Spanish Rice Recipe

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How to: Spanish Rice recipe – my favorite way to make spicy Spanish (or Mexican) rice from scratch! It’s so easy and the rice is full of flavor. 

You can make perfect Fluffy Rice without a rice cooker. Serve this Spanish rice with enchiladas or tacos.

SPANISH RICE

This recipe is what makes our taco nights rock! Last year, we decided that we should make our own Spanish rice for our Mexican dinners so we set out to experiment and make one that we will love. It had to be easy, perfectly cooked and spiced and of course, yummy. And here it is: our homemade, made from scratch with just a few ingredients Spanish rice.toast it up in melted butter. I used the same technique here, with the addition of olive oil, onions and garlic. This adds more flavor and lets the veggies cook before adding liquids.

Spanish Rice Ingredients:

• butter
• olive oil
• long-grain rice
• garlic
• red onion
• water
• tomato sauce
• ground cumin
• paprika
• chili powder
• salt

How to make Spanish Rice?

• Saute garlic and onion in melted butter.
• Add rice and toast it for a few minutes.
• Add spices, water and tomato sauce. Stir well.
• Bring to boil, stirring often.
• Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. No peeking! Every time you lift the lid, you let out the moisture the rice needs to cook. Keep the lid on and the heat low.
• Remove from heat and fluff with fork.

Tips for the best Spanish Rice:

• I learned that adding warm (or almost hot) tap water to toasted rice helps achieve the perfect fluffy rice in the end. Just be careful, the mixture will be bubbling!
• Increase the amount of spices for added heat to your rice.
• Don’t skip toasting the rice. It will make the best fluffy rice in the end.

How to turn this side into a full meal?

Cook chicken breast (cut bite-size) in taco seasoning, 1 cup whole kernel corn, 1 can black beans (rinsed) and cook it all together. Add rice last. Top with cheddar cheese, chopped fresh Roma tomatoes, avocados and dollops of sour cream. Dinner is served! 😀

Related Recipes:

Perfect Fluffy Rice (without the rice cooker)

Cauliflower Rice (2 ways)

Fiesta Rice 

Instant Pot Refried Beans

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out! 😀

5 from 11 votes

Print

Spanish Rice

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

The best homemade recipe for Spanish rice! Forget the box kind and make it in your own kitchen!

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Spanish rice

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 251 kcal

Author: Anna

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup rice I used long grain
• 2 garlic cloves minced or grated
• 1/2 medium red onion chopped
• 1 cup warm tap water
• 1 cup tomato sauce one 8oz. can plus a little more
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Melt butter with olive oil in a medium pot.
2. Add onions and garlic and stir together. Saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add rice and toast for about 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Stir constantly.
4. Add water, tomato sauce and all spices. Stir well.
5. Bring mixture to boil, stirring often. Make sure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom.
6. Lower the heat to simmer, stir one more time, cover the pot and let cook for 15 minutes.
7. Check rice, stir with a fork and remove from heat.
8. Let sit uncovered for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Spanish Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 251 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 7mg2%

Sodium 652mg28%

Potassium 294mg8%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 625IU13%

Vitamin C 5.8mg7%

Calcium 31mg3%

Iron 1.5mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.