🍚🧅 My homemade Spanish rice recipe, often interchangeably called Mexican rice, features fluffy rice mixed with bits of onions, red bell peppers, and jalapeños 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 smothered beef burritos, or for any recipe that calls for seasoned rice.
The BEST 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 with Spanish Lemon Olive Chicken, too.
This is the absolute best Spanish rice. Will definitely be my go to when making Spanish rice.
Lisa
Ingredients and Notes
- Olive oil
- Veggies: Yellow onion, bell pepper (I use red, but pick your favorite color), jalapeño pepper, and garlic. Jalapeños 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
- Rice: 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
- Seasonings: Cumin, dried oregano, and salt
- Tomato sauce
- Chicken broth: Use vegetable broth to keep vegetarian
Double the recipe
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.
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 sauté the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño 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, and salt, stir, and toast the rice for about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth, and bring to a rolling boil. Cover, and simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice absorbs all the liquid and is done.
- Fluff the pot of rice with a fork before serving!
What to serve with Spanish rice
Spanish Rice Recipe
Equipment
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 ingredient notes above
- 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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This sounds great! I want to make this tonight. Question – what if I want to add a can of diced tomatoes instead of the tomato sauce?
You could do that although the rice will be drier and won’t likely be as orange or red-tinted.
This is the absolute best Spanish rice. Will definitely be my go to when making Spanish rice.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Lisa, and I’m glad this is your new go-to Spanish rice recipe!
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!