Go Back

Mexican Beef and Rice Soup

Mexican beef and rice soup is a one-pot, tomato-red sopa de res with ground beef, fluffy white rice, corn, and green chiles. It simmers until the rice is tender and finishes with lime, cilantro, and cotija for a bold, comforting bowl.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 1.5 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 garlic minced
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice uncooked
  • 6 cup beef broth
  • 1.5 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste
  • 0.25 pepper and salt to taste
Serving toppings
  • 0.25 cilantro for serving
  • 0.25 lime for serving, plus wedges
  • 0.25 cotija cheese for serving
  • 1 jalapeño sliced, for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown the ground beef with the diced onion in a large pot over medium-high heat until no longer pink, then drain excess fat and add the minced garlic for 30 seconds.
Simmer the tomato-beef mixture
  1. Stir in the diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, diced green chiles, frozen corn, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
  2. Pour in the beef broth and bring the soup to a boil.
Cook the rice
  1. Add the long-grain white rice, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 18–20 minutes until the rice is cooked and tender.
Finish and serve
  1. Adjust seasoning to taste, then serve each bowl topped with cilantro, a squeeze of lime, cotija cheese, and sliced jalapeño.

Notes

For best results, keep the soup at a steady boil before adding rice, then fully cover and avoid lifting the lid during the 18–20 minute cook so the rice stays fluffy. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; freeze yes (up to 3 months) and reheat gently with a splash of broth to loosen the texture. To make it dairy-free, skip cotija and finish with extra lime and cilantro (or use a dairy-free cheese alternative if you prefer).