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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.
Made this to go with Maria’s tamales I brought home from Yuma, AZ.
Subbed butter for the oil and mild salsa instead of tomato sauce. It only took about 20-25 min to be perfectly cooked and fluffy. It was excellent! Thanks!
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing what you did. Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Loved it. Doubled the recipe, and added a can of black beans (rinsed), a can of Rotel (drained), a can of sweet corn, and two diced grilled chicken breasts. Had pre-op this morning, and spinal procedure tomorrow, and I’m BEYOND happy to have this over the next few days of recovery at home. Keep the yummies coming! Best recipe I’ve come across I a while.
Oh that sounds tasty!! Hope the procedure goes well. I’m so glad you enjoyed the rice recipe!
This recipe was easier than expected to make and turned out perfect. This is now my go-to recipe for Spanish rice.
So glad to hear that! Thanks for giving the rice a try!
It was definitely EASY to make. My kids liked it. I had Spanish rice my aunt made and it tasted more “authentic”. But all in all… it was good.
Thanks for the feedback! Thanks for giving the recipe a try.
“Takes under ten minutes to prep…”
I bought all the ingredients for this rice, and timed when I cooked the rest of the dinner accordingly. Start making the rice, get everything in the pan, and see “cover and let simmer for 30-40 minutes.”
The rice was excellent, but the first paragraph of your recipe page is wildly inaccurate. Yes, I probably have read the entire recipe ahead of time, and that’s my fault. Even still, you should consider removing the “10 minute” statement.
So glad you enjoyed the rice. Yes, the prep time just includes getting the ingredients ready before the actual cooking begins. There is a spot on the recipe card that says the prep time, cook time and the total time (45 min). But I can see how that statement might have been confusing or misleading. Thanks so much for the feedback!
I’ve made this recipe twice, and followed the instructions without alteration. I do use chicken broth instead of water/bouillon. Both times, the rice sticks to the pan and browns. The rest of the rice is fluffy and cooked through, but wondering what I can do so the rice doesn’t brown so much, or is that as intended? Otherwise, I like the taste and end result. It’s nice to mix things up on taco night!
You could try rinsing the rice first. Or using a tad bit more oil when browning the rice at the beginning. And then just making sure the heat is at a low setting so the bottom doesn’t get too hot. Hopefully those tips will help with it not sicking to the bottom of the pan. So glad to hear you enjoy the rice!!
What do you do with the cilantro stems?
You can use them as a garnish on top. That’s what we typically do. If you like a stronger cilantro-infused flavor, you could add them before cooking the rice.
Hi! I am wanting to serve 10-12 ppl tomorrow. Would this recipe work for that, or should I double it?
I have made this recipe before, and I remember we really loved it, but I can’t remember how much it yielded. Thank you!!
The recipe serves 8, but if you are serving it as a side with other food, it may be enough to serve 10-12. If it is the main dish, you may want to 1.5x the recipe.
I made this tonight. Rinsed my rice several times. Brought some over to my son and his family and my son absolutely loved it. My 17 year old said it tastes like I bought it from a high end Mexican restaurant. She loved it. This is my go to recipe. My daughter inlaw immediately asked for your recipe. Thank you for an amazing side dish to go with our ground turkey tacos.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you all enjoyed the rice!
My second time cooking this dish was the best. This is my (4th) time cooking this side dish but I had to substitute some items due to not having all the ingredients handy. Unfortunately, my family didnt enjoy it much. Thank you Luna for the recipe it’s a hot item in my home, if I prepare it just as recipe calls for.