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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.
Spanish fried rice was always a little daunting to me but this was way easier to make than I thought it would be. My kids loved it and will ask for it routinely. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
This rice is heavenly!! Its fluffy and better than anything I’ve ever had at a restaurant. We make it all the time and the kids always have seconds. Thx!
This rice was better than any restaurant rice!! I can’t believe how easy it is to make & it’s so tasty!! My kids loved it so much, they couldn’t get enough!
Making this for a second time – this time for a big family get together taco night. This recipe is delicious! I throw in some dried cilantro and a couple of bay leaves. Comes out perfectly.
Yay! Thank you so much for sharing that! I am glad you like it, as much as we do!
I love this recipe! I have made a lot of your recipes but this is definitely one of my favorites.
Yay!! Love hearing that!! This is our favorite, too! Thank you so much!
Our family loves the Mexican Rice. It is just as good if not better than most Mexican restaurants!! So Yummy
Thanks for saying that! I am glad to hear you do 🙂
I love this recipe! So easy and goes great with all things Mexican food!
Yes, it is a staple with all our Mexican recipes! Thank you!
So easy and so good!
I am glad you think so 🙂 Thank you so much!
Yes, this tastes exactly like the rice we get from our local Mexican restaurant. Scratch that, this is better!!! And it’s so easy! I cut the recipe in half for my family of four and it goes quickly! This is a staple in our house on taco night.
Yay!! Love hearing it is better!! Thank you so much for saying that!
Hello from Texas! I adore Spanish rice. I really like it kinda dry and the rice “split”. Does the browning beforehand cause the rice to split while cooking? I am making some cheese enchiladas today and want to make this as a side. Looks really good, simple, authentic and tasty and what you’d get in a good Mexican restaurant. Please advise because your pic shows the rice split, which is what I’m after. Just stumbled across your blog, many things on here I want to try!
Welcome! I am so glad you stumbled across my blog too! This is by far our favorite rice. I would say it does. It is soft & so delicious. I’d love to know what you think, if you try it 🙂
Made it! Great flavour, but didn’t split and was not dry like I like it. I even used a little less water and about 2 Tb of oil, cooked 25 mind on lowest heat after brought to a boil. Browned it really well too. Certainly not the recipes fault, as it’s *really* good and will make again but still wondering how to get it dry and split like restaurant rice. I use zatarains par boiled rice, long grain. I’m at a loss, but it’s very good as all the reviews state!