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Flavor-Packed Mexican Rice

April 21, 2022 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

Head to flavor town each and every time you take a bite of this Mexican rice! Not only is it easy to make, but it goes with so many different dishes. If you wanted to, you could even add a protein in with it to make it an easy one pan meal.

We love eating it with carnitas and sheet pan fajitas. It’s also nice to have when you serve up other Mexican-inspired recipes like homemade salsa and shrimp ceviche. Don’t be alarmed when you see peppers in the recipe, it actually has a mild to medium spice level – just enough for the added kick.

mexican rice in a cast iron skillet with wooden spoon

Another way you could use Mexican rice is by adding it to a burrito bowl with traditional toppings such as black beans, corn, avocado, or even other vegetables. It also adds a nice twist to the average taco night or when you have enchiladas, which is a go-to for us because they are so easy.

top view of mexican rice in a skillet next to other ingredients topped with sliced jalapenos

Table of contents

  • How to Make the Best Mexican Rice on the Stove top

Easy Mexican Rice Ingredients

  • Canola oil – or your favorite cooking oil (vegetable oil will work just as well)
  • Veggies: Onions, jalapenos, Rotel tomatoes
  • Herbs and Seasonings: minced garlic, cumin, cilantro, creole seasoning (we like Tony Chacer’s and we use it in our Dirty Rice too)
  • Tomato paste
  • Rice – Jasmine or any long grain white rice will work. We prefer a white rice variety.
  • Water – you can substitute chicken broth or add a teaspoon of chicken bouillon along with the other ingredients.
  • Lime juice – try to use fresh if possible, it makes all the difference

ingredients needed to make Spanish rice

How to Make the Best Mexican Rice on the Stove top

Saute the diced onions, peppers, and garlic in oil over medium heat in a large skillet until they are soft and tender.

Stir in the cumin, creole seasoning, and tomato paste.

Add the rice, followed by the water and Rotel.

Bring it to a simmer (boil) over medium high heat, then reduce. Cook for 30 minutes, covered with a lid, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Fluff with a fork and remove from the heat.

Squeeze a little lime juice, garnish with cilantro, and serve! If needed, season with salt to taste.

Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for 4-5 days.

mexcian rice in a cast iron skillet topped with cilantro and jalapeno slice

Variations and Substitutions

  • Add more jalapeno, chili powder, and/or a spicier creole/cajun seasoning to increase the spiciness.
  • Substitute fresh or canned tomatoes (plain) for the Rotel and reduce spicy seasoning/omit the jalapeno for a very mild rice.
  • To make a cauliflower spanish rice – substitute one head of finely riced cauliflower for the rice and omit the water in the recipe.  Cauliflower rice takes only 5 minutes or so to cook rather than the 30 minutes that jasmine rice will take.
side view of mexican rice in cast iron skillet topped with jalapeno slices

Common FAQs

Is there a difference between Spanish rice and Mexican rice?

In today’s world, most people just use these terms interchangeably. Technically Spanish rice is supposed to be a little firmer than the melt in your mouth Mexican restaurant style rice.

Spanish rice is also traditionally made using Saffron rather than tomatoes and includes diced onion and bell pepper.

Can Mexican rice be frozen?

Sure can! Once the rice has cooled completely, transfer it to a freezer safe bag or airtight container. To reheat, let it thaw overnight or cook it straight from the bag. Use the microwave or the stovetop and heat until it’s warmed all of the way through.

Can Mexican rice be made with brown rice?

As long as it’s a long grain variety, it may just take a little longer to cook.

top view of mexican rice in cast iron skillet with red linen and jalapeno garnish

Mexican Rice

This flavorful Mexican rice recipe is a great side dish for any Mexican inspired meal.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 311kcal
Author: girlinspired
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil or your favorite cooking oil
  • ½ large yellow onion diced (1 cup)
  • 1-2 fresh jalapenos diced
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2-3 teaspoons creole seasoning we like Tony Chacer’s
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 ½ cups jasmine rice or long-grain rice
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 1 15oz. can Rotel tomatoes (undrained)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat oil over medium in a large skillet. Saute diced onion, jalapeno and garlic for 8-10 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
  • Mix in the tomato paste, cumin, and creole seasoning until combined – mixture will be thick and paste-like.
  • Stir the rice into the mixture and then stir in the water and the can of Rotel.
  • Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
  • Remove from heat and fluff the rice with a fork.
  • Garnish with fresh squeezed lime juice and chopped cilantro.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 709IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

Filed Under: Food and Recipes, Soups|Salads|Side Dishes Tagged With: jalapeno, rice, tomato

Dirty Rice

January 29, 2022 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

Dirty Rice is a super flavorful and hearty side dish, with just a little kick from the creole seasoning. If you didn’t want to make a big meal you could easily serve this for an easy weeknight dinner. It is so filling, so delicious and everything is cooked in one pan.

ground beef and sausage dirty rice in a skillet with wooden spoon next to garlic and green pepper

It’s about to get real southern around here because these authentic flavors are exactly what you would find if you were dining in the French Quarter. That may sound fancy but this dirty rice recipe is actually really simple to make and you probably have everything on hand already with the exception of the cajun seasoning.

