Spanish rice is a perfect compliment to many Mexican dishes. This fluffy long gain rice is browned with a little oil first and then cooked in a tomato flavored broth with tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Finish the rice with some freshly minced cilantro and serve it with your favorite enchiladas, tacos, and burritos.
Try this Spanish Rice with our Beef Enchiladas or Pork Carnitas.
Table of Contents
Spanish rice is also known as Mexican rice and it is actually not a Spanish recipe at all. Spanish rice based dishes, like Paella, actually feature saffron and not tomato based rice. Tomato based rice is a Mexican way of cooking rice.
My enchiladas always feel so empty without some Spanish Rice next to it. It truly is a perfect compliment to enchiladas with tomato sauce, fajitas, tacos, and so much more. You can even take your burritos up a notch and use this tomato rice instead of regular white rice.
This rice is also very easy to prepare, much easier than many people assume. I’ve had my friend as me for a recipe and the second I say “brown rice first before adding broth and water,” they check out and say that it’s too much work. But, it’s truly not! The whole process of making this rice will take about 40 minutes and most of it is just letting rice cook.
Ingredient Notes
Long Grain Rice – long grain rice is important to use because it tends to cook fluffy and as separate grains. (Medium grain rice also cooks as separate grain but more moist and tender. Short grain rice tends to clump together.) Long grain rice includes American long-grain rice, Basmati, and Jasmine rice. (Medium grain rice includes Arborio rice and short grain rice includes sushi rice.)
Tomato sauce – make sure to use tomato sauce not tomato paste.
Garlic – for the best flavor and aroma, it’s always best to use fresh garlic.
Chicken stock (broth) and water – make sure to heat up water and stock before adding it to the pot.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Cooking Instructions
Prepare all of your ingredients first, before starting to cook.
Preheat the cooking pan and the oil first, then add rice and mix it to coat all the grains with oil. Sauté rice over medium heat until it starts turning brown (1). Make sure to stir from time to time.
When rice starts turning brown, add onion, tomato, and garlic (2). Stir and cook for a couple more minutes.
Raise the heat to medium-high and add water, chicken broth (3), tomato sauce, cumin, and salt (4). Slowly stir to mix and bring it to simmer.
As soon as it starts to simmer (5), cover the pan with a lid and turn down the heat to low.
Let rice cook. Do not stir or open the lid until all liquid has been absorbed by the rice. This will take about 20 minutes.
Once rice has absorbed the liquid, take the pan off the heat and take the lid off. Fluff rice with a fork and add cilantro (6).
Recipe FAQs
There are two main reasons for frying rice first and that is taste and texture. Browning rice first in a pan with a little oil will help keep rice as individual grains and not get mushy. Frying it first will help prevent rice from sticking together while simmering.
While rice is browning, you will start noticing a nutty aroma, which will translate into the way rice will taste. This will add another layer of flavor to the whole dish.
Another reason many people avoid making this rice dish is because it can get mushy. It’s happened to me in the past, before I knew how to prevent it. I’ve made every mistake people make when cooking Spanish rice.
Make sure to take the extra step of browning the rice in a frying pan before cooking it in liquid. Preheat the cooking pan and the oil first, then add rice and mix it to coat all the grains with oil. Then, fry it over medium heat until it starts turning brown. (After it starts turning brown, you will start to add other ingredients.)
One thing I’ve noticed also works better is not moving the rice from pan to pan. I make sure to use a large, deep pan to fry the rice and then add the liquid right to the same pan. Make sure you have a lid that fits that pan because the pan will need to be covered with a lid.
Do not bother the rice once you add the liquid! This is a big one. Do not stir or open the lid until all liquid has been absorbed by the rice. After you add the liquid and spices, stir 1 time to mix, cover the pan with the lid, lower the heat, and do not touch it until liquid is absorbed. That will take about 20 minutes.
Take the pan off heat, take off the lid, and you can fluff it up with a fork and serve.
Make your Spanish rice with a spicy kick by adding some diced jalapeno peppers with onions and tomatoes. Spice level can be adjusted with older or younger jalapenos. Older jalapenos are much spicier than young jalapenos. You can also leave jalapeno seeds in for more spice.
