This vegan Mexican rice with vegetables (arroz rojo) is fluffy, flavorful, and cooked in a rich tomato base with warm spices. It’s easy to make at home, comes together in only one pot, and works perfectly for bowls, beans, and meal prep.
You might also like this easy simple Mexican rice recipe, this cilantro lime rice recipe, these easy refried black beans, or my simple pico de gallo recipe!
A Quick Look: Vegan Mexican Rice With Vegetables
- 📝 Recipe Name: Vegan Mexican Rice With Vegetables
- 🕒 Total Time: 37 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6 servings
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: long-grain rice, tomatoes, vegan bouillon, onion, garlic powder
- 🌱 Dietary Info: vegan, dairy-free, plant-based, oil-free option
- ✨ Best For: taco night, burrito bowls, meal prep, Mexican dinners
- 💕 Why You’ll Love It: fluffy rice, savory tomato flavor, easy pantry ingredients, and colorful vegetables
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Arroz rojo is a staple side dish in many Mexican kitchens and is often served with tacos, beans, enchiladas, and grilled dishes.
It's also one of the first traditional Mexican dishes I learned to make, and a favorite at many family gatherings. I’ve been making versions of this arroz rojo recipe for years, and this is the one my kids grew up eating.
There are many ways to make Mexican rice, but this plant-based version keeps the classic flavor and fluffy texture people love. I often serve it with vegan taquitos or tacos dorados de papa, and top everything with lime-drenched shredded cabbage and a scoop of my homemade guacamole recipe. It's incredibly good.
Salsas pair perfectly with arroz rojo. Try pairing it with molcajete salsa, creamy tomatillo salsa, or creamy avocado tomato salsa.
Is Mexican Rice Healthy?
Mexican rice can absolutely fit into a balanced meal, especially when served with beans, vegetables, salsa, avocado, or other nourishing toppings. This vegan Mexican rice with vegetables is made with simple ingredients and works well for meal prep too.
Why This Recipe Works
- It has classic arroz rojo flavor. Blended tomatoes give this vegan Mexican rice its signature color, rich flavor, and savory base.
- The rice stays fluffy and separate. Toasting the rice first helps build flavor and gives you that classic Mexican rice texture.
- The vegetables make it extra practical. Peas, carrots, and corn turn this into a colorful Mexican rice with vegetables recipe that works as both a side dish and meal prep staple.
- It’s easy to pair with everything. This vegan Mexican rice goes with tacos, burritos, enchiladas, beans, bowls, and simple weeknight dinners.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you’ll need to make this veggie Mexican rice:
- Long-grain white rice: Jasmine or basmati both work well. Long grains stay fluffy and separate. You can also use short grain, though it will be a bit stickier.
- Tomatoes: Roma or plum tomatoes give the best color and flavor. You can also use the same amount of water and a couple of generous scoops of tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes.
- Vegan bouillon cubes or your favorite.
- Onion: About ¼ to ½ of a small white or yellow onion cooks gently with the rice and adds sweetness, but you can skip it if preferred.
- Vegetables: Frozen peas, carrots, and corn are classic in Mexican rice with mixed veggies, and can be stirred in at the end. If using fresh vegetables like diced carrots, onions, bell peppers, green beans, zucchini, or tomatoes, add them before simmering so they cook with the rice.
This veggie Mexican rice is especially good with a generous spoonful of salsa tatemada or roasted tomato salsa on top. It also makes the perfect Mexican rice for burritos, bowls, tacos, or meal-prep lunches with black beans and vegan nacho cheese sauce.
How to Make Vegan Mexican Rice With Vegetables
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Heat oil in a pan and toast the rice, stirring frequently, until golden (3-5 minutes). Stir and bring to a boil.
- Step 2: Add seasonings, bouillon, blended tomato mixture, onion, and any fresh vegetables if adding. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Step 3: Once boiling, cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce to a low simmer. Cook for 17 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit (covered) for 10 minutes.
- Step 4: Uncover, fluff with a fork, and fold in any frozen vegetables. Remove the onion or leave it in.
Tested Tips
- Toast the rice until it smells nutty. This step builds the flavor base for authentic Mexican rice with veggies.
- Blend the tomatoes well. A smooth mixture ensures the rice cooks evenly. You can strain them once blended, but it's not needed.
- Many traditional Mexican rice recipes use chicken bouillon. Using a vegan bouillon, like Not-Chick’n gives the same savory depth while keeping the recipe fully plant-based.
- Once the lid goes on, leave it alone. No peeking. No stirring. Mexican rice cooks by trapped steam. Opening the lid releases that steam and can lead to uneven rice.
- Let the rice rest after cooking. After 17 minutes, let the pot sit covered for about 10 minutes. This finishes the steaming process and keeps the grains fluffy.
