Rotel Mexican Rice – effortless to make and packed full of amazing flavor! White rice, butter, chicken broth, taco seasoning, cumin, and Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles. It is the perfect side dish for all of your Mexican-inspired meals. One bite and this is sure to become a family favorite!
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Spray a 9x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Add all the ingredients to the prepared pan.
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil. Stir the rice and bake uncovered for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.
Notes:
Do I have to rinse the rice? Rinsing the rice removes excess starch and helps the grains remain separate. It may be sticky or gummy if you don’t rinse the rice.
Can I use brown rice? I am sure you can, but I have not tried this recipe with brown rice, so I can not say what modifications need to be made.
Brown rice requires more cooking liquid and takes longer to cook.
I use 4 to 6 tablespoons of butter. I think that is plenty of butter. You can increase the amount to a whole stick of butter for richer rice.
Here is our recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning made with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
I suggest using low-sodium chicken broth or salt-free chicken broth.
What can I add to the rice?
Sauteed onion
bell pepper
Cooked ground beef
black beans
corn
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.