I know you will probably make this as a side, but it does hit the spot as the main event when you aren’t in the mood to stand in the kitchen all night. I love one pan meals because clean up is easy and most of the time there is minimal prepwork involved like with my Chili Mac and Shrimp Pad Thai.

a small plate of cajun dirty rice with a fork

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY THESE EASY RECIPES

  • Buffalo Chicken Fries
  • Jalapeno Poppers
  • Classic Pot Roast
  • Beef and Broccoli

WHY IS IT CALLED DIRTY RICE?

Traditionally if you followed the old Louisiana way, this classic cajun dish is made with chicken liver. After it has simmered you can imagine, because of the meat and spices, the rice will no longer be white, which makes it “dirty”. Long ago this was a dish that everyone could afford and was relatively cheap to make for those who had larger families but few resources.

Fast forward to today, dirty rice has been transformed over and over with many recipes holding that creole flavor but the meat that is used is most likely not liver.

INGREDIENTS

  • MEATS: ground pork sausage, ground beef – as I mentioned if you want to eat a more authentic dish, swap these for chicken liver or add in addition
  • SPICES & SEASONINGS: minced garlic, salt and pepper, Tony Chacer’s creole seasoning, parsley
  • VEGGIES: onion, green bell pepper, celery
  • RICE: any long grain variety will work, we like jasmine rice, but you can certainly swap in brown rice for a whole grain meal
  • BROTH: beef broth is the best, but you could probably swap for chicken broth if that’s all you have or if you are using just chicken livers for the meat.
ingredients for dirty rice

HOW TO MAKE DIRTY RICE WITH GROUND BEEF AND SAUSAGE

Saute the ground beef and pork sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook until almost all of the pink is gone.

Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery to the meat mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the veggies have softened.

Season with salt and pepper (just go light when salting), creole seasoning, white rice, and beef broth. Stir well, scrap the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits, and add thyme sprigs to the top.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the thyme and fluff the rice with a fork.

Stir in chopped parsley or sprinkle on top before serving as a garnish.

taking a scoop of dirty rice off small plate with a fork

TIPS FOR MAKING

  • Be careful about adding too much salt.  If you are using a seasoned ground sausage,regular-sodium beef broth and a cajun/creole seasoning that includes salt, you probably will not need to add any salt.  
  • Use a skillet that is at least 2 inches deep and has a lid.
  • I like to set the thyme sprig on the top of the mixture just before putting the lid on. Then, it’s super easy to find it and remove once the rice is cooked.  You can also strip the leaves off of the thyme sprigs and simply stir them into the rice mixture.  Leaves do not need to be removed after cooking.
top shot of dirty rice garnished with parsley in a skillet

HOW TO STORE

Place the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

You can also freeze dirty rice for up to 1 month. Allow it to cool then add to a freezer safe bag or container. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop over low to medium heat until warm (or reheat in the microwave, of course!)

VARIATIONS OF DIRTY RICE

Chicken: As mentioned you can use chicken livers. If you want to experiment with poultry and can’t find those, you can also use gizzards

Sweetness: Use red or yellow bell pepper for a slightly sweeter flavor.

Spicier: Mince some jalapenos or add a little cayenne pepper if you like more heat.

ground beef and sausage dirty rice in a pan on a trivet

Easy Dirty Rice

Dirty Rice is a super flavorful and hearty side dish, with just a little kick from the creole seasoning. If you didn't want to make a big meal you could easily serve this for an easy weeknight dinner.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 307kcal
Author: girlinspired
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • ½ pound ground pork sausage
  • ½ pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup diced green bell pepper 1 pepper
  • 1 cup diced celery about 2 ribs
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Tony Chacer’s creole seasoning
  • 1 ½ cups long-grain rice
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • Parsley for garnish
  • 1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, saute ground beef and ground sausage over medium high heat. Use a spatula to break apart the meat and cook until most of the meat is no longer pink (about 4-5 minutes).
    browning the meat in a skillet
  • Add garlic, onion, pepper, and celery to the skillet and saute an additional 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
    veggies being added to the meat for dirty rice
  • Add salt and pepper (be cautious you do not oversalt), creole seasoning, rice, and beef broth. Stir and add thyme sprigs to the top of the mixture.
    seasonings sprinkled into the meat mixture
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat and cover skillet. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
    beef broth being poured into the rice mixture
  • Remove the thyme sprigs and fluff rice.
  • Add chopped parsley for garnish and serve.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Notes:   
Traditional dirty rice is made with chicken liver.  You can use liver instead of or in addition to the other meats.
 
Be careful about adding too much salt.  If you are using a seasoned ground sausage, regular-sodium beef broth and a cajun/creole seasoning that includes salt, you probably will not need to add any salt.  
 
Use a skillet that is at least 2 inches deep and has a lid.
 
I like to set the thyme sprig on the top of the mixture so it is easy to find it and remove once the rice is cooked.  You can also strip the leaves off of the thyme sprigs and simply stir them into the rice mixture.  Leaves do not need to be removed after cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 548mg | Potassium: 344mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 407IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

Filed Under: Food and Recipes, Main Course, Soups|Salads|Side Dishes Tagged With: ground beef, rice, sausage

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