My Mom's Signature Spanish Rice Recipe Can't Be Beat (2024)

Recipes
Recipes By Ingredients
Rice and Grains
White Rice

It's the ultimate side for steak, chicken, and Mexican favorites.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated November 20, 2023

5 Ratings

My mother's Spanish rice (aka Mexican rice) is a mandatory accompaniment to any Mexican dish we serve at our house, whether it's with enchiladas or tostadas, or with steak and black beans.

Spanish Rice, Kin to Rice Pilaf

Spanish rice is essentially a rice pilaf, but with southwestern flavorings. To make it you brown the raw rice first with onions and garlic, and then cook the rice in chicken broth with added tomatoes.

The browning is essential to the nutty, almost toasty flavor of the rice. And although bouillon can be substituted for the chicken stock, nothing beats homemade chicken stock, whose rich flavor is absorbed by the rice as it cooks.

Mom has perfected the art of preparing the rice quickly. She heats the tomato-y stock in a separate pot while the rice is browning, and then combines the two to cook while she prepares the rest of the meal. You could easily make it one pot if you wanted.

My Mom's Signature Spanish Rice Recipe Can't Be Beat (3)

Reader Variations on This Spanish Rice Recipe

Over the years many readers have shared their own tweaks to this recipe. It's a favorite of many and we love seeing how they make it their own.

Use a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes instead of the regular canned tomato or tomato paste
Add some cumin and/or chili powder
Make it in your rice cooker, using the cooker's guidelines for liquid amounts
Add sazón (homemade or from the store)
Add diced jalapenos
Make baked stuffed peppers, but stuff them with the prepared Spanish rice

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing Leftovers

If you want a head start, you can make this recipe to the end of Step 2 (not yet adding the liquid) and let the pan of oil-coated rice sit out for up to 4 hours before picking up where you left off.

You can also make it all the way to the end, then let it sit on the lowest heat, covered, to keep it warm. You may need to add a few flicks of water from time to time so it does not dry out, but if your lid is snug, that might not be necessary.

Once cooled, the prepared Spanish rice can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

And yes, you can freeze this! This post,How to Freeze Rice, has all the details you need.

Other Easy Rice Dishes to Try

Cilantro Lime Rice
Cajun-Style Dirty Rice
Rice Pilaf
Easy Vegetable Fried Rice
Indian Style Rice

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Easy Spanish Rice

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time35 mins

Servings4to 6 servings

My mother browns the rice in a separate pan from the pot she uses to heat the stock. This is just to save time. You could easily brown the rice and onions, and add cold stock and tomatoes to it, bring to a simmer, cover and cook, all in one pot.

If you have homemade stock, use it! That's what will take this Spanish rice from good to great. Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
1 onion, finely chopped (about1 cup)
See Also
Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole Recipe Bacon Sausage | Best
1 garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
2 cups medium or long-grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock(orvegetable stockfor vegetarian version)
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
Pinch dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt

Method

Brown the rice:
Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium/high heat. Add the rice and stir it so that the rice is lightly coated with the oil. Cook on medium high heat, stirring often, until much of the rice has browned.
Add the onion and garlic:
Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently another 3 minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook until the onions are translucent and softened, about a minute more.
Combine the broth, tomato, oregano, salt, and browned rice and onions:
To save time you can bring the stock to a simmer in a separate saucepan, with the tomato, oregano, and salt.
Combine the rice and broth mixture:
Add the browned rice to the simmering broth (or broth to the rice, depending on which pan has a cover). Or you can skip the simmering step and just add the broth and tomatoes to the rice.
Simmer, cover, and cook until the rice has absorbed the stock:
Bring everything to a simmer, cover the pot and lower the heat to barely maintain a low simmer.
Cook for 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package.
Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!
Serve:
Fluff with a fork or spoon to serve.
Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

White Rice
Gluten-Free
Vegetarian
Mexican
Cinco De Mayo

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
171	Calories
6g	Fat
24g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	171
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g	8%
Saturated Fat 1g	5%
Cholesterol 4mg	1%
Sodium 527mg	23%
Total Carbohydrate 24g	9%
Dietary Fiber 1g	3%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 3mg	15%
Calcium 19mg	1%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 236mg	5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.