Delicious Creamy Mexican White Rice With Corn Recipe

This “risotto-style” Mexican White Rice with Corn Recipe is a simple yet delicious side dish that complements many Mexican meals. This versatile dish can be enjoyed alongside grilled meats, stews, or as part of a vegetarian rice bowl.

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When the start of fall rolls around, readers always start looking for great side dish recipes to go with Mexican food for holiday get togethers. Some favorites include these frijoles charros , rajas con crema, and simple stewed green beans with tomatoes.

It’s the time of year when we are entertaining more and need a few delicious side dishes to make a full meal. One of my top fall side dishes has always been today’s Mexican white rice with corn recipe {also known as arroz con maiz or arroz primavera}. One bite is all it takes to convince even the most die-hard Spanish rice or Mexican red rice-lover that creamy white rice with sweet corn reigns supreme.

The rice is “risotto-style”, meaning we are using short grain arborio rice instead of the more traditional long-grain rice. It has great flavor that reminds me of Mexican Street Corn, but with extra vegetables like onions, garlic, and tomatoes (or use your favorite vegetables). This is the best Mexican rice recipe if you’re looking for an excellent side that goes with everything!

Tell Me About This Mexican White Rice With Corn Recipe

• Flavor: While the rice isn’t cooked in a sauce like it is with Mexican red rice or Mexican green rice, it is still bursting with flavor from the onions, garlic, and of course, sweet corn.
• Texture: This has more texture than, say, cilantro-lime rice. Every bite is a balance of soft, rich, and creamy, with a pop from juicy corn kernels. It’s silky thanks to the arborio rice. Think of a savory arroz con leche but the creaminess comes from the starchy rice, not milk or cream.
• Ease: The rice comes together without too much effort. Set aside some time to peel and finely chop the veggies. It requires some frequent stirring and an extra pot to keep the chicken broth warm.

All of the ingredients required are Mexican cuisine staples like white onion, garlic, tomato, olive oil, salt, etc that can easily be found at your local grocery store. See recipe card for full list of ingredients and instructions.

Best Rice to Use

A traditional Mexican rice recipe will use a long grain rice like Jasmine rice to get nice fluffy rice. If that’s what you’re looking for, check out my arroz blanco recipe. Today we’re using arborio rice which is a short grain rice most commonly used in risotto. When you stir this rice as it cooks it becomes a creamy and comforting rice dish.

A Few Success Tips

1. Sauté the rice well. Don’t skimp on this step. You want to give the rice enough time sautéing in the olive oil, canola or vegetable oil before you add the liquid so it tastes almost toasted and goes from being glossy to matted and opaque.
2. Add in warm stock or broth. Cold broth will cool your dish and pan, ultimately slowing the process and cooking the rice unevenly for an undesired texture. Keep your broth at a simmer in a large pot over medium heat close by.
3. Stir often but not constantly. If you stir too often it may make your dish gluey, so it’s best to stir often to avoid sticking and make sure that the grains release their starch and bump into each other.
4. Cook the rice al dente. Just like pasta, you’ll need to cook your rice to al dente, with a slightly chewy bite to avoid a mushy rice.

Garnish with a little chopped cilantro if you’d like. Any leftover rice can be saved in an airtight container or a container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Are you looking for a main dish rice recipe instead? Try these crispy salmon rice bowls or even my Mexican arroz con pollo recipe.

Now What About the Sweet Corn?

The sweet corn kernels in this Mexican white rice recipe adds not only flavor but wonderful texture. Fresh sweet corn will offer the best flavor and texture and with hundreds of varieties available, feel free to experiment with different colors to add visual appeal to your dish.

If fresh corn isn’t available, the second best option would be frozen corn. You don’t need to thaw it first, just stir it in as you would the fresh sweet corn.

The best way to get the corn off the cob is to lay the cob flat on a cutting board and cut down vertically to remove the kernels.

What Goes Well With This Flavorful Mexican White Rice?

This is the perfect side dish for any Mexican-inspired meal. I’ve often served it with chicken mole poblano, enchiladas, black beans, or really any of these Mexican ground beef recipes.

More Mexican Side Dish Recipes

• Sweet & Spicy Mexican Fruit Salad
• Easy Fajita Veggies
• Mexican Cucumber Salad
• Roasted Beet Salad with Spicy Serrano Pepper Dressing
• Jalapeño Beer Bread
• Cucumber Watermelon Salad
• Cilantro-Lime Corn
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Chorizo & Poblano Pepper