Mexican Red Rice (Arroz Rojo)

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We've tried different Mexican rice recipes over the years. This is the best we've found. Tastes as good as any rice you'll get at a Mexican restaurant. You'll want to cook it in a heavy-bottom dutch oven. You'll get a wonderful caramelized burnt rice crust on the bottom. I like to eat my rice with a spoonful of pico de gallo on top.

Mexican Red Rice Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups medium or long grain white rice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
8 ounce can of tomato sauce (I use a spicy Mexican brand)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin
1 large carrot diced
1 tsp salt (more to taste)
ground pepper
3 cups chicken stock

Preparation

I separate the prep into 4 parts.
Part 1. Rice
Put the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 10 seconds or so. Let drain for a bit. Heat the oil on medium high. Add the rice, fry and stir off and on for about 5-10 minutes until the rice begins to color a little. You'll see a few of the rice bits begin to brown.
Part 2. Onion and Garlic
Turn the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic and cook for about a minute until the onion becomes translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
Part 3. Tomato Sauce
Add the tomato sauce and stir constantly for 1 minute
Part 4 Carrot, Stock and spices
Stir in the bay leaf, cumin, carrot, salt, pepper, and chicken stock. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and bring the heat down to low. Let cook for 30 minutes. Serve. I like to scrape a bit of the crusty bit on the bottom of the pan and mix into the rice before serving.