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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.
Love how easy this recipe is. Tastes just like my favorite Mexican restaurant rice.
I’ve been looking for a Spanish rice recipe for a long time and this is by far my favorite. It was easy and so yummy.
I use a little bit more garlic than the recipe calls and don’t use garlic pepper. That’s my personal preference but this is a great recipe
Thanks for sharing what you did! So happy to hear you enjoyed the rice!
I am very happy with this recipe. Came out perfect.
Yay!! So happy to hear that!
This was FABULOUS !! I cut the recipe in half as we didn’t need that much. I used spicy tomato sauce, grated onions and fresh minced garlic w/ tomato chicken broth. Everyone loved it. Thanks so much.
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing what you did. I’m glad the recipe was a hit!
delicious! I used wild rice because it’s what I had on hand. So I adjusted the amount of liquid and cooking time a bit to match the instructions for wild rice. I also diced some onions and cooked them in the oil (I used butter instead of oil) for about five minutes before toasting the rice. I also added some additional chopped plum tomatoes just for texture. And, when I served it I grated some sharp cheddar in the bowl, put the rice on top so all the cheese melted. It was delightful. Thanks for the recipe!
Ooh yummy! Thanks for sharing what you did. It sounds delicious. So glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
Turned out perfect. First time trying Spanish/Mexican rice.
Aw, I’m so glad it turned out well. Way to go for it and try making Spanish rice!!
Love this recipe. I’ve been looking for a rice recipe that tastes just like at a Mexican restaurant and this one hits the mark! Thank you so much for sharing. For the gal whose rice didn’t turn out I would recommend her trying to cook the rice on a low simmer boil for 20 minutes without the lid then turn off fire and put a dish cloth over the pan then the lid to absorb the heat for about 15-20 minutes and see if that works better.
I’m so glad you found a Spanish rice recipe that you enjoy! Thanks for the tips and suggestions.
First time making it and I was worried I wouldn’t get it right. But it was perfect! Thank you!
You’re welcome!! I’m so glad the rice turned out well and that you enjoyed it!
It didn’t taste great. I cooked the rice for 20 minutes with the lid on.
Wonder if I browned the rice enough. I have never browned rice before. Used 1 can rotel and 1 can regular chopped tomatoes because I didn’t want too much heat. This was my first try with Spanish rice. 🤦♀️
Please post info that might have tips on what could have gone wrong.
Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as you were hoping! Thanks for giving the recipe a try and for your feedback.
A bit more info is needed before anyone can say exactly what might’ve gone wrong. Making large substitutions can alter the cooking time & the amount of liquid necessary. Did you drain the Rotel or use it as is? What type of rice did you use? With Spanish rice the amount of liquid & time spent cooking are two big considerations to watch out for. This recipe has maybe a cup more of water than I am used to using and if you add Rotel that brings even more liquid to the mix. For me personally I’d probably cut back by 2 cups of water (if using the Rotel) & still keep some water (or the Rotel liquid) on standby in case you need to add some towards the end. I also like to add slices of bell pepper, onion, & a halved jalapeno (or poblano for a milder rice) to the pan for a minute or 2 before browning the rice, then I leave them in & remove them at the end of cook time, or you can also just used the veggies chopped). Another thing I do for bolder flavor is toast & grind fresh cumin (I use about 1/2-1 tsp) & I use pure ancho chili powder (1 tsp) for extra heat & flavor (I like medium & hot levels of spiciness). Plus I’m not positive on this, but I think one of the ingredients should be black pepper instead of garlic pepper. Browning the rice usually takes me a good 6-7 minutes & I always let the pan & oil heat well 1st.
rhinowithoutglasses- agree with you on the bell pepper addition. I had a technician who’s mom was of Mexican heritage and taught her daughter how to make the rice. Hers was so good like no other I’d had and when she showed me how to do it, she added the bell pepper and onion as you stated and removed it before or even after adding the rice liquid. It just added so much more flavor! Just an additional suggestion. Other than that, Lil’Luna’s recipe is awesome!
This is my go to Spanish rice recipe. I have made it so many times.