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How to make Homemade Spanish Rice/Mexican Rice. whatever you call it, we’ve got the best and Easiest Spanish Rice Recipe you can find. It tastes like it came straight from the restaurant!
It’s our go-to side dish when serving Mexican food! Not only is it simple and takes under 10 minutes to prep, but it’s perfect served with our tacos and enchiladas!
Easy Mexican Rice
I LOVE Spanish Rice (aka MexicanRice)! As previously mentioned, I’m 1/2 Mexican. I love this family heritage so much, and am especially grateful that my family has taught me to make delicious Mexican food.
My mom has been making today’s Spanish Rice recipe for as long as I can remember and first showed me how to make it several years ago (along with empanadas, enchiladas and tacos). Now, we make it on a weekly basis because my kids are obsessed and it’s just so easy.
This recipe is actually the Spanish Rice recipe of a popular Mexican Restaurant in Mesa called Mango’s (down on Main). If you’ve ever been down there and liked their rice, then you’ll love this recipe. It really is simple, delicious and the perfect side to any Mexican dish!
How to Make spanish Rice
One of the main reasons we love this recipe (other than the fact that it’s simple), is because we always have the ingredients on hand. Here are the Spanish rice ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious side dish:
- long grain rice
- oil
- tomato sauce
- minced garlic
- chicken broth
- cumin
- garlic pepper + salt
Begin by browning the rice in the oil (we use about 1/8 but it depends on how much you like). Add the minced garlic and sauté for a minute before adding the tomato sauce, chicken broth (or water and bouillon cube) and spices.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Fluff up before serving.
FAQ + TIPS
How much rice per person? Plan on 1/4 cup uncooked rice per person. Once the rice is cooked it will end up being about 3/4 – 1 cup per person. If a recipe calls for 3 cups uncooked rice plan on it feeding about 12 people.
Which rice is best for Spanish Rice? We love to use long-grain white rice. It gets fluffy and does not get sticky like some of the short-grained rices.
Can Spanish rice be made with brown rice? Brown rice can definitely be used in place of white rice. Just add ⅓ c more water per cup of brown rice and let simmer longer- until the brown rice reaches your desired texture.
Can you use salsa instead of tomato sauce? Sure thing! Salsa can add more flavor and even a bit more spice to this mild rice recipe. It’s all about preference.
Which topping ingredients are best for this rice? You can add what you love most, but we often add chopped peppers, chopped cilantro, onions or even green onions.
Once all your spices and tomato sauce are added, stir and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes.
REHEATING, FREEZING + MORE RECIPES
How to reheat Spanish Rice/mexican rice? Be sure to store it properly in an air-tight container. It can last in the fridge for up to 5-6 days. To reheat, just microwave or reheat on the stove for a few minutes.
Can spanish rice be frozen? Yes, it can be frozen to be used at a future time. Simply place about 3 cups of cooked rice into ziplock freezer bags, label and place in the freezer for 4-6 months.
When you’re ready to use you can thaw the rice in the fridge or cook straight from the freezer. Using a microwave safe bowl microwave the rice on high stirring every 2 minutes until rice reaches your desired temperature.
Recipes that use Spanish Rice
Yes, we use it as a side for any Mexican dish, but we also like to use it recipes too, including:
- Burritos
- Rice bowls/Burrito Bowls
- Chimichangas
- Taco Salad
And best of all, is that it’s the best side for any Mexican meal!! Below are video and printable instructions to make the Mexican rice. We hope you can enjoy it with any Mexican dish you try.
For more Mexican rice recipes, check out:
what to serve with Spanish Rice?
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Red Cheese Enchiladas
- Beef Empanadas
- Green Chile Burros
- Baked Chicken Chimichanga
- Steak Fajitas
Spanish Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 1 cube chicken-flavored bouillon
- 4 cups water (or 4 cups chicken lower sodium chicken broth - and no bouillon)
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- dash garlic pepper
Topping
- chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add rice and cook, stirring until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Combine bouillon and water in a microwave-safe container and microwave for 3 minutes.
- When rice is brown, add bouillon mixture, tomato sauce, salt, garlic, cumin and garlic pepper to the pan.
- Stir and cover the pan. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until all is cooked and there is no liquid left. Fluff before serving and top with cilantro if desired.
Can you use already cooked rice and just fry it with the ingredients mentioned?
You’ll need to use UNcooked rice for this recipe. Using already cooked rice won’t allow it to properly absorb the seasonings and flavors and will result in a very mushy dish.
Don’t make pceople rate you before they jump to recipes….hell we dont know yet…yes sir 100% ur good but teach others
I’m a bit confused! You don’t need to leave a rating to view the recipe. Was a rating prompt blocking your access?
Wow, absolutely delicious! Made this for the first time for a dinner with guests and they tasted it before I did. Everyone raved at how good it was! When we got home, at 9:00 pm, my toddler kept saying “more rice, mommy” and so we ate rice (again, after him eating lots at dinner) because he was so excited to eat more. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Ahhhh! This is the kind of comment that make me love sharing my recipes. I’m happy everyone enjoyed it!
I made this rice last week. I was so happy!! When I was a young girl, my Hispanic boyfriend’s mother made something called “meat and rice”. That’s it. I have been trying to copycat that recipe for 50 years. I never got the recipe from her and her kids have tried but it’s not the same. This rice is almost identical to that rice. I have some cooking right now with small cubes of pork chop that I browned before adding the rice to brown. It smells like Opal’s kitchen and I cannot wait to dig in! Thank you for this great base!
Subbed the chicken bouillon for Better than Bouillon & it tasted just like my mom’s recipe.
Thank you for sharing! ❤️
Best Mexican Rice recipe I have tried. Works with Mexican dishes and we love it with to add to chili as well.
Perfect every time! Great recipe!
So glad it turns out perfectly for you every time! Thanks for sharing!
I want to like this recipe, but after several attempts, have found it to be the least favorite I’ve found online. I always use brown rice. Despite making the adjustments noted above for brown rice, the instructions either require substantially more time, literally hours, for the rice to absorb all the liquid, or if left to simmer at medium heat, the tomato sauce burns. Tonight I decided to try the Spanish rice recipe here with a few adjustments corresponding with the Mexican rice recipe at https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/authentic-mexican-rice/, which I love to use. Still no luck. As I type this, the rice has been simmering at low heat for going on three hours and still has yet to absorb the water and tomato sauce. Maybe omitting the occasional stirring recommendation would do the trick. Personally, I prefer recipes that do not require several experiments just to get it edible. That’s too wasteful, too much work, and too time consuming.
I’m sorry it’s been such a frustrating experience! Brown rice can be tricky with this recipe, and I appreciate you sharing what you tried.
Kandace