You can also add corn and black beans when adding onions and tomatoes. Adding corn and beans will be great if making a chicken and Spanish rice bowl. Just add cooked chicken on top of rice and serve with sour cream and guacamole.
Try adding other veggies like diced bell peppers at the same time as onions and tomatoes too.
Squeeze some fresh lime juice to cooked rice when mixing in cilantro to add beautiful citrus flavors.
Reheating Instructions
The worst part about having leftover rice in the fridge is that it becomes dry because it looses a lot of moisture. So when reheating the rice, it’s important to add some of the moisture back.
Reheating rice in the microwave
You can easily and quickly reheat the rice in the microwave. Place leftover rice in a bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth or water to the rice. Amount of water will depend on how much rice you are reheating.
Cover the bowl either with a microwave lid or you can place another bowl upside down on top of the rice bowl. Reheat it for about a minute. Exact time will vary depending on the amount of rice.
Reheating rice in a pan
You can also reheat rice in a sauce pot or a small cooking pan. Add a little oil to the pan if needed (you probably won’t need any oil if using a non-stick pan).
Add leftover rice and a couple of tablespoons of water and mix. Amount of water will depend on how much rice you are reheating. Cover the pan with a lid and let it heat through over medium-low heat.
Some More Recipes To Try:
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Spanish Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow or red onion
- 1 tomato diced
- 3 garlic cloves pressed
- 1 cup water
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp cumin
- salt
- 2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the cooking pan and the oil first, then add rice and mix it to coat all the grains with oil.
- Fry rice over medium heat until it starts turning brown. Stir from time to time.
- When rice starts turning brown, add onion, tomato, and garlic. Stir and cook for a couple more minutes.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add water, chicken broth, tomato sauce, cumin, and salt. Slowly stir to mix and bring it to simmer.
- As soon as it starts to simmer, cover the pan with a lid and turn down the heat to low.
- Let rice cook. Do not stir or open the lid until all liquid has been absorbed by the rice. This will take about 20 minutes.
- Once rice has absorbed the liquid, take the pan off the heat and take the lid off. Fluff rice with a fork and add cilantro.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to use long-grain rice – long grain rice is important to use because it tends to cook fluffy and as separate grains. Long grain rice includes American long-grain rice, Basmati, and Jasmine rice.
- Make sure to sear rice first – There are two main reasons for frying rice first and that is taste and texture. Browning rice first in a pan with a little oil will help keep rice as individual grains and not get mushy. Frying it first will help prevent rice from sticking together while simmering.
While rice is browning, you will start noticing a nutty aroma, which will translate into the way rice will taste. This will add another layer of flavor to the whole dish. - Do not bother the rice once you add the liquid! This is Important. Do not stir or open the lid until all liquid has been absorbed by the rice. After you add the liquid and spices, stir 1 time to mix, cover the pan with the lid, lower the heat, and do not touch it until liquid is absorbed. That will take about 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on September 15, 2011.
Scott says
Great taste. I cut liquid by 3/4 cup since we love dryer Mexican rice.
LyubaB says
Glad you liked it, Scott!
Lisa D Wiley says
In the list of ingredients you have tomato sauce. In the directions you have paste.
LyubaB says
Oh sorry, it is tomato sauce!
Mandy says
The recipe says tomato sauce but the directions say tomato paste…which is it?
Danielle says
I have had several unsuccessful attempts at Spanish rice but I think the biggest problem is that I try to use brown rice. I wonder how your recipe would fare with brown rice? Worth a try
Miz Helen says
Hi Lyuba,My friend and I were just talking about finding a really good Spanish Rice recipe just yesterday, looks like we found one. It looks great! Hope you are having a great week end and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. Come Back Soon!Miz Helen
Linda says
I’ve been looking for a good Spanish rice recipe. I’ll have to try this. thanks for sharing
Rhinestone Beagle says
So yummy. Looks super easy too. Thanks for posting at the Rhinestone Beagle!
MrsJenB says
Love it! Made something similar recently – no tomatoes, but tomato sauce – and loved it! It’s definitely a nice change from plain old rice, isn’t it? 🙂
Nicole Mariana says
This rice looks so good. I think I will try it soon! I’m just stopping by your blog from a blog hop, I love your blog so I’m your newest follower!