Mexican-Style Rice
We love a BBQ, and this slimming friendly Mexican-Style Rice is a quick, easy accompaniment – great if you're calorie counting or following Weight Watchers.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories223
- Carbs43g
- Protein6.6g
- Fat2.1g
- Saturates0.2g
- Sugars3g
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
This Mexican-Style Rice is great for a quick lunch (you could even make it the day before to take to work) or for a slimming friendly buffet. It would also make a great addition to a Mexican Fakeaway – add it to fajitas or serve it as a side the Mexican Chilli Beef.
The rice has a few spices already mixed into the recipe, but if you want to make it even hotter, top the rice after it’s cooked with jalapenos or thinly chopped fresh chili for a spicy kick!
We make this recipe in a microwavable rice cooker, but you could also make the Mexican-Style Rice on the hob too.
What diets is this Mexican-Style Rice suitable for?
This Mexican-Style Rice recipe is suitable for vegetarian, vegan and dairy free diets.
It can be made gluten free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten free versions;
- Stock cube
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Mexican-Style Rice?
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We used the Lékué Rice and Grain Cooker for this Mexican-Style Rice. You could make it in a pan on the stove, but the Lékué Rice and Grain Cooker makes things so much quicker and easier. You can pick one up on Amazon.
How many calories are in this Mexican-Style Rice?
There are 223 calories per portion in this Mexican-Style Rice, which means it falls into our Everyday Light category.
You could easily cut the portion size in half, if serving as an accompaniment to cut the amount of calories down!
This Mexican-Style Rice is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Crumble the stock cubes onto the Lékué rice cooker. Add the chopped onion, chilli, peppers, peas and spices. Pour in the boiling water and stir until the stock is dissolved.
Step 2
Add the rice and hot sauce (if you’re using it) then stir.
Step 3
Pop the lid on and cook in the microwave on high power for 12 minutes.
Step 4
Remove from the microwave and give it a stir with a fork. Check the rice is cooked and the water has absorbed. If it’s not quite cooked, add a little more water and cook for another minute or two.
Step 5
When cooked, fluff up the rice with a fork and serve (sprinkled with some freshly chopped chillies if you’re feeling daring!).
What could I serve with this Mexican-Style Rice?
How do you know when Mexican-Style Rice is cooked?
The rice is cooked when it is fluffy and the water has absorbed.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep Mexican-Style Rice in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it as soon as possible.
If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Mexican-Style Rice in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
As we all know you can get food poisoning from eating reheated rice, but, it’s not actually the reheating that can cause issues, it is, in fact, the way that the rice has been stored beforehand where the problem begins.
Rice can contain spores that are resistant to heat and can survive the cooking process.
If cooked rice is left standing at room temperature these spores can grow into bacteria. At this point, the bacteria can be destroyed by reheating the rice thoroughly.
You should remember to do the following if you’re going to keep leftover rice:
- Cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour) then put it in the fridge immediately. You can split larger portions up into smaller batches to cool quicker.
- Reheat and use any leftover rice (stored in the fridge) within one day.
- When you reheat any rice, always check it is steaming hot all the way through.
- Don’t reheat cooked rice more than once.
Can I freeze Mexican-Style Rice?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
As when keeping rice in the fridge, make sure to do the following if you plan to freeze it:
- Cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour) then freeze it immediately. You can split larger portions up into smaller batches to cool quicker.
- Freeze as soon as the rice is cold.
- When you reheat any rice, always check it is steaming hot all the way through.
- Don’t reheat cooked rice more than once.
How do I reheat Mexican-Style Rice?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
For more information about reheating rice please take a look at the NHS website.
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Mexican-Style Rice
We love a BBQ, and this slimming friendly Mexican-Style Rice is a quick, easy accompaniment – great if you’re calorie counting or following Weight Watchers.
-
Prep Time
5 MINS
-
Cook Time
12 MINS
- KCals 223
- Carbs 43G
Instructions
- Crumble the stock cubes onto the Lékué rice cooker. Add the chopped onion, chilli, peppers, peas and spices. Pour in the boiling water and stir until the stock is dissolved.
- Add the rice and hot sauce (if you're using it) then stir.
- Pop the lid on and cook in the microwave on high power for 12 minutes.
- Remove from the microwave and give it a stir with a fork. Check the rice is cooked and the water has absorbed. If it's not quite cooked, add a little more water and cook for another minute or two.
- When cooked, fluff up the rice with a fork and serve (sprinkled with some freshly chopped chillies if you're feeling daring!)
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10 comments
See what others have to say
DebraSaturday 30th May 2020
Yummy and easy – a real one-pot win! I add some fresh coriander and caramelised lime wedges to serve for added zing. A good snack on its own, or a tasty accompaniment to chilli in our house. Thank you ?
LisaSunday 31st May 2020
Thank you for your comment, Debra. So glad you enjoyed it!
Laura GunnSaturday 20th July 2019
If cooking on the hob, do you still add all the ingredients and cook together? If so, would I use the same quantity of water and cook per rice instructions? Normally 12mins?
HollyWednesday 1st July 2020
Hi Laura, we haven’t tried cooking the Mexican Rice on the hob but I’ve had a look at some of our other rice recipes and the Nando’s Spicy Rice is very similar so you could easily adapt it to that method https://pinchofnom.com/recipes/nandos-spicy-rice/
N.SmithSaturday 9th February 2019
Yet again another great recipe! We had fajitas tonight, with your Mexican rice, diced tomatoes, cuc, red onions, chopped coriander and drizzled with lime juice. Gorgeous
I’ve got a vegetable steamer and threw all the rice ingredients in there, so quick and easy – I will def be making again.
I loved your “Nando’s rice”, could this be made the same way in a rice steamer as well? It was so quick and easy.
I love your recipes – I can’t wait for your book!
KateFriday 18th January 2019
Hello if I am cooking the rice on the hob as per packet instructions, would the spices still be a t tablespoon of each as per the recipe? Seems excessive in contrast to the levels of the other ingredients – plus, in the likes of dirty rice and nandos rice, it’s usually teaspoons rather than tablespoons of spices (and made on the hob). I just don’t want to add too much spices if I’m making it on the hob! Many thanks
PaulSaturday 10th February 2018
Hi is this suitable for freezing please?
MandiSunday 14th January 2018
How would I make this without the fancy rice cooker?! X
Sarah BradshawWednesday 31st May 2017
What rice do you use? I made the Nandos rice and although it tasted good it was a little stodgy. I used basmati rice. Many thanks, Sarah Bradshaw.
KateThursday 1st June 2017
Hi Sarah
We just use regular Basmati rice. Different brands of rice can more starchy than others so you might want to try rinsing it under cold water before cooking
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