Spanish Rice – 🎉😋🙌🏻 Often interchangeably called ‘Mexican rice’, this perfectly cooked rice recipe has bits of onions, red bell peppers, jalapenos, and is seasoned with garlic, cumin, and oregano for tons of great FLAVOR! Ready in 25 minutes and made in just one skillet with a handful of ingredients, it’s always a family favorite side dish! Serve it with your fave Mexican recipe, use it inside burritos, or for any recipe that calls for seasoned rice.
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Easy Spanish Rice Recipe
This easy Spanish rice recipe is so easy to make in just one skillet, and it’s ready in about 25 minutes.
Soft and tender rice with bits of onions, red bell peppers, jalapenos, and seasoned with garlic, cumin, and oregano is always a family favorite.
Whether you want to serve this alongside a plate of 20-Minute Baked Cilantro and Lime Chicken, or with Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken, use it inside Smothered Beef Burritos, or as the rice component in Buffalo Chicken Burrito Bowls, this seasoned Spanish (or Mexican) rice never goes out of style! Try it in with Spanish Lemon Olive Chicken, too.
Is It Spanish Rice or Mexican Rice?
I did quite a bit of research about what exactly is the difference and different sources say different things including:
- Spanish rice isn’t from Spain, it’s more of an North American-invented recipe eaten in Northern Mexico and the southwest US
- Spanish rice being firmer while Mexican rice is softer (and sometimes sweeter)
- the yellow color in Spanish rice comes from saffron whereas it’s cumin that lends the color in Mexican rice recipes
- Spanish rice has veggies incorporated like onions, bell pepper and jalapeno whereas Mexican rice doesn’t
- They both use tomato broth (or tomato paste – which I chose not to use because most people don’t keep it on hand and then you’re left with a mostly unused tube or can of it lingering)
- Some say this rice is like the Mexican equivalent of rice pilaf for your next Mexican meal
Ingredients in Homemade Spanish Rice
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Red bell pepper – or use your favorite color bell pepper
- Jalapeno pepper – concerned about the spiciness level? The FAQs below cover this
- Garlic
- Rice – wondering what kind to use? See the FAQs below
- Cumin
- Dried oregano
- Salt
- Tomato sauce
- Chicken broth – use vegetable broth to keep vegetarian
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make The Best Spanish Rice
- In this recipe for Spanish rice, in a large skillet simply saute the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno in a skillet with a bit of olive oil for a few minutes until they’ve softened a bit.
- Add the garlic in the final minute.
- Add the rice, cumin, oregano, salt, stir, and toast the rice for about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, bring to rolling boil, cover, and simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is done.
- Fluff the pot of rice with a fork before serving!
what to serve with mexican rice
Recipe FAQs
Mexican cuisine, in general, has more of a pop than American food. However, this rice isn’t one of them. Then again, it does have more flavor than some regular ‘ole white rice however I wouldn’t say it’s “spicy”. Jalapenos aren’t very spicy contrary to what some people think (although don’t confuse them with the more slender, dark green, serrano chile peppers which are spicy), but if you’re concerned, use half of one jalapeno, or none, and use a bit of green bell pepper instead.
I recommend using long grain rice, such as basmati rice. There are so many types of rice but basmati rice is tried-and-true in this recipe. You can potentially use brown rice, however you’ll need to increase the liquid volume by ~1/2 cup additional broth AND the simmering time will increase to about 45 minutes. However, this recipe was written with white rice in mind, so you’ll need to experiment if you want to use brown rice.
This recipe yields about 3 1/2 cups of cooked rice (the veggies help to bulk it up) but if you need more than that, feel free to double the recipe. Make sure your skillet is large enough, and if it is, the simmering time won’t likely increase – just double all the ingredients and make as written.
Soupy is easy to fix: Remove the lid from your skillet, and allow the rice to boil at a faster boil uncovered until the liquid volume evaporates and steams off.
Hard is a little trickier: If all the liquid has been absorbed but your rice is still hard, I would add about 2-3 tablespoons of water (or broth), cover with the lid, and allow it to simmer for about 5-10 minutes over very low heat and then let it stand. The hard rice will soften as it absorbs this additional liquid volume.
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Spanish Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or the oil of your choice
- 1 small yellow onion, diced small
- ½ medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced small (or the color of your choice)
- ½ or 1 jalapeno pepper, concerned about the spiciness level? see the FAQs
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 cup long grain basmati rice, rinsed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 8 ounces chicken broth, I used reduced sodium chicken broth, use vegetable broth to keep vegetarian
Instructions
- To a large nonstick skillet, add the oil, onions, bell pepper, jalapeno, and saute over medium high heat for about 4 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften stir very frequently.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir continuously.
- Add the rice, cumin, oregano, salt, stir, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the rice is toasted and fragrant; stir nearly continuously. Tip – Do not skip this step because it's the toasting of the rice that causes it to be extra flavorful later.
- Add the tomato sauce, broth, bring it to a rolling boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is done. Troubleshooting Tips for either soupy rice or hard rice are in the FAQs. It should be perfect as written, but if it's not, consult that section.
- Taste the rice, and if needed, make any necessary seasoning adjustments such as additional salt if desired. Serve immediately or use the rice as desired in burritos, tacos, in soups, or as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Just made this as a fall back since I noticed we are out of the packaged Mexican Rice. My family loved it! Lots less salt. Did not add jalapeños and used a small fresh tomato. Will definitely make this again.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Kirk, and I’m glad this was a winner with your family and that you’ll make it again!