Every time I go to a Mexican restaurant, I judge their quality by the chips, salsa, and rice. Rice should be moist, not oily, fluffy, full of flavor and not have any of that extra stuff....chunks of peppers, onions and whatnot. Your entree is the star of the show, and the rice should be the supporting actor, complementing your main attraction.
This recipe comes from a good friend of mine, who is Hispanic and has shared her authentic recipes with me. One of her time saving secrets is using Caldo de Tomate, a powdered tomato/chicken bouillon and spices that is so good in rice, enchilada sauce, added to shredded chicken for tacos, enchiladas, tacquitos, and much, much more. I keep a jar of this in my fridge, which keeps well for at least a year. If you don't have access to this seasoning, I provide the ingredients in my recipe below that will still make a fantastic Mexcian style rice.
One of the first steps to cooking this recipe is to brown the rice in a little bit of oil. Why? This not only helps keep the rice grains separate, it adds some caramelization and flavor to the rice, so don't skip this step!
There's no need to rinse the rice in this recipe, which is a time saver.
I have been making this rice for years on the stove top, but this recipe is easily converted for a pressure cooker. You don't need to use as much liquid, since a pressure cooker keeps much of the liquid inside during cooking. You'll find both methods in my recipe below.
Enjoy!
Pressure Cooker Notes:
*Turn Keep Warm Off. It can cause the rice to stick and burn to the bottom of the pot.
*Rice setting automatically adjusts the time based on the VOLUME of white rice added to the pot. (This is ONLY for white rice)
*Never fill the insert more than half full, as rice foams during cooking.
*Rinsing is not necessary unless directed in the recipe. Rinsing removes starch, but also adds water to the recipe. In pressure cooking, the residual water after rinsing can compensate for what little is lost during the time it takes to bring the cooker to pressure.
*Altitude, location, hardness of your water, age and dryness ALL affect the outcome of your rice.
*Use a 1:1 ratio (1 cup rice, 1 cup water/broth).
*Take notes and adjust the cook time to your preference. Longer cook times result in a softer texture.
*Add more water if you want your rice a little softer.
*Reduce the water if you see water in the cooker after fluffing the rice.
Restaurant Mexican Rice - Stove Top & Pressure Cooker
Light, fluffy, moist and perfectly flavored rice that is the perfect accompaniment to any Mexican entree. No need to rinse your rice! Use the other half of your 8oz can of tomato sauce to make enchilada sauce or freeze it for your next batch of rice. If you do not have Caldo de Tomate, use the onion, salt & garlic as directed in the recipe. See Notes in my post for Pressure Cooker adjustments & reduce the broth as noted in the ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Caldo de Tomate (if using, omit the onion, salt & garlic)
- 1/4 cup diced onion*
- 1/2 teaspoon salt*
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder* (or two pressed garlic cloves)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce (half of a 8oz can)
- 2 cups chicken broth (or 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon +2 cups water)
- Pressure Cooker: REDUCE the broth to 1 cup (6qt cooker) or 1,5 cups for 8 qt cooker
Instructions
1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat.2. Pour in dry long grain rice and stir, cooking until golden brown.3. Toss in Caldo de Tomate -OR- onion, salt and garlic, stirring until fragrant.4. Slowly pour in tomato sauce and chicken broth, stirring to completely coat the browned rice.5. Cover, and bring rice to boil, then quickly reduce heat to LOW.6. Simmer for 20-25 minutes.7. Remove from heat and fluff the rice with a fork, serving immediately. PRESSURE COOK DIRECTIONS1.TURN KEEP WARM OFF. Select Saute Low. Add oil to insert. 2. When Hot, add dry rice, stirring until golden brown.3. Add Caldo de Tomate -OR- onion, salt & garlic, stirring until fragrant.4. Add broth, tomato sauce and stir well.5. Cover, close pressure valve, and select RICE or High Pressure for 8-10 minutes.6. After the cook time has ended, let the cooker naturally release pressure for 11-13 minutes (NPR).7. Open pressure valve, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 4-6 servings
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