Easy Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice is a quick, delicious side dish that's as easy as cooking a pot of rice using chicken broth, tomato sauce, and seasonings!

Easy Spanish Rice with text overlay.


 

Cinco de Mayo is on the horizon, and a quick search of the blog will reveal that you're already set when it comes to appetizers, main dishes, beverages, heck, even dessert! Alas, the only Tex-Mex side dish that I've shared as of yet is the recipe for my simple, flavorful Slow Cooker Charro Beans. But you know what pairs beautifully with those beans? Spanish Rice!

Now, I'm not going to get into a debate about what constitutes "authentic" Spanish Rice or why we're talking about Spanish Rice in the first place when Cinco de Mayo is a holiday celebrating old Mexico.

All I can tell you is that in Texas, pretty much every Mexican food restaurant serves reddish-orange, tomato-sauce tinged rice as a side dish along with charro or refried beans. And for some reason, it's commonly referred to as Spanish, rather than Mexican, Rice. While some of the restaurants inexplicably adulterate their rice with frozen mixed veggies (???), I think the best versions are plain, with perhaps a few flecks of tomato, and delicately flavored with the same spices you might find in taco seasoning.

So that, my friends, is how I'm going to demonstrate cooking Spanish Rice today.

Ingredients for making Spanish Rice sitting on counter.

Ingredients

So what ingredients do you need to make the easiest, tastiest, most foolproof Spanish Rice ever?!

  • Extra-virgin olive oil + butter. For toasting your rice.
  • Long grain white rice. The variety or brand doesn't matter as long as it's long grain. And be sure to keep those package directions handy to determine the optimal liquid ratio and cooking time for your particular brand of rice! More on that below...
  • Chicken broth (or stock) + tomato sauce (or puree). These two ingredients constitute the liquid in which your rice will cook. So much more flavorful that plain water!
  • Herbs + spices. For even more flavor! Namely, you'll need chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, and dried oregano.

Here's the thing. Over the years, I've had rather inconsistent results when cooking this dish. But the good news is I FINALLY FIGURED OUT WHY. Drumroll, please...

Aerial view of pot of Spanish Rice.

How to Make Spanish Rice

You see, I was always cooking my Spanish Rice according to a set recipe, but I never took into account that different varieties/brands of white rice may have cooking directions that call for varying amounts of water and a whole range of cooking times. So it finally occurred to me that, instead of cooking my rice with a certain amount of liquid for a set amount of time each go-round, it might make more sense to pay attention to the directions on the back of the bag of rice.

That's right, y'all...this Spanish Rice is basically like cooking a regular ol' pot of rice according to the package directions.

But instead of just cooking the rice in water with a bit of salt and possibly butter, you're going to make this Mexican-inspired version by cooking the rice in a combo of chicken broth and tomato sauce.

And instead of just flavoring with salt, you're going to add chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, and dried oregano.

But the key is you're going to use the total amount of liquid dictated by the particular brand of white rice that you're using, and you're also going to follow its specified cooking time!

Liquid Ratios and Cooking Time

I like to keep my chicken broth to tomato sauce ratio at about 50/50, leaning towards slightly more chicken broth/slightly less tomato sauce depending on my measurements.

So, for example, if my bag of rice called for 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water, I would use 1 cup of rice, 1 cup of chicken broth, and 1 cup of tomato sauce.

The brand of rice that I have in my pantry right now calls for 1 cup of rice to 1 ¾ cups of water. So to make today's Spanish Rice, I used 1 cup of rice, 1 cup of water, and ¾ cup of tomato sauce. Does that make sense?

The same goes for cooking time. I initially toast my rice in oil for a few minutes, but then I just follow the directions on the bag of rice, which today dictated simmering for 20 minutes or so.

The final result? Perfectly cooked rice every time!

Spanish Rice recipe piled in a serving bowl.

More Than Just a Side Dish

Oh, and as one final side note, this recipe need not merely serve as a side dish. On the day that I made it for the blog, I happened to have some leftover Slow Cooker Chicken & Black Bean Taco filling in the fridge, which we'd already enjoyed in tacos earlier in the week. So when I found myself with this fluffy pot of Spanish Rice, I decided to serve it rice bowl-style, topped with the leftover shredded chicken, as well as big chunks of creamy avocado, generous dollops of salsa, and a shower of fresh chopped cilantro. It was so darn tasty that my family went crazy over it. And I felt pretty clever at my new dinnertime invention. 😉

So are you a fan of red/Spanish/Mexican/Whatever-You-Prefer-to-Call-It Rice? Have you ever made it yourself at home?

