Hello friends, I’m Naznin from Naznin’s Kitchen, and today I’m excited to share with you my take on the Taco Bell Rice Recipe—a copycat version of the beloved restaurant-style seasoned rice that you often find in bowls at Taco Bell.

I’ve made this dish time and again in my home kitchen, tweaking the seasoning and technique until I felt it truly captured that familiar flavor & texture.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make Taco Bell rice at home — how you get that gently spiced, slightly tomato-rich rice that sits under your taco bowls — this is your recipe.

I’ll walk you through every step, share tips for getting it fluffy, and offer variations so you can adapt it to your pantry. Whether you want a side dish for dinner, a rice bowl base, or just some tasty seasoned rice for your lunch ideas, this is a great meal to make.

Taco Bell Rice Recipe: Step-By-Step Homemade Style

Short description: A flavorful Mexican-style rice dish inspired by Taco Bell’s seasoned rice, perfect as a side dish or rice bowl base.

Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Cuisine: Mexican / Tex-Mex
Course: Side dish or base for a Rice bowl meal

Yield: About 4-5 cups cooked seasoned rice
Calories: Approximate ~80-90 kcal per cup (varies slightly based on oil & stock)

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup long-grain white rice (you may use jasmine or basmati)
⅓ cup yellow onion, finely minced
2 tablespoons red bell pepper, finely minced (optional but gives nice color)

1½ cups water (you may substitute chicken or vegetable stock if you like more flavor)
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (≈6 oz) tomato sauce
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons ancho chili powder or another mild chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon coriander
A dash of cayenne pepper (adjust to your taste)
Juice of ½ a lime (≈1 tablespoon)

Ingredient Notes / Variations:

If you prefer, you can use basmati rice or jasmine rice in place of generic long-grain; jasmine gives a slightly more fragrant aroma.

If you want a richer dish, swap the 1½ cups water for 1½ cups chicken stock or vegetable stock.
For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock or just water.
If you don’t have ancho chili powder, use regular chili powder but reduce the heat if you worry about spiciness.

Use fresh lime juice for the best bright finish, but bottled will work if needed.
Feel free to add a little diced carrot or peas for extra veggies (though the classic Taco Bell seasoned rice is more plain).

Instructions

Here’s how I walk you through making this seasoned rice—imagine you’re cooking alongside me in my kitchen.

Heat The Oil & Toast The Rice
Place a medium saucepan (with a good fitting lid) over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil, let it warm for about 30 seconds. Then add the 1 cup rice. Stir the rice in the oil so the grains get coated, and continue stirring for about 2-3 minutes until the rice starts to turn a pale golden color and you smell a slightly nutty aroma. This toasting step helps develop flavor and keeps the rice grains from sticking. (Tip: if you skip toasting, you might end up with a mushier texture.)
Add Onion & Bell Pepper
Add the finely minced yellow onion and red bell pepper to the rice. Stir them into the rice for about 3-4 minutes until the onions soften and become translucent. You’ll start to smell the sweet pepper and onion aromas – my kitchen always smells like a Mexican restaurant in that moment.
Add Tomato Sauce, Seasonings & Water
Pour in the ½ cup + 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Then add the 1½ teaspoons salt, 1½ teaspoons ancho chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon coriander, and the dash of cayenne pepper. Stir gently just to combine these seasonings with the rice mixture. Then add the 1½ cups water (or stock if using). Give everything one gentle stir to mix, making sure nothing is burnt on the bottom.

Bring To A Boil And Then Cover & Simmer
Increase the heat to high just until the liquid comes to a boil. Once it hits a boil, reduce the heat to low (so it’s just a gentle simmer), cover with the lid, and let it cook undisturbed for about 15-18 minutes. A key tip here (inspired by advice from other copycat versions) is: once it’s simmering with the lid on, do not stir the rice. Stirring at this point will disturb the steam and can make the rice sticky or burn on the bottom. The Tasty Tip
Let It Rest & Fluff
After that 15-18 minutes, turn off the heat but keep the lid on. Let it sit for another 5 minutes. This resting period lets the rice finish absorbing steam and “settle.” Then remove the lid and use a fork to fluff the rice gently. At this point, squeeze in the lime juice (about 1 tablespoon) and toss gently. Taste the rice – if you want a little more salt or chili, sprinkle and stir lightly.
Serve & enjoy
Transfer the rice into your dish or rice bowl. It should have separated grains, a light orange-tinged color from the tomato sauce, and a gentle kick of chili. Serve warm.

If you enjoyed this Taco Bell Rice Recipe, you might love trying some of my other copycat favorites too! Check out my PF Chang’s Fried Rice Recipe, Cracker Barrel Chicken And Rice Recipe, and Campbell’s Beef Consomme Rice Recipe for more easy, flavorful dishes that bring restaurant-style taste straight to your home kitchen.

Pairing & Serving Suggestions

Serve this seasoned rice as a side dish alongside your favorite Tex-Mex mains like grilled chicken tacos, enchiladas, or fajitas.
Use it as a base for a Rice bowl: top with black beans, corn, avocado slices, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheddar, and a drizzle of lime crema or salsa.

Make it part of a “build-your-own taco bar” at home: set the rice in a bowl, and let everyone pick toppings (ground beef, pulled chicken, veggies) and mix their own bowl.
For beverage pairing: a chilled lime-mint infused water or a non-alcoholic sangria complement the flavors nicely.
Garnish ideas: fresh chopped cilantro, extra lime wedges, a sprinkle of queso fresco or cotija if you like a little dairy.

Is Taco Bell Seasoned Rice Spicy?

