all recipes are gluten-free and dairy-free

Easy Mexican Fried Rice (Gluten-Free + Vegan)

Name: Easy Mexican Fried Rice (Gluten-Free + Vegan)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: jasmine rice; avocado oil; taco seasoning; tomato sauce; water; cilantro

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This super easy Mexican rice recipe uses taco seasoning for flavor and tomato sauce for both color and flavor. It's quick, simple, and pairs perfectly with tacos and more. An easy imitation of restaurant-style Mexican fried rice.

I love that this recipe is super easy, tastes great, and pairs perfectly with tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and more. It's the perfect side dish for all Mexican-inspired meals.

Important Ingredients

Rice – I like to use Jasmine rice, but feel free to use your preferred rice.
Taco Seasoning – Taco seasoning adds flavor to this recipe. McCormick Taco Seasoning is one of my favorites, but feel free to use whichever taco seasoning you prefer.

ingredients for easy mexican fried rice

Avocado Oil – I like to use avocado oil, but another high heat oil like canola will work as well.
Tomato Sauce – Tomato sauce adds flavor, acid, and color to this recipe.

How to Make this Recipe

Preheat saute pan. Warm your saute pan on medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Add avocado oil. Add 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil to the saute pan and allow it to warm for a minute.

Add rice. Add rice to the saute pan and stir well till all of the grains are coated in oil. Fry the grains for several minutes at medium heat.

Add taco seasoning. Add 1 Tablespoon of taco seasoning to the saute pan. Stir well till the grains are coated in the seasoning. Fry for several more minutes, or till a drop of water added to the pan sizzles on contact.

rice in a pan with taco seasoning

Add the tomato sauce and 1/4 c. water. Add the tomato sauce and 1/4 c. water. Stir well. Allow to cook for a minute or two, till the water and tomato sauce are mostly absorbed.

rice in a pan with tomato sauce

Add the remaining water. When the tomato sauce is mostly absorbed, add the remaining 1 1/4 cups of water. Stir. Cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Allow to cook for approximately 15 minutes, or till rice is done.

mexican rice cooking in a pan with tomato sauce and water

Fry with extra oil. When rice is soft and water soaked up, turn the heat up to medium and allow the rice to fry for several minutes more, adding the remaining 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil as needed to prevent sticking. Stir frequently. Season with salt and pepper as desired, and garnish with cilantro.

finished mexican rice in a pan

Recipe Substitutions

Tomato Paste. If you prefer, you can use 1/4 c. tomato paste instead of tomato sauce. Just add an extra 1/4 c. of water.