Mexican Dirty Rice

All recipe images were taken by the author and the cook.

I'm about to give you my son's favorite dish recipe. Shhh. Don't tell him or say it too loudly; he doesn't know. And considering I haven't given it to him yet, he might get a bit miffed at me. Brilliant thought: if I share the link with him, maybe he will finally subscribe to something I wrote.

This dish is so versatile, you will want to keep it on hand whenever you are out of ideas for a meal or side dish. It is packed with flavor. You can add or omit any protein you enjoy, except seafood. This recipe makes enough for a family of 4 or more; if your family is smaller, cut it in half. It can be multiplied just as easily, too.

Let's begin.

Ingredients:

2 cups white rice —  (I prefer Jasmine rice over any other. The grain has a beautiful fragrance when uncooked and holds up better than any other rice. DO NOT use instant rice or brown rice.)

1-2 pounds meat - diced (Any kind of meat. If omitting, nothing else in the recipe changes.)

2-3 tablespoons Olive oil or ghee (Butter can be added to add richness to the flavors. I use olive oil and butter together, unless I have ghee in the house)

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced (this is where you use your taste preference-use more or less as you like. We love garlic, so I use more sometimes. You can also use jarred garlic, though you should add a bit more since it loses its potency in the canning process)

*  Note: if garlic was a fragrance, I would wear it-I love everything about it, but its fragrance is intoxicating to me.

**  Added bonus: vampires tend to avoid you. Mosquitoes too, since they are essentially vampires in bug form

1 bunch green onions (scallions)- sliced into 1-inch sections

4 cups broth or stock-  (Select whichever matches your protein, or vegetable stock if you are not using meats)

1 tomato bouillon per 2 cups of broth/stock- (crush it to a powder for easy dissolving: no one wants to chomp down on a partially dissolved bouillon)

* If you don’t have tomato bouillon, use chicken, beef, or vegetable)

1- 15 oz can of tomato sauce (this is per 2 cups of rice-add or reduce as per your quantities)

salt and pepper - to taste

2 tablespoons of chili powder (Chili powders are not all created equally in terms of spiciness/heat signature. You know how spicy you and your family like things: go for it!)

Let's Cook:

Dice your protein. Season it.

In a deep skillet, heat the oil or ghee. Add butter if you are using it.

(Always heat the pan first, then add your oil, ghee, or butter: that's how you prevent sticking)

Add your protein and brown well: that's how it gets flavor.

Add the onions and garlic, and sauté until translucent and starting to turn golden. (That's love right there-flavor) Always add onions before garlic, or the garlic tends to burn-yuk! And how dare you destroy my favorite enhancer? They can be added together too.

Add the rice and bouillon, mix, and toast the rice.

When the rice begins to look golden, add the tomato sauce, green onions, and broth, then stir to combine.

Add the chili powder and stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, then lower your heat to medium-low.

Cover. (If the lid starts spewing, your heat is too high. You should not have to vent the lid at all. It should remain on the entire cooking time.)

Cooking time is about 17–22 minutes. When all the liquid has evaporated. The dish will have a thick, sauce-like consistency and look like a thick stew. The rice will continue to absorb the liquid as it cools.

P.S. If you want more liquid absorbed while it is still cooking, go for it. There is nothing yummier than rice that has stuck to the bottom of the pan and is deliciously crusted. That is my favorite part, and it has even more flavor. Just don't let it burn.

Bon appetit (You are thinking about it, aren't you? Julia Child's voice.)

True Story:

When we lived in Denver, we had a favorite Mexican restaurant. They made the best Mexican rice I have ever tasted. Their pork green chili was the best, too. I wrote about that one in one of my vacation stories. Anyway, we moved from Colorado, and I missed the rice. So I set out to recreate the dish as closely as I could. This right here is that recipe. It is the only way I make it. While it is not the same in many respects, it tastes better, aside from the meat addition.

(Published by Kitchen Passport on Medium, August 2026)

Thank you for sticking around — clap, like, or bite if you're still breathing. The food. Bite the food.

Catch me on Patreon, Substack, Beehiiv, Vocal, Wattpad, or WordPress. Dealer's choice! Check me out on Social Media too via Linktree or my website, Ink and Echo.

Mexican Dirty Rice ©2026 Spilled Ink for Kitchen Passport. All rights reserved.

Want something more dangerous, spicier? Here's a really spicy one: