Authentic Mexican Rice

I made this Mexican Rice with the Chicken Enchiladas that I posted last year.  The last time I made these enchiladas I served Spanish Quinoa instead of rice.  I decided to be more authentic this time and make a traditional rice dish.  I also served some refried beans.  You can make this rice spicy by using medium or hot salsa instead of the tomato sauce.

Authentic Mexican Rice

Prep. Time:  5 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil

¼ medium onion, chopped

1-1/2 cups rice

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2-1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup plain tomato sauce*

4 heaping tablespoons of finely chopped parsley (optional)

Preparation:

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add the fresh onion and garlic.  Sauté for 1-2 minutes until softened.  Add dry rice and cook with the onions for about 5-6 minutes or until rice becomes a golden brown color.

Add in broth and tomato sauce (add slowly into the rice, not directly into a hot pan).  Then add parsley if you’re using it.  Stir it up and bring to a boil.  Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cover.  Let it simmer for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork.

*Substitutions:  If you don’t have fresh garlic or onions on hand you can use the equivalent in powder form.  Do not sauté the powder, just skip that step and add the garlic powder and/or onion powder when you add the liquids.  If you don’t have tomato sauce you can use 1 cup of unseasoned stewed tomatoes (with their liquid) that have been chopped, or canned diced tomatoes with their liquid.  Rotel and jarred salsa can also be substituted for the tomato sauce. 

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