June 19, 2013 // 324 Comments »
Add this simple Mexican Wild Rice recipe as a tasty side dish to your next taco night. Can be made in rice cooker or on stovetop.
Taco night returned last night. Yay! My son mentioned over the weekend that we should make chicken tacos at home this week, just like Chipotles. Sounds great to me son! I love that my kids are starting to embrace Mexican food more than a simple cheese quesadilla – it makes me happy to see them grabbing for fixings to add to their tacos on their plates.
For this week’s taco night I wanted to add a simple side that I’ve made a couple times before using my beloved rice cooker. There are a few small appliances I have picked up over the years that have become lifesavers in the kitchen for me – this rice cooker being one of them (which is why I’m giving one away today!). I have to admit, when I first got my rice cooker, I was a little intimidated by it. I haven’t always cooked a ton of rice, and the water to rice ratio always threw me off for some reason, it just never turned out right. I am happy to report I’ve finally gotten over the intimidation and use my rice cooker almost weekly.
The best thing about this recipe for Mexican Rice that I’m sharing with you today is that I made it all in the rice cooker – at the same time. It is the easiest dish to put together ever! Pair it up with the chicken I cooked in the slow cooker for the tacos and I almost feel guilty about all the compliments I got at dinner last night – it was seriously one of the easiest dinners I’ve made in a while. All I had to really do when it came to dinner time is shred up the chicken and warm up the tortillas. Good stuff.
You can play with this rice a bit. I’ve added pinto beans to the mix before, but this time I tried corn. I always start with the rice and water at the bottom, then put the extras right up on top – without stirring. Once the cooker does it’s magic I fluff it up real good with a fork, drizzle some olive oil over it and season it well with salt and pepper. It’s a perfect side dish for taco night! Enjoy!
Print Recipe
Mexican Wild Rice
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 2 1/4 cup water
- 1 15 oz can diced onion and garlic tomatoes, drained
- 1 small can diced chilies, drained
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- handful chopped cilantro
Directions:
- Place rice, water, tomatoes, chilies and corn into rice cooker, in that order in layers. Do not stir (make sure rice is at bottom with water). Set to cook.
- Once rice cooker is done cooking, open lid and using a fork, carefully fluff up rice. Drizzle olive oil over rice and season well with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Add in handful of chopped cilantro, stir and serve.
If you don't have a rice cooker, prepare your rice in a pot on your stove top as directed, adding in the additional ingredients just like in these directions. They will all cook up together the same way.
Follow AggiesKitchen on Instagram and show us what recipes you are making from the blog! Use the hashtag #aggieskitchen - I'd love to see what you are cooking up!
Add this Mexican Wild Rice recipe to your next quesadilla or taco night:
Black Chili Bean and Avocado Quesadillas
Oven Baked Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas
Madison’s Favorite Slow Cooker Beef Tacos | Skinnytaste
Skinny Baja Chicken Tacos | The Live Fit Girls
Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Healthy Recipes on Pinterest.
Are you following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest? If you’d like to subscribe to Aggie’s Kitchen and have each post delivered straight to your e-mail box, then please add your email here. Happy cooking!
There are affiliate links in this post. I make small earnings through any purchases made through these links. Thank you for supporting Aggie’s Kitchen!
Giveaway Healthy Rice Side Dishes Vegetarian
posted June 19, 2013 by Aggie Goodman
324 Comments//Leave a Comment »
Keep In Touch
Never miss a recipe! Subscribe to receive new post updates via email:
Click HERE to Subscribe!
FAQs
Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; season with onion powder and garlic powder. Stir in rice and cook until golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in water and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
How many cups of water for 1 cup of wild rice? ›
1 Cup Wild Rice. 1-2 cups water (texture will be par-cooked with 1 cup of water, very soft with 2 cups- I prefer 1 ½ cups of water for slightly chewy 'al dente' rice) ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Should I rinse my rice before making Mexican rice? ›
It may seem stupid- but rinsing the rice to remove the starch is very important if you want fluffy rice. It will only take two minutes of your time but it makes the difference.
