Cheesy Mexican Rice Recipe

Cheesy Mexican Rice is our favorite Mexican side dish! We are obsessed with this cheesy Tex Mex rice loaded with all the best ingredients; pico de gallo, cilantro, cheese, onion, corn, green chiles, and more. This Mexican Rice Recipe is one of the best side dish recipes for Cinco de Mayo.

I have over 900 recipes on my site and I’m about to say something really serious. THIS EASY CHEESY TEX MEX RICE IS ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITE RECIPES ON THE COOKIE ROOKIE. I like every recipe I post on here. Every single recipe is eaten by our family and approved. But this recipe just seems special.

It’s the kind of super simple recipe I can see us making time and time and time again. I want to make it as a side dish for fajitas, tacos, or even just chicken breasts. I want to toss beef or chicken into the mix and make it a main course. It’s BEYOND delicious and so customizable. I’m really proud of it and I hope you love it as much as we do!

This recipe would be a whole lot more complicated without my fave brand, Old El Paso. Their Taco Seasoning (or Spicy Taco Seasoning if you’re feeling adventurous!) makes things so easy. One ounce is all you need to make this Cheesy Tex Mex Rice just the right flavor. Their green chiles pack the perfect punch to kick things up a notch. Ugh, I’m just so excited for you to try this!

This Tex Mex Rice is loaded with corn, green peppers, diced tomatoes, onion, green chiles, fresh cilantro, and CHEESE! It cooks down to a melty, caramelized, delicious side dish that I simply cannot get enough of. I wish I would have come up with this years ago. I need as much as possible of it in my life!

Drop whatever your dinner plans are and make this Easy Cheesy Tex Mex Rice TONIGHT! Pair it with your favorite Mexican dishes or layer it onto nachos, tacos, and more. It even works like a dream as a dip for tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Watch the video or see the recipe card below for full details on How to Make Mexican Rice. Enjoy!

Easy Cheesy Tex Mex Rice

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 498 kcal

Author: Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie

Cheesy Mexican Rice is our favorite Mexican side dish! We are obsessed with this cheesy Tex Mex rice loaded with all the best ingredients; pico de gallo, cilantro, cheese, onion, corn, green chiles, and more. This Mexican Rice Recipe is one of the best side dish recipes for Cinco de Mayo.

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Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked white rice
• 1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn I like fire roasted corn if getting frozen
• 1 cup diced green pepper
• 1 1 ounce packed Old El Paso Taco Seasoning (or Spicy Taco Seasoning)
• 1 4.5 ounce can Old El Paso green chiles, undrained
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro minced
• 2 cups Mexican Blend cheese
• Freshly diced tomatoes onion and cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the cooked rice into a bowl with all the other ingredients, adding the cheese last. Stir until everything is fully combined.
2. Pour the mixture into a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. (note: make sure your cast iron is properly seasoned or this will still pretty bad. If seasoned it should be fine)
3. Allow to cook for 30 minutes, stirring and releasing from the bottom and sides every 5 minutes. Do not stir more than that, you want everything to caramelize. YUM! That cheesy crust forming on the side and bottom is the best part so be sure to scrape it all back into the rice.
4. Serve garnished with more cilantro and freshly diced onion and tomato. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Easy Cheesy Tex Mex Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 498 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17g 26%

Saturated Fat 9g 45%

Cholesterol 53mg 18%

Sodium 1255mg 52%

Potassium 540mg 15%

Total Carbohydrates 67g 22%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20%

Sugars 8g

Protein 20g 40%

Vitamin A 31.6%

Vitamin C 71.2%

Calcium 44%

Iron 16.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thank you Old El Paso for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Thanks so much for supporting the brands that help support The Cookie Rookie!