Quick and Easy Mexican Rice

Mexican rice is an easy and flavorful dish that makes an excellent side to beef, chicken, turkey, pork, or seafood, but it's also a great vegetarian and vegan-friendly main dish. The recipe is adapted from a northern Mexican style of seasoning rice, a wonderful one-pot meal that feeds many at low cost and requires very little preparation, as you'd be using already cooked rice in our recipe. Be mindful that this doesn't represent the only style of rice that is eaten in Mexico, but it's an American adaptation of a way of seasoning rice. In Mexico, rice dishes are plentiful and all different.

During the Spanish invasion and conquest of Mexico, rice and wheat arrived as new ingredients. The dish that originated in Mexico is sometimes called Spanish rice, not because the Spanish eat a rice dish like this one but because they brought rice over from Asia and introduced it to America. In short, Mexican rice is seasoned rice with a tomato base, but seasonings, herbs, and vegetables vary from recipe to recipe and are also adaptable to what you have at hand. Our quick version is a convenient way of seasoning your rice and can be on your table in just 10 minutes.

Serve this recipe with your favorite proteins, or make it vegetarian fare with some beans, avocado, and pico de gallo on the side. Stuff burritos with it, top it with fried eggs, or add cooked vegetables and leftover beef or chicken for a riff on stir-fried rice.