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Vegan Mexican rice served in a white bowl and topped with cilantro. A silver spoon placed on the right side of the bowl.
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Vegan Mexican Rice Recipe

This Easy Vegan Mexican Rice Recipe comes together in just 1 pot and with a few simple pantry ingredients. Ready in less than 30 minutes!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword basmati rice, mexican rice, spicy food, tomato rice, tomato sauce
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 138kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon vegan butter (or olive oil)
  • 1 small yellow or red onion, finely diced
  • 1 medium-small red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1-2 red chilies, diced (depending on how spicy you like it)
  • 1 cup long-grain rice, rinsed (I use basmati)
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ¾ cup tomato sauce
  • 1 ½ cup vegetable broth or water
  • 4 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

  • Heat the vegan butter in a medium-sized pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion and red bell pepper and saute for 4-5 minutes, occasionally stirring, until softened.
  • Add the minced garlic and red chilies and saute for 30 more seconds. Add the rice and the spices, and toast everything for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring very often to prevent burning.
  • Add the vegetable broth and tomato sauce and stir to scrap off any browned bits stuck at the bottom. Cover with a lid and cook for 13-15 minutes, stirring once halfway through. After that, make sure to stir every 2 minutes, stirring more and more often towards the end, because this is when the rice tends to burn easily.
  • Once ready, remove the pot from the beat and let the rice steam with the lid on for 10 minutes. Fluff it with a fork and stir in the chopped cilantro and lemon juice. Serve!

Notes

  • Rinse your rice. In order to get fluffy rice, you need to rinse the rice under cold water a few times, until the water comes out clear. If you skip this step the rice will be sticky and somewhat mushy.
  • Sautee the veggies before adding the rice. This way the vegetables release their natural sugars and start to caramelize, which builds a layer of flavor.
  • Stir very often towards the end. This is really important to prevent burning the bottom of the rice. Don't just let it simmer and walk away. Stir every 1-2 minutes towards the end.
  • Let the rice steam before serving it. This ensures that every little bit of rice will be well-cooked without needing to overcook it on the stove.
  • This vegan Mexican rice recipe is on the milder side, if you like to make it spicier, you can add 1 teaspoon of chili powder or a few pinches of red pepper flakes.
 
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 2g