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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 cups long grain rice
- 1/8 cup vegetable oil
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 6 stems cilantro (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 4 cups water (or 4 cups chicken lower sodium chicken broth - and no bouillon)
- 1 cube chicken flavored bouillon
- dash cumin
- dash garlic pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in large frying pan on medium heat.
- Add rice and cook until golden brown.
- Add 1 chicken flavored bouillon cube to 4 cups water and microwave for 3 minutes.
- When rice is brown, add water, tomato sauce, salt, garlic, cumin and garlic pepper to pan.
- Stir and cover pan. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes or until all is cooked and there is no liquid left. Fluff before serving and ENJOY.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delish! Thank you
My kids have named this “orange rice”! It is bookmarked as a favorite so I can quickly find it again and again. Such a great recipe! A can of tomato sauce is kept on hand near the bag of rice because “orange rice” is a staple in our home.
That’s so cute! I love that they call it “orange rice!”
This was the first recipe I used to make Spanish rice from scratch and I won’t even bother looking for another one. The rice came out Tasting better than at my favorite Mexican restaurants!! My roommate (who was born and raised in Mexico) woke up out of a dead sleep (which usually takes a natural disaster) because he said the entire house smelled just like his grand mother was cooking dinner and in his dream he was running towards the kitchen because he didn’t want to miss out on his grand mother’s cooking and then he woke up. First let me say this… My roommate and I have been great friends since we were kids. He was born in Mexico and is of Hispanic decent. I was born and raised in the US and if my skin got any whiter I’d be transparent. We don’t see color and would never genuinely judge someone as a person by the amount of melanin in their skin. With that being said, because of the contrast in heritage and upbringing and because we have been for ends for 30+ years, we tease each other mercifully every change we get. That’s what best friends are for, right? So when Oscar came stumbling out of his bedroom with one eye open and saw it was me cooking, he stopped dead in his tracks. Then in Spanish he started cracking jokes and saying things like, “Dang white girl, you better not have been holding out on me and been able to cook like that for the last 30 years!” “That’s cruel and unusual punishment.” When he took his first bite he melted into his chair and went back for THIRSS that night. He loved it so much in fact, he made a deal with me that any night I made Spanish rice he would do ALL the dishes, no questions asked. It’s been 4 months and he still does the dishes with a smile on his face. So I’d say this recipe is as authentic as it gets. Thanks for sharing!!
Oh thank you for sharing this! That makes me so happy to hear the rice was a hit and brought back good memories for your roommate!
Best, best, best recipe! I
Confused on where we use the cilantro and minced garlic? Don’t see it in the recipe, only ingredients.
The garlic is added in step 4 (basically when you add all the other ingredients). If I use cilantro, I typically add it as a garnish on top once the rice is cooked. If you do want to add it before cooking, you would add during step 4 as well.
Love this recipe! Just what I needed tonight for serving with chicken fajitas and avocado! Thanks so much for posting it and sharing your ideas and techniques.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you loved the rice. Thanks for giving it a try!
Is the cilantro just for garnish?
Yes! You could put it in the rice before cooking as well, but I typically use it just for a garnish.
Excellent rice. Perfect consistency. I made it for a birthday dinner to go with carne and pollo asada, everyone loved it.
I followed the recipe exactly as written, wouldn’t change a thing, will definitely make again. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m glad that you all enjoyed the rice recipe. Thanks for sharing!
This is so good and so easy, I love it!! I did add a can of drained washed back beans, used salsa instead of Tomatoe sauce, and I love heat so I added a habanero, and red & Green pepper to the mix.. Next day scoop some into a wrap with fresh salsa and there’s lunch!!
Such a fun idea for lunch! Thanks for sharing what you did. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the rice!
love this recipe..!