On the Border Mexican Rice

On the Border is a well-known Tex-Mex chain restaurant that is popular in the Southwestern United States thanks to its straightforward and flavorful take on Tex-Mex cuisine, a mashup between Mexican and Texan traditions. Heavy on cheese, cream, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and spices, this cuisine also puts meat at the center of its recipes, with dishes heavy on beef, pork, and chicken. These recipes also feature tortillas in all shapes and sizes and saucy preparations covered in cheese. On the Border also offers delicious red rice, which is a staple of Tex-Mex and Mexican restaurants all over the world. The onion, pepper, and tomato give this rice a lot of flavor that makes it a side dish with substance. This rice is a wonderful side dish when served with sautéed vegetables, grilled chicken, beans, stuffed peppers, or fried eggs. Our copycat recipe from the original On the Border dish takes just 40 minutes and could easily become your new go-to dish on busy weekday nights when white rice or mashed potatoes just aren't enough.

Mexican rice is similar to Spanish rice. The names are often used interchangeably and although they do have many similarities, some spices are different. But the overall feeling of the dish is the same, and the red color from tomatoes and peppers is distinctive. In Mexico, the closest dish to what we know in the United States as Mexican rice is called arroz rojo, or red rice, also made with broth, onions, tomatoes, and depending on the cook, with some dried chile for spice. Some Spanish rice recipes use saffron, whereas some Mexican rice recipes use cumin, but the rices both serve the same purpose, to accompany saucy dishes and soak up all the juices on the plate, or to be the base for grilled or roasted meats.

Served with enchiladas, pork, beef, skirt steak, or just vegetables, this rice makes a wonderful and budget-friendly meal. If replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock you can also have a vegetarian and vegan-friendly dish.