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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.
I love this recipe, I make it a lot for gatherings! Can you freeze it by chance?
Yes, this rice freezes great!
This is by far the best Spanish rice recipe that I have tried and I have tried many over 40 years. Being a Mexican food loving Texan, I am always on the hunt for a great Spanish rice recipe. There are different Spanish rice recipes in every house and restaurant with various spices and directions and this is an excellent base that you can easily adjust the seasonings or to cook exactly as written. I added a squeeze of lime in my bowl and that topped it off perfectly! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the rice recipe! That means a lot!
That was the best thing ive eaten in a while! Definetly will make this again.
Yay!! So happy to hear that! I’m glad you enjoyed the rice.
I only have tomato paste, would you suggest using it?
You can use that! Just create your own “tomato sauce” by mixing together 1 part tomato paste and 1 part water until well blended.
I absolutely love this recipe but I can never get my rice to look orange like the restaurant style. It always comes out brown. For reference I use the uncle Ben a long grain rice.
So glad to hear you love the rice. The tomato sauce is typically what will give the rice its color, so I’m not sure why it’s turning brown, especially if you are not using a brown rice.
Came out fabulous!
Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed the rice!
This is a staple in my house and i’ve made this countless times! So simple and always comes out so tasty. But recently I’m having a problem with the rice burning (on the bottom and side of the pan) 🙁 Do you know why this could be happening/how to fix? I kept it on medium heat and didn’t wash the rice and followed recipe to the T. Cooked to just under 30 mins bc burning. Thanks!!
The pot could possibly be getting scorched… maybe try keeping the burner on a medium low heat. Then obviously on low when simmering. The steam should be doing the work to cook the rice rather than the burner. Using a heavy-bottomed pot can also help! So glad you enjoy the rice recipe!!
Do you wash the rice?
I don’t typically, but you could!
How long do you let it boil before you reduce the heat and simmer?
Not long. Once it comes to a boil, you can turn the heat to low and simmer.
How do you make rice more dry like in the restaurants? Mine always comes out sticky and wet. If I cook it longer, it burns. If I use less water, it’s undercooked and still wet.
A few tips that might help… Use a tight fitted lid and don’t lift it up early when simmering the rice, make sure to cook the rice on low heat, make sure to not stir the rice when cooking, let the rice sit off of the heat for 5 minutes afterward and then fluff with a fork. While the rice rests, its grains cool off a bit and get more firm. If you stir the rice right when it’s cooked, the grains can break up and get mushy. Hopefully some of these tips help you get the texture you’re hoping for!