Great question. The seasoned rice at Taco Bell and in copycat versions is mild to moderate in terms of heat. It’s more about flavor than burn. The chili powder (like ancho) and paprika bring warmth, but the dish isn’t intended to be super spicy unless you add extra cayenne or hot chili.

If you’re sensitive to heat, start with the dash of cayenne and taste, then adjust in future batches. I find in my home kitchen I can serve this even to guests who don’t normally eat spicy – they enjoy it without reaching for water.

What Are The Ingredients In Taco Bell’s Rice?

Based on what I’ve found and experimented with, the core ingredients include: long-grain white rice (or jasmine/ basmati), oil for toasting, onion (and sometimes bell pepper), tomato sauce (or a tomato-based liquid), water or stock, salt, chili powder (often mild like ancho), paprika, garlic powder, coriander and sometimes a hint of cayenne for heat.

Several copycat blogs list nearly identical lists. The Tasty Tip My version follows this pattern, with the added lime juice at the end for a bright finish.

How To Make Rice With Taco Seasoning?

If you happen to have a ready-made taco seasoning mix, you can adapt this recipe easily. Here’s how I’d do it:

Use the same rice to oil ratio (1 cup rice, 2 tbsp oil).

Toast rice, add onion & pepper.
Instead of separate spices, use about 1½ tablespoons taco seasoning (or to taste) for the cup of rice.
Add tomato sauce + water or stock in the same quantity.
Cover & simmer, rest, fluff, add lime juice.
This gives you a “copycat taco seasoning rice” version which is very similar in spirit to the Taco Bell style. I find the advantage of the separate spices is that you can fine‐tune the flavor (less salt, more paprika or more coriander) to your taste.

What’s The Secret To Fluffy Mexican Rice?

From my experience cooking rice dishes and from what I’ve gathered from trusted recipe sites (for example the “easy Mexican rice” method) seededatthetable.com the key secrets are:

Use long-grain rice (including jasmine or basmati) because the grains separate better.
Toast the rice in oil before adding liquid—this coats the grains, adds flavor, and helps separation.

Use the right liquid to rice ratio (here about 1 : 1.5).
Once you cover and simmer, avoid stirring and keep the lid on. Stirring disrupts the steam and can make sticky rice.
After cooking, let the rice rest with lid on for a few minutes before fluffing. That final rest ensures the grains settle.

Use a fork (not a spoon) to fluff the rice gently so you don’t mash the grains.

Personal Touch / Expert Tips

When I first made this dish, I used plain water and it came out fine—but when I switched to low-sodium chicken stock it brought a next-level depth of flavor (without overshadowing the seasoned rice taste).
I often cook this rice while prepping the rest of my taco bowl — chop toppings while the rice toasts, then add the liquid and let it simmer while I finish the rest of the meal. It means the rice is ready just as I’m setting the table.

If you want a bolder color, you can add a tiny pinch of turmeric or smoked paprika, but don’t overdo it (you’ll change the taste).
To store leftovers: once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3-4 days. When reheating, sprinkle a teaspoon of water over the rice and microwave or warm on stovetop covered to bring back moisture.
If you’re making a larger batch, you can double the recipe but keep the seasoning the same or slightly increase—taste as you go.

If you like extra veggies, stir in about ½-1 cup frozen peas or corn in the last 2 minutes after fluffing, cover for a minute to warm them through. This variation gives you a vegetable-enhanced rice dish.
For a slight smoky flavor, you can finish with a small drizzle of olive oil infused with smoked paprika.

I hope you’ll give this Taco Bell Rice Recipe a try in your kitchen. It’s one of those side dishes that lifts a whole meal – from simple tacos to full blown rice bowls. The moment you smell the toasted rice and onions, you get that sense you’re cooking something special (but easy!).

I’d love to hear how your version turns out—what tweaks you made, whether you used basmati or jasmine, or how you served it. If you enjoyed this recipe, feel free to leave a comment, share a photo, or let me know what rice-based dish you’d like next.

Thanks for cooking along with me in Naznin’s Kitchen—happy cooking and enjoy that flavor-packed, fluffy seasoned rice!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I Use Basmati Or Jasmine Rice For This Recipe?

Yes. You can absolutely use jasmine or basmati rice in place of general long-grain white rice. Jasmine gives a slightly more fragrant aroma; basmati has extra separation. Just watch cook time and liquid ratio remain the same.

My Rice Turned Out Sticky Or Mushy. What Went Wrong?

If your rice is sticky, likely one of these happened: (1) too much liquid, (2) you stirred during cooking which broke grains, (3) you didn’t let the rice rest after cooking. Make sure you follow the “no stir during simmer” and “rest with lid on” rules.

How Spicy Is This Seasoned Rice And Can I Reduce The Heat?

The spice level is mild–moderate. The main heat comes from the cayenne (just a dash) and chili powder. If you prefer milder, reduce or skip the cayenne and use mild chili powder only.

Can I Make This Rice Ahead Of Time For Meal Prep?

Yes. After cooking and fluffing, cool the rice, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat by sprinkled a little water and warming covered to restore moisture.

What’s The Best Way To Include This Rice In A Rice Bowl Meal?

Use this seasoned rice as the base. Then layer toppings: black beans, grilled chicken or shredded beef, corn kernels, diced tomato, shredded lettuce, avocado or guacamole, a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, garnish with lime wedge and cilantro. It becomes a full rice bowl or lunch idea.

Thanks again for stopping by Naznin’s Kitchen. If you try this Taco Bell Rice Recipe, tag me or leave a note—I’d love to see how your rice dish turns out and how your taste buds respond. Let’s make that restaurant-style flavored rice right in our home pans and skillets. Happy cooking!