Easy Vegan Mexican Rice Recipe (2024)

Ingredients

🥕See the printable recipe card below for quantities & details

Here are ingredients I used in this recipe with suggested substitutions:

• Brown rice - substitute with long grain white rice
• Vegetable broth - substitute with water or water with vegan bouillon
• Yellow onion - substitute with red or white onion or scallions
• Red bell pepper - substitute with any variety bell pepper or use jalapeño
• Corn - fresh, frozen or canned
• Crushed tomatoes - substitute with canned whole tomatoes pulsed in blender
• Chunky salsa - any variety
• Cumin - substitute with coriander or a tiny amount of saffron for a Spanish flavor
• Chili powder - substitute with paprika
• Olive oil - use avocado oil, vegetable oil, or no oil (replace with water)
• Salt & pepper

Variations & Add-ins

🥕Don't have all the right ingredients on hand? No worries! The beauty of this easy vegan Mexican rice recipe is you can add/substitute or delete ingredients & end up with an absolutely delicious dish. Don't be afraid to mix it up a bit if needed.

• Vegan burger crumbles
• Black beans or pinto beans
• Carrots
• Celery
• Mushrooms
• Cilantro
• Taco seasoning

Instructions

🥕TIP: If you prepare rice often, a rice cooker will be your best friend in the kitchen. It's so convenient. Press the button and voila! Minutes later you'll have a perfectly steamed pot of rice. No fuss no muss! I've had several rice cookers over the years and this stainless steel rice cooker by Aroma is my favorite.

1. If you don't have a rice steamer, no worries. You can use a medium-large sauce pan with a lid. Prepare rice according to package ingredients. Use broth for liquid. While rice is steaming, prepare sauce.

2. Pour olive oil in a skillet. Place on stove over medium heat. Add diced onions to skillet. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Add cumin & chili powder to onions.

3. Add diced peppers, corn and salsa. Stir to combine and allow to sauté until just tender.

4. Add crushed tomatoes and maple syrup. Stir. Reduce heat to low and allow to thicken while rice is steaming. Stir frequently, don't let it burn. Add salt & pepper to taste.

🥕NOTE: I like to add a small amount of maple syrup, agave nectar or sugar to tomato-based sauces. The sweetness helps cut the acidic taste of the tomatoes and makes the sauce even richer in flavor.

5. Remove from heat. Once rice is ready, add rice to sauce in skillet or transfer all to a large mixing bowl. Stir rice and sauce until thoroughly combined.

6. Once everything is done cooking, simply combine the sauce with the rice and it's ready to serve. Enjoy the rice while it is hot, otherwise place it in the refrigerator to cool. (See FAQ's below for storage and food safety tips).

Easy Vegan Mexican Rice Recipe

by Connie🥕

Easy Vegan Mexican Rice Recipe 🌶 An easy & delicious healthy plant-based dish made with brown rice, vibrant veggies, peppers & zesty bright flavor! Gluten-free and oil-free option.

Nutrition

Calories: 164kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 362mgPotassium: 284mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1112IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg

These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.