This Mexican fried rice has quickly won over my heart. It’s fast (uses leftover rice) and the flavors are SO delicious. We love to serve it as a side dish along with any Mexican-type main course.
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Hello my friends!
How are you?
I’ve been a little MIA with the recipe posting this month due to some urgent family affairs (including a funeral) that have needed my attention. But I’m back this week and I’ve got some recipes that I can’t wait to share with you.
And this Mexican fried rice is definitely one of those.
It may not look like much, but it has completely won over my heart.
The flavors are so good. Lots of delicious spices in there without the heat. If you do want to turn up the heat, you could always serve it with some hot sauce.
A bit different than this Mexican rice that I posted last year, but equally satisfying and delicious. This Mexican fried rice has more veggies. In fact, it’s a great “clean out the fridge” side dish because you can use leftover rice and the veggies are adaptable too.
Let’s dive into a few details…
Let’s talk pans really quick.
I love my cast iron Dutch oven (aff. link) and use it for recipes like this one. A large cast iron skillet would be my second choice. But you could probably get away with using any large nonstick skillet or wok that you have.
One of the keys for success for Asian-style fried rice recipes is to use cold rice, and this Mexican fried rice is no different . That’s where the leftover rice comes in, my friends. Super handy because it seems like there is always leftover rice hanging out in the fridge.
If you do want to make the rice just for this dish, it takes about 3/4 to 1 cup of uncooked long grain white rice. I usually cook my rice in the electric pressure cooker for 6 minutes on HIGH Pressure. I add a 3:5 ratio of rice to water and a little salt. I’ve never tried it, but I think cooked long grain brown rice would work great too.
To create this recipe, I actually adapted this recipe from Premeditated Leftovers. My version includes shredded cabbage instead of part of the rice and I changed up the cooking method a bit. Adding cabbage gives a wonderful texture (I like the cabbage just barely softened, not overcooked), more flavor, and makes it lighter carb-wise.
Steps for recipe success…
First, I spend a few minutes blackening the corn before adding all the other ingredients. Blackening the corn gives it a little more caramelized flavor that I love. Well worth the few extra minutes it takes.
The rest of the cooking process goes quick. Sautéing the onions, garlic, and carrots first ensures they will be nice and tender before adding the rice and cabbage, which don’t need as long to cook.
Mix in some dry spices and stir everything together.
Very last I add the blackened corn back in along with a diced roma tomato (I like roma tomatoes because they are not extra juicy), and a can of drained green chilies. I usually just stir everything together and give it just a minute to heat through. Sprinkle on some chopped fresh cilantro if you like.
And then dig in.
What to serve it with…
This rice would be delicious served with any good Mexican-style main dish: tacos, refried beans, or on a taco salad.
You could even add some cooked meat and call it a main dish.
We had this the other night with this chile verde. Oh my goodness. The combo was so amazing. We sliced some avocados, adding some cheese on top and dug into the whole mess with chips.
It was heavenly.
I love me a good Mexican feast.
Mexican Fried Rice
This Mexican fried rice has quickly won over my heart. It's fast (uses leftover rice) and the flavors are SO delicious. We love to serve it as a side dish along with any Mexican-type main course.
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen corn
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅔ cup diced white or yellow onion about ½ small onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup shredded or chopped matchstick carrots from about 1 medium carrot
- 3 cups cooked long grain rice cooled, see note
- 2 ½ cups shredded green cabbage from about ¼ of a medium head
- 1 teaspoon dried cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 roma tomato diced
- 1 4-ounce can green chilies drained
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped fresh cilantro if desired
Instructions
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Heat a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add frozen corn kernels and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often until blackened. Remove from pan and set aside.
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Turn heat down to medium low and add diced onions, minced garlic, and shredded carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often until onions are translucent and carrots are softened.
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Add rice and cabbage and stir well. Stir in cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until rice is warmed through and cabbage is starting to wilt.
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Add blackened corn, diced roma tomato, and drained green chilies and cook for 1 minute until just barely heated through. Stir well and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve garnished with chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.
Recipe Notes
1. I normally use leftover refrigerated rice in this recipe. If you do want to cook the rice just for this dish, it takes about ¾ to 1 cup of uncooked long grain white rice. Make sure to refrigerate it after cooking for a little while. I usually cook rice in the electric pressure cooker for 6 minutes on HIGH Pressure. I add a 3:5 ratio of rice to water and a little salt. I’ve never tried it, but I think cooked long grain brown rice would work great too.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat, adapted from Premeditated Leftovers
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