Should wild rice be soaked before cooking? ›
Rinse your uncooked wild rice grains with cool, clean water. This removes any dust or debris that has settled in storage. Wild rice does not need to be soaked before cooking.
Why does Mexican restaurant rice taste better? ›
Why does Mexican restaurant rice taste better? The method used to make Mexican rice involves lightly frying the uncooked rice in oil which helps it absorb more flavor from the seasoning and cook to a perfect consistency. In addition, a traditional blend of spices and diced vegetables and potatoes create unique flavor.
How to tell when wild rice is done? ›
The wild rice grains will pop open when they're done and will have a chewy “al dente” feel when you taste it. You don't want any crunch left, but also don't want it to be mushy. Once it's cooked, turn off the heat and leave the wild rice covered for an additional 15 minutes.
How much wild rice makes 2 cups? ›
Wild rice expands three to four times after cooking. One cup uncooked (6 ounces) will yield about 3-4 cups cooked. One pound uncooked wild rice measures about 2 2/3 cups and will yield about 8 to 10 cups cooked. Wild rice can be served hot, warm or chilled.
Is wild rice healthier than white rice? ›
white rice. When comparing wild, brown, and white rice for nutritional purposes, wild rice comes out on top. Wild rice has less calories, less fat, and less carbohydrates than both brown and white rice. It is also a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids.
How to know when Mexican rice is done? ›
Once it all comes to a boil, cover it up and turn down the heat. A clear lid is helpful here so you can see when the rice is done, but really 20 minutes is about all it takes. If after 20 minutes there's still some liquid in the pan, just let it continue to cook until you can no longer see liquid bubbling to the top.
Why is my Mexican rice mushy? ›
The rice should be a tiny bit on the dry side (but still soft and fluffy). If your rice is really wet and mushy, you probably added too much water and/or overcooked it.
Top tips for the perfect fluffy (not sticky) rice:
Rinse your rice in cold water before cooking to remove some of the starch. Sauté the uncooked rice in a little olive oil to lightly toast before adding the liquid. Stir frequently to make sure the rice doesn't burn.
How much water for 2 cups of wild rice? ›
What's the water to rice ratio for wild rice? Although it's pricey, the good news is that with a 1 to 4 ratio (1 cup wild rice to 4 cups water) you get a big bang for your buck. One cup of raw wild rice translates to about 4 cups of cooked wild rice.
What happens if you don't rinse wild rice? ›
Step 1: Rinse the Rice
Pour a cup of wild rice into a mesh sieve and give it a good rinse. This will rid the rice of any starch that's lingering on the outside of the grain. This extra starch can make your rice—be it wild or any other kind—gummy once it cooks.
Why is wild rice so hard to cook? ›
Directions for Cooking Wild Rice on the Stove
It is a hard grain, so it will take longer to cook, like pasta. Place your 1 cup of wild rice and 4 cups of water into a pot. Bring to a boil and then cover. Let simmer for around 45 minutes or until has popped.
What is the difference between Spanish rice and Mexican rice? ›
One of the main differences between these two rice dishes is that Mexican rice is fluffier and tends not to stick together. Whilst Spanish Rice is known for that rich yellow color, Mexican Rice is best known for its reddish orange hue that it gets from being cooked with cumin.
Why does my Mexican rice always come out hard? ›
If the heat is too high, the water evaporates before the rice has a chance to fully cook. If you don't add enough water, the rice ends up dry and crunchy. And if you don't cook the rice long enough, it gets soft on the outside but doesn't cook through.
How do you make Mexican rice less mushy? ›
Use HOT water!
But my abuela told me you have to add hot water and that the liquid on the sides of the pot should be bubbling when you pour it in. I think this helps with the texture of the rice- it ensures that you get perfectly fluffy rice that is not mushy or clumps together.
Why do you brown Mexican rice before cooking? ›
When you add the rice to the oil, toast it really well! This extra step takes a few minutes, but it adds really great flavor to the rice. The trick to get that great color and flavor: Tomato bullion cubes add great flavor, and they're what makes the rice turn that perfect orange color that you're looking for.
