Name: Mexican Brown Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 medium ripe tomatoes, or 1 small can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 small yellow onion, root end trimmed and quartered; 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 cups long-grain brown rice (do not rinse!); 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (scale back or omit if sensitive to spice); 2 ½ cups vegetable broth; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 teaspoon salt, to taste; ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro; Red pepper flakes, optional, for extra heat; 1 lime, sliced into wedges, for serving

Mexican Brown Rice

Healthy Mexican rice that tastes amazing! This recipe is made with brown rice, which is perfectly fluffy after baking in the oven. This isn't a quick recipe, but it does clear the stovetop for use. Check the recipe notes for a shortcut, etc. Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings.

1 hr 30 min total 10 min prep 1 hr 20 min cook 6 326 cal

Instructions

Tap a step to mark it done

1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a food processor or blender, combine the tomatoes, onion and garlic, and blend until smooth. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out 2 cups of the tomato mixture and discard the rest.
2 Warm the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven* over medium heat until shimmering. Add the rice and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 to 3 minutes.
3 Add the vegetable broth (watch out for splatters), tomato mixture, tomato paste (add a little extra if you’re using fresh tomatoes that aren’t super flavorful), and salt. Stir to combine, then increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
4 Cover the pot with the lid and carefully transfer it to the oven. Bake until the liquid is absorbed (the rice will look dry when you take off the lid, but don’t worry) and the rice is tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
5 Stir in the cilantro and season to taste with additional salt, if necessary (I often add another ¼ to ½ teaspoon). If you’d like spicier rice, add a pinch of red pepper flakes and stir again. Serve with lime wedges on the side.