If you love vegan Mexican recipes as much as I do, don't miss these vegan smothered burritos layered in a creamy jalapeno sauce, and topped with vegan lime crema.
Make It Your Own
This vegan Mexican rice with vegetables is easy to adapt depending on what you have in the kitchen.
- Add vegetables: Frozen peas, carrots, and corn are easiest and can be stirred in at the end. If using fresh vegetables like diced carrots, bell peppers, onions, zucchini, tomatoes, or green beans, add them with the liquid so they cook through properly.
- Make it a full meal. Pair with Instant Pot refried beans to turn this into an easy rice and beans bowl.
- Add heat. A pinch of cayenne or a spoonful of salsa chile de árbol gives the rice some kick. You could also add a serrano pepper when you add the water to the rice.
- Add freshness. Fresh cilantro, green onions, diced tomatoes, or diced avocado on top adds great texture.
This easy Mexican rice is delicious alongside my pinto bean salad with corn, cowboy caviar dip, or with vegan bean dip topped with quick pickled carrots jalapenos and onions.
Storage & Meal Prep Tips
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Add a splash of water and warm in the microwave or stovetop.
- Meal Prep: If you enjoy vegan Mexican recipes for meal prep, Mexican rice with veggies is a great option. It reheats well and keeps its fluffy texture, making it perfect for burrito bowls or simple rice and bean meals throughout the week.
For something cool and refreshing alongside this healthy Mexican rice, I love serving vegan horchata or a simple agua fresca Mexican drink.
Vegan Mexican Rice FAQs
Mexican rice, also called arroz rojo, is a classic Mexican side dish made by toasting rice and simmering it in a blended tomato base with onion and seasonings. The rice cooks covered, so it steams gently and turns fluffy while absorbing all the flavor.
Yes, but it depends on how it’s made. Some traditional Mexican rice recipes use chicken bouillon or broth, which makes them not vegan. This version uses vegan bouillon, so you still get that classic savory flavor while keeping it fully plant-based.
Mexican rice usually turns mushy when there’s too much liquid, the heat is too high or too low, or the lid gets lifted while it cooks. Toasting the rice first and letting it rest after cooking helps keep the grains fluffy and separate.
Peas, carrots, and corn are some of the most common vegetables used in Mexican rice with vegetables. You can also add diced bell pepper, green beans, or even zucchini, depending on what you have.
Yes. You can dry-toast the rice carefully in the pan or sauté it in a small splash of broth instead. Oil adds flavor and helps with texture, but this vegan Mexican rice can still work without it.
Serving Suggestions
Vegan Mexican rice pairs well with many plant-based Mexican dishes. Try it with...
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Mexican Rice Recipe With Vegetables
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Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, I use Basmati or Jasmine
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil, depending on your preference, see Notes
- 2 medium plum tomatoes, OR 3 small Roma
- 3 ¾ cups water, OR low-sodium vegetable broth (omit bouillon if using broth)
- 2 vegan bouillon cubes
- ½ small onion, white or yellow, optional
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne, optional, adjust for spice level
- 1 (10) ounce bag frozen vegetables, frozen carrots, peas, and corn OR 1-1½ cups fresh diced vegetables (See Notes)
Instructions
- Measure the spices into a small bowl and cut the onion in half. Blend the tomatoes with water until smooth, then set aside.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the rice and sauté until lightly golden (about 3-5 minutes), stirring frequently, so it doesn't burn. It should be lightly golden and smell nutty.
- Carefully pour the blended tomato mixture into the saucepan. Add bouillon cubes, seasonings, the halved onion, and any fresh diced vegetables if using. Stir gently to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a full boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a low, gentle boil. Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and let it cook for 17 minutes. Do not lift the lid or stir while it cooks.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Keep the lid on and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and fluff the rice gently with a fork. If using frozen vegetables, add them now and gently fold them into the rice. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Video
Notes
- Vegetable timing: Frozen peas, carrots, and corn can be folded in at the end. Fresh vegetables like carrots, onions, bell peppers, green beans, zucchini, or tomatoes should be added before simmering.
- Oil: I usually use 1 tablespoon, which works great and keeps the rice light. You can use 2 tablespoons if you prefer slightly richer rice, but it isn’t necessary.
- Oil-free option: Toast the rice in a dry pan over slightly lower heat, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. The texture will be different, but it still turns out delicious.
- Bouillon: I like Not-Chick’n, which gives the rice a savory depth similar to traditional Mexican rice.
- Rest the rice: Let the rice sit covered for 10 minutes after cooking so the grains finish steaming and stay fluffy.
- Taste the rice before serving. Some bouillons are saltier than others. Give the rice a quick taste after fluffing and add a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lime if needed. Onion: You can leave the onion in or remove it, depending on your preference.
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
I’ve been making this rice for years. Tossing in frozen veggies at the end adds just the right pop of color and flavor. So simple, so good!