Whether it's Cinco de Mayo or Taco Tuesday, I encourage you to give it a try! It's simple to make as well as simply tasty...and who's going to argue with that?

Helpful Tips, Tricks, & Equipment

  • The amounts of liquid in this recipe should be considered a guideline. Follow the directions on your bag of rice to determine how much liquid to use (per 1 cup of rice) when you make your Spanish Rice. For example, if your bag of rice calls for 2 cups of water to every 1 cup of rice, substitute 1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup tomato sauce for that water. I keep the ratio of chicken broth/tomato sauce at about 50/50, leaning towards more chicken broth and less tomato sauce, if necessary. So if my rice called for 1 ¾ cups of water for cooking, I'd use 1 cup chicken broth and ¾ cup tomato sauce to make this Spanish Rice.
  • After you have toasted your rice, stirred in the remaining ingredients, brought it to a boil, and then reduced it to a simmer, finish cooking your rice based on the number of minutes listed in the directions on the bag of rice.
  • If you'd like to add some diced, drained green chiles (mild) or jalapenos (hot), stir those in at the same time as the diced tomatoes.
  • Garnish this rice with fresh cilantro and/or salsa, if desired. Serve as a side dish or as a base for a rice bowl.
  • The video in the recipe card will show just how easy it is to make this recipe!
Aerial view of bowl of Spanish Rice.

More Tex-Mex Favorites

Spanish Rice piled up in blue and white serving bowl.

Easy Spanish Rice

Easy Spanish Rice is as quick and simple as cooking a pot of rice using chicken broth, tomato sauce, and a few seasonings! It's the perfect base for rice bowls or a delicious side dish to your favorite Mexican entrees!
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 164kcal
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup white rice
  • 1 cup (APPROXIMATELY) chicken broth or stock, see NOTES below
  • 1 cup (APPROXIMATELY) tomato sauce or puree, see NOTES below
  • 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ cup diced fresh tomatoes, seeded & drained (optional)

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, melt together olive oil and butter. Add rice and stir to coat with oil/butter. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 to 3 minutes, until rice is toasted.
  • Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, oregano, and diced tomatoes (if using). Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Stir well, reduce heat to low, place lid on pot, and cook at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes (or whatever amount of time is directed on your bag of rice; see NOTES below). If rice is not quite tender or liquid is not absorbed after 20 minutes, replace lid and cook for 2 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat, leave covered, and allow to rest for a few minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and serve.

Video

Notes

  • The amounts of liquid and the cooking time for this recipe should be considered guidelines. Follow the directions on your bag of rice to determine how much liquid to use (per 1 cup of rice) and how long to cook when you make your Spanish Rice. For example, if your bag of rice calls for 2 cups of water to every 1 cup of rice, substitute 1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup tomato sauce for that water. I keep the ratio of chicken broth/tomato sauce at about 50/50, leaning towards more chicken broth and less tomato sauce, if necessary. So if my rice called for 1 ¾ cups of water for cooking, I’d use 1 cup chicken broth and ¾ cup tomato sauce to make this Spanish Rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 578mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 385IU | Vitamin C: 5.6mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Post originally published on April 30, 2015 and updated on March 3, 2019 and February 4, 2021.

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Recipe Rating




197 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    One word for this recipe! DELICIOUS! Made it for my daughter and her friend for lunch and they went back for seconds, I did add a tsp of minced garlic because I love garlic. Was the perfect balance of flavours. I've never had spanish/Mexican rice (it's not a huge thing in Australia) but it was everything I imagined it would be! Thanks for the easy to follow recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    Wow! So good! I added a can of rotel instead of just tomatoes and used a carne asada seasoning instead of all the rest…..used my home canned stock and added grilled pork chops! Definitely will make again!

    1. I will never make boxed Spanish rice again, this was so delish my family loved it. I will definitely be making this again.

    2. 5 stars
      This was tops!!!!! So good. I had to use alot of chicken stock. Almost 32 oz as the rice soaked it up. Loved it!!! I also added a few diced onions.

  3. 5 stars
    This isn’t even done cooking yet and smells amazing. I tasted it before it got to a full boil in case I needed to tweak anything to my liking and I didn’t have to change a thing. I used fire roasted tomatoes because that’s all I had on hand and it’s delish!! Thank you. I’ll never buy boxed Spanish rice again.

