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This spicy and flavorful Spanish (or Mexican) Rice was a great side dish for the enchiladas that we enjoyed a few nights ago.
The rice turned out with a good amount of heat (completely optional) and the tomatoes balanced the dish well. Even my non-spice eater in the family ate two helpings of this rice.
Easy Spanish Rice
I love the simplicity of this recipe. The rice is cooked in broth to bring a bit of extra flavor. The cooked rice is set aside for a few minutes, as tomatoes, garlic, and onion are then simmered with spices in the same skillet.
At the end, you’ll add the rice back to the tomato mixture in the skillet and stir to combine.
I typically use 2 tablespoons of red chile powder in this recipe. My family enjoys a little heat with our Mexican food recipes. Feel free to reduce the amount slightly, if you prefer a little less heat.
I made burrito bowls with the leftover rice the following day and it was delicious that way as well.
Easy Spanish Rice Recipe
- In a large skillet, combine the rice and the chicken broth over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 18-20 minutes, just until done. , Fluff the rice with a fork. Transfer to a separate dish and cover with lid to keep warm.
- Melt the butter in the hot skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent and slightly browned, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic, toss to saute and cook about 30 seconds longer. Add the tomatoes and the spices and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover with lid and reduce to simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes.
- Add the cooked rice to the tomato mixture and stir well to combine thoroughly. Turn off heat and cover with lid to keep warm. If desired, garnish with cilantro just before serving
What to serve with Spanish Rice?
Add some Taco Meat to a skillet of this rice for a two thumbs up kid-approved favorite. Try these Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with rice and roasted broccoli on the side.
Buttered Steak Bites and Carnitas are awesome meal options as well. Add some leftover Spanish Rice to this classic 7 Layer Bean Dip for a hearty snack or a fun meal that everyone enjoys.
Spanish Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups white rice
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped small
- 6 cloves garlic
- 28 ounces petite diced tomatoes, do not drain
- 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons chile powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt, adjust to taste
- Optional: fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, combine the rice and the chicken broth over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover with lid. Simmer for 18-20 minutes, just until done. , Fluff the rice with a fork. Transfer to a separate dish and cover with lid to keep warm.
- Melt the butter in the hot skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent and slightly browned, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic, toss to saute and cook about 30 seconds longer. Add the tomatoes and the spices and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover with lid and reduce to simmer on medium low for 10 minutes.
- Add the cooked rice to the tomato mixture and stir well to combine thoroughly. Turn off heat and cover with lid to keep warm. If desired, garnish with cilantro just before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 5/3/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/15/22}
This made an excellent side dish. But, the next day it was even better. I threw in some mild chili beans and ate it as a meal. Even my husband that doesn’t like leftovers was surprised.
Rebecca – Funny you say that. I tend to think many rice dishes are better as leftovers as well.
This is super delicious!!! Thank you. Easy to make and great instructions 🙂
Thank you, Wendy. I am so happy you enjoyed it.
I made this with my enchiladas. So good but will not put as much red pepper in it that next time. Just a little too hot for this old tummy.
This looks good. Not sure what Debbie is talking about but there’s no red pepper in the recipe. Or did I miss it somewhere?
Made this tonight as a side. I’ve never made Spanish rice from scratch before. This was the recipe I chose and it was really good. Thank you!
My family loved it. I added shrimp to the recipe
Sounds delicious, Rhonda.
This was really good and super easy. I forgot to buy an onion, so I used dried minced onion and it easily cooked down with the tomatoes. I added a seeded chopped jalapeño. I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you for sharing, Jen. Sometimes you have to get a little creative with what is on hand.
This Spanish Rice was so delicious. Printed the recipe. This one a keeper.
Love hearing that, Nancy.
Loved this. Super easy and savory. Will definitely be making again.
Thank you, Lauren.
Your rice recipe is good! My husband who is picky said it was good! Recipe is a keeper!
Yay! I’m happy to hear it, Jo.
To make it even easier, I sautéed the onion and rice in butter. I added garlic and the dry rice (to brown it a little) I added the broth, tomatoes, and spices and cooked for 20 minutes! Delish!
Great ideas, Lesdom.
This recipe was amazingly easy and quick to put together.
The flavors were great and not to spicy.
My one addition was canned black beans, it added a little POP for appeal.
This recipe makes more than enough for a family of 5 and maybe a little left over to put in a burrito !!!
My ONLY addition for next time is a little chipotle sauce for a smoky flavor.
Give this a try tonight….you will love it !
I’m so glad you enjoyed the rice, Rick! An extra can or two of beans is a common addition in our family’s meals, too. Happy cooking!
My husband lived this it’s a winner!!!
I’m so glad he loved the rice, Camie!
Delicious! It makes a lot though! I think I will throw some hamburger in for the leftovers! Very tasty side dish with my fajitas!
Leftovers can be a great thing, Becky. I’m glad to hear that you’re loving the rice; enjoy!
I used leftover cooked rice (about 4 cups), used only 1-15oz can of petite diced tomatoes, cut the spices in half, added chicken broth because it was too dry to cook down the tomatoes a little, and added ground beef to the recipe. Then I stuffed the mixture into some bell peppers from the garden and topped them with some freshly shredded parmigiana. It was fabulous!
I’m happy to hear that you were able to make the rice your own, Beth. Happy cooking!
Thanks for the recipe, cooking it now! Does the garlic stay as whole cloves? I’ll assume yes for tonight. 😃
Typically, yes, Gabe, the garlic stays as whole cloves. I hope you love the rice! Happy cooking.
I’ve been trying to find a good Spanish rice recipe and this is the first one that didn’t disappoint. The only things I did differently were cooking my rice in a rice cooker. And I used fire roasted tomatoes instead of petite diced tomatoes because that’s what I had on hand. But my whole family liked it and we will be making it again!
I’m so glad you like it, Jaime!
I made this and found it was too much rice for the amount of sauce so mine was dry. I loved the flavour and will definitely try again but with half the amount of rice
I’m glad you liked the flavor, Joan. Is it possible that it overcooked a bit? It isn’t typically a dry rice at all. Hopefully, you can make it work for you!
Very good rice. Even hubby agrees. Tasted great even before adding the following items mixed vegetables and pork taco meat. G
DELISH
I’m so glad you enjoyed the rice! I bet it was awesome with the pulled pork and vegetables too.
This is very good! Be prepared for leftovers (I love them) I made as directed and put some Mexican cheese over when serving. Looking forward to some stuffed peppers with the leftovers .
I’m glad you enjoyed the rice!
Can you use diced tomatoes & petites?
Sure thing!