican-style without this fluffy and flavorful Mexican fried rice! This easy recipe comes together in just half an hour and is made with basmati rice, flavorful tomato puree, and various herbs, spices, and veggies. Serve it piping hot with lime wedges for an aromatic, flavor-packed side dish or entree that the whole family will love!
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If you love Mexican food as much as I do, you will want to check out my Mexican rice casserole, tortilla soup, or my Mexican riced sweet potato. For Chiptole-inspired dishes, you will not want to miss my list of 19 copycat Chipotle recipes.
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❤️ Why you’ll love it
Fried rice is a staple in Mexican cuisine and must-have for any dinner night. This easy Mexican fried rice recipe makes adding this flavorful dish to your table a breeze, requiring just five simple steps, 30 minutes of cooking time, and fresh, easy-to-find ingredients. Once you learn to make this recipe, you will want to make it again and again!
Like all fried rice recipes, Mexican fried rice is the perfect use for that leftover rice in the fridge from dinner the night before. When combined with the bold flavors of tomato puree, garlic, onion, herbs, spices, and flavors, you get a tender, fluffy rice dish that will make your taste buds dance.
However, the best part about this Mexican fried rice recipe is its versatility. With numerous ways to prepare and flavor it, you can easily enjoy it as a side dish for other Mexican breakfast, lunch, and dinner favorites or as a meal on its own. The possibilities are endless!
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🧾 Key ingredients
White rice – For this recipe, I like to use basmati rice. The rice should be precooked or a day old.
Tomato sauce – Sieved tomato puree (tomato sauce) adds flavor to the rice and helps to give it its signature orange hue.
Onions, tomatoes, peppers, and corn – Chopped onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, green chili peppers, and corn give the Mexican rice texture and personality. You can use any medium-sized onion. You can use yellow, green, or red bell pepper for the bell pepper. I recommend using sweet canned corn for the best flavor and ease of cooking.
Herbs and spices – Garlic, ground cumin, and cilantro are traditional herbs and spices used in Mexican cuisine and give the rice a delicious aroma and flavor.
Lime juice – Lime is a must-have ingredient in Mexican dishes that adds zesty flavor to the rice once cooked. For the best flavor, use fresh lime juice.
🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🥘 Equipment
Frying pan or large skillet – I love to use my skillet from UnoCasa, which retains the heat of the rice during and after cooking. You can also use a traditional wok.
👩🍳 Instructions
Making Mexican Fried Rice
STEP 1
Finely chop the onion, garlic, tomato, green chilis, and bell pepper. Chop the fresh cilantro if you plan to use it.
STEP 2
Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
STEP 3
Add the chopped tomato, green chili, bell pepper, and sweet corn to the pan and continue to cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
STEP 4
Stir in the tomato sauce, sweet smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper, then cook for a couple of minutes.
STEP 5
Add the day-old rice and a teaspoon of vegetable oil. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
STEP 6
Remove the pan from the heat and add the lime juice. Stir well, top with the optional cilantro, and serve while hot!
💡 Expert tip
Always use precooked and cooled rice or day-old rice for the best results. Avoid using fresh rice, which turns sticky and soggy and is susceptible to burning when added to the pan.
🔄 Variations
The great thing about Mexican fried rice is that it is incredibly versatile. Here are just a few variations of this rice that you can try:
With protein – Authentic Mexican rice often comes with sides and toppings such as chicken, pork, shrimp, or ground beef. However, you can still turn your rice dish into a plant-based meal by stirring in my plant-based chorizo, TVP taco meat, tofu, or black beans.
With more veggies – Add even more nutrients to your rice with additional veggies. Try it with cherry tomatoes, zucchini, peas, carrots, sliced avocado, or my flavorful sheet pan fajita veggies.
With different herbs and spices – Add variety to the flavor with other herbs and spices such as oregano, chili powder, coriander, paprika, or even cinnamon!
Additional heat – Kick up the heat even more by adding chopped jalapeno, serrano peppers, or cayenne pepper.
🥣 Serving ideas
As a side dish – Enjoy your rice as a side dish with tacos or fajitas. It makes a delicious complement to my portobello mushroom fajitas and black bean fajitas! It also makes an excellent side dish for Mexican favorites, such as my butternut squash enchiladas or breakfast enchiladas, refried beans, or my Chipotle-style sofritas.
As an add-in – Use your Mexican fried rice as an add-in to fill up a burrito or a burrito bowl. Try it with my Chipotle veggie burrito, burrito bowl, or fajitas bowl recipes!
With chips and salsa or dip – Serve a bowl of rice alongside fresh tortilla chips and guacamole or salsa, or my queso dip.
❄️ Storing tips
In the refrigerator – Rice is highly susceptible to bacteria and should never be left at room temperature longer than necessary. Once finished, immediately move it to an airtight container and store it for up to four days. Rice does tend to dry out over time, so the sooner you use it, the better!
In the freezer – I do not recommend freezing your Mexican fried rice since it already uses leftover rice.
Reheating – When reheating rice, it must be piping hot before serving to ensure you eliminate any bacteria. When you are ready to reheat your leftovers, add a small amount of water to add moisture to the rice. Then, reheat over the stove, in the oven, or the microwave, fluff with a fork, and serve. Only reheat it once.
🤔 FAQs
Long-grain rice, such as basmati or jasmine, is best for fried rice recipes. Not only do they have a long, slender shape and a light, fluffy texture when cooked, but they also have a delicious flavor and aroma. You can also use brown rice if you are looking for a more nutritious option.
The orange hue in Mexican rice comes from the tomato sauce and the cumin, a key ingredient in all Mexican rice recipes. It differs from Spanish rice, which tends to be yellow due to the saffron flavoring.
I do not recommend using fresh rice as it will turn sticky and soggy during cooking. It is also more likely to burn.
More Mexican side dishes
I love everything Mexican like spicy rice casserole, or vegan chili, but combining different fajitas sides to a fajita bowl is one of my current favorites.
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Mexican Fried Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cup Rice (cooked) basmati
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 Onion (medium)
- 2 clove Garlic
- 1 Tomatoes (large)
- ¼ cup Sieved tomato puree aka Tomato sauce
- 1 cup Sweet corn (canned)
- ½ Bell Pepper
- 1 Green chili peppers
- 1 tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
- ½ tsp Ground cumin seeds
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ Black pepper
- 1 Tbsp Lime juice
- Freshly chopped cilantro optional on top
Instructions
- In a large pan heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Add chopped onion and cooked for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add chopped garlic and cook for another minute or two.
- Add chopped tomato, chopped green chilis, chopped bell pepper and sweet corn. Cook for 6-8 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally.
- Add tomato sauce, sweet smoked paprika, cumin, salt and black pepper. Stir well. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add day-old rice and 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the stove. Add lime juice and stir well.
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