    1. 4 stars
      The rice that was in direct contact with the pan completely burnt, but the center was perfectly fluffy. Aside from the burnt bits, it tasted amazing! I used a pretty small saucepan, but it's the normal pan I use for 1 cup of rice, should I have used a bigger one? Definitely will be trying this again, hoping user error doesn't make me have to pitch ¼ of it again 😅

      1. Hi Amber! If your rice burned on the bottom, it could have been for one of a few reasons. If you're not using a heavy enough pot, the bottom could be on the thinner side which could overcook the rice at the bottom of the pot. It could be that your burner was simply turned a bit too high. Or it could be that you needed to add just a touch more liquid to your rice. Hope one of those possibilities helps you troubleshoot what may have gone wrong! 🙂

        1. 5 stars
          I decided to try this recipe using brown rice since that doesn’t exist commercially. Using my own rice/water ratio (with tomatoes as part of that measurement), the recipe was delicious. I even used an Instapot for easy cooking.

  4. 5 stars
    Fantastic and easy. Very tasty. This is the first time I’ve ever made Spanish Rice. I passed this recipe into family members

  5. 5 stars
    I used 2.5 cups of chicken broth, sauted green onions, minced garlic, jalepano pepper and green pepper. Used 2 tsp of chili and 2tsp of cumin. Turned out amazing. Also simmered onnlow for longer.

    1. 5 stars
      I just made this and it's great. I made the chicken broth using 1 cup of water and better than bullion. I heated that up with 8 oz tomato sauce. Browned the rice with minced garlic. When browned added broth and tomato sauce with all the seasonings. Instead of fresh tomatoes I added 1/4 cup original Rotel. Cooked 20 minutes and all done well make again. Next time will probably use hot Rotel but I like spice.

    1. I imagine you could modify this recipe to use cooked rice...you just won't need all of the liquid (since cooked rice won't absorb it). I would probably just stir in a bit of tomato sauce plus the seasonings if I was wanting to flavor cooked rice. 🙂

  6. Hi! Has this recipe been tried with rice that's been soaked? I prefer to soak my rice ahead of time to help reduce arsenic levels. Thank you!

    1. I have never made this using soaked rice, Sophie, so I'm unable to recommend how the recipe might need to be adjusted. But maybe someone will chime in if they've tried it. 🙂

  7. 5 stars
    I made this in my instapot. Diced and fried (meat setting) up a chicken breast, added the onion and garlic then the rice. Browned that all together and added the rest of the ingredients. Changed my instapot to rice and cooked for 8 minutes- it was delish! Thanks for the recipe.

  8. 5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe! I made this for my very picky husband and he told me it was “bomb”. 🤩 I didn’t have chicken broth so I used vegetable broth and also didn’t have tomato sauce so I used tomato soup. Turned out delicious! Will be making many many more time!!

  9. 5 stars
    Taco's for dinner and of course forgot to put the spanish rice on list. This was super easy and saved a dollar or two by using things I already have in pantry. I will not bother with the box stuff again as the flavor of this was wonderful.

    1. I don't own a rice cooker, so I'm sorry that I can't say for sure. But if you scroll down the comments to March 17, 2021, Eric Z reported on his experience trying this recipe in a rice cooker. On August 25, 2018, Shannon said that it worked perfectly in her rice cooker, but on December 24, 2015, Moriya said it didn't work in her rice cooker. So it sounds like it may take some experimentation, and it may depend on your particular rice cooker. Hope that helps! 🙂

    2. 5 stars
      I followed a website’s cooking instruction for brown rice which is 25 minutes for any amount of rice using their 1:1 ratio for instant pressure cooker (in my case Ninja iFoodie). But, first I browned the rice as instructed in this website and kept 1:1 ratio for the rice and broth/tomato sauce. Except, I didn’t have tomato sauce. Since I used 2 cups of rice using a one cup measuring spoon, I added a tbsp of tomato paste to it and filled to the brim with the broth (my partner is a vegan so I used no-chicken vegetable broth) and repeat this step one more time to match 1:1 ratio of the rice. Added spices as instructed and set the pressure cooker for 25 minutes in high pressure setting. Came out better than I expected for a vegan Spanish rice. Thank you for your tips on the ratios… that sure did the trick!!!

    1. I don't see why those wouldn't work as long as you adapt the recipe to the cooking instructions on your particular bag of brown rice or quinoa (basically following the regular directions but cooking in flavored/seasoned liquids instead of water). 🙂