Mexican Fried Rice

This quick and easy Mexican fried rice recipe is a delicious side dish for all kinds of meals. Pair it with other Mexican foods like enchiladas or quesadillas or serve it alongside fish or meat dishes.

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About Mexican Fried Rice

We cook rice frequently and it’s easier to cook a few more servings than we need and use the leftover rice as is the next day or turn it into fried rice. The great thing about this Mexican fried rice recipe is that you can make it your own. If you like things spicy, add more spices. If you lean toward milder foods, add less spice. I started making this one evening when I had leftover rice and wanted a spicy side dish. I threw it together without writing anything down and every time I made it after that, I tossed in other things until I finally nailed it. I like it the way I’ve described it here, but check out the tips and variations section below for other ideas.

I always use my instant pot when I make rice because it’s so easy and failproof. If you’ve ever wondered how long to cook various types of rice, check out this link where she covers how to cook all kinds of rice in an instant pot.

Mexican Fried Rice Ingredients

• Rice, cooked ─ Use brown rice or white rice.
• Cooking oil ─ I used avocado oil but you can use sunflower or olive oil.
• Tomato paste ─ This concentrated paste provides a nice tomato flavor without adding liquid.
• Yellow onion, chopped ─ Other onion types will work, but yellow onions cook up nicely.
• Garlic, minced or put through a garlic press ─ Adds allium flavor.
• Red bell pepper, chopped ─ This sweet, crispy ingredient adds color as well as flavor.
• Corn, frozen, thawed ─ Yellow corn works best.
• Spices ─ Green chile powder and cumin make this dish spicy. Add more if you like things really spicy.
• Salt ─ to taste

Making Mexican Fried Rice

1. Get ingredients ready

• Chop the onion and bell pepper and put the garlic through a garlic press.

2. Cook the onion, garlic, and bell pepper

• Put the oil in a large skillet and set the heat to medium.
• Add the chopped onion and cook it for 2-3 minutes.
• Put in the minced garlic and cook another minute or so.
• Add the chopped bell pepper and stir, cooking all of these ingredients for another two minutes.

3. Add the tomato paste and spices

• Using a spoon or spatula, add the tomato paste and the spices.
• Stir these ingredients well, smashing the tomato paste into the other ingredients and stirring until it is well blended.

4. Add the corn

• Add the thawed corn and combine all of these ingredients.
• Increase the heat a bit and stir until some of the rice is starting to brown.

Serving Mexican Fried Rice

That’s all there is to this Mexican fried rice dish! Put it in a bowl and serve it or just scoop it out directly onto plates. It goes great with other Mexican dishes like enchiladas or quesadillas and it adds some spicy interest when served with fish or other meats.

Tips and Variations

• Use more green chile powder or use red chile powder ─ If you like things spicy, add more chile powder or use whatever chile powder you have on hand, like Hatch red chile powder or chipotle.
• Add canned green chiles ─ We always have canned green chiles in the pantry. I use them in my green chile enchilada sauce and they’re good in quesadillas, soups, and other dishes. A tablespoon or two will add some zest to this dish.
• Colors ─ Red and orange bell peppers are my favorites, but it’s not just about flavor. The red bell peppers in this Mexican fried rice contrast with the yellow corn to make this dish look appetizing. Sometimes things can taste great without looking great, but this side dish will have people wanting to dive in because looks so good.
• Grain bowls ─ Use this rice along with beans, greens, and a tangy dressing to make good-for-you-grain bowls.

Other recipes you might like

I’ve already mentioned these recipes above, but here are some things that go great with Mexican fried rice:

• Veggie enchiladas
• Quesadillas
• Lentil tacos
• Fish tacos