Short Grain Spanish Rice

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!

I LOVE Spanish Rice (aka MexicanRice)! As previously mentioned, I’m ½ Mexican. I love this family heritage so much, and am especially grateful that my family has taught me to make delicious Mexican food.

Best Spanish Rice

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!

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:

Organic Whole Grain Spanish Rice

Begin by browning the rice in the oil (we use about ⅛ 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.

How much rice per person? Plan on ¼ cup uncooked rice per person. Once the rice is cooked it will end up being about ¾ – 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.

Spanish Rice & Pinto Beans, Organic

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.

Comparison Between Long Grain Rice Vs Short Grain Rice

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.

Spanish Red Rice (arroz Rojo)

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.

Restaurant-Style Spanish Rice (aka Mexican Rice), that is easy to make and tastes like it came straight from the restaurant, and is the best side dish to any Mexican entree.

Pin it now to remember it later! Share it with your Facebook friends (you know they’ll love it). Or tweet it to the world. Maybe even email it to your favorite cousin!

Spanish Rice Recipe With Jasmine Rice

Creamy avocado egg salad is a luscious variation you never knew you needed and it’s ready in only 15 minutes! Avocado egg salad is perfect for a quick lunch or…

Orzo Salad is a Greek pasta salad loaded with orzo, veggies, and feta topped with an easy, homemade Greek dressing. Similar to our Greek Pasta Salad, this fresh salad comes…

Restaurant-style fried zucchini is a family favorite! It’s simply addicting, especially dipped in ranch or marinara. Fried zucchini is our favorite way to enjoy one of our favorite vegetables! We…

Restaurant Mexican Brown Rice Recipe (spanish Rice)

Greek pasta salad is packed with traditional Greek flavors and covered in a tasty dressing! It’s perfectly light and refreshing. Refreshing salads are a must in the summertime. The flavors…

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!You know what doesn’t get enough credit? White rice. It helps feed a large portion of the world, and is a relatively safe starch. Sure, it doesn’t have a lot of nutritional value, but it can easily become a vessel for other nutrients. Enter my Mexican rice recipe, which is chock-full of tasty and healthy stuff like grass-fed butter/ghee, tomato sauce, and homemade chicken stock.

Although it’s often called “Spanish rice” here in the US as well Mexican rice, no such thing exists in Spain. I’ve been making this side dish for several years, well before switching my diet. For this dish I like to simulate your standard Mexican restaurant rice – tangy, slightly salty, and with a tiny hint of chicken thanks to its use of broth/stock.

Mexican Brown Rice

For this recipe I used the same short-grain rice we use in most of our Asian dishes. You can use long grain rice as well. While in most rice recipes it is a good idea to rinse the rice beforehand (it rinses out any starch residue or added folic acid for Vitamin B9 fortification), any recipe that includes toasting the rice beforehand (as in this recipe, paella, and risotto) should not be rinsed. In that regard, I tend to use non-fortified rice since studies have shown that it is an inefficient means to synthesizing Vitamin B9 and can cause other issues.

In a large skillet, warm the butter/ghee on medium/low heat for a few minutes. Add the rice and garlic, and toast the rice for about 10 minutes, stirring often. While the rice is toasting, combine the tomato sauce, chicken broth, salt and pepper in a separate bowl and stir everything together. When combined, your total liquid amount should be 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups.

The rice is ready when it is opaque and slightly browned, but not burnt. If you’ve ever made Rice-A-Roni, this might be a familiar sight.

Easy Instant Pot Mexican Rice Recipe

Add the combined sauce/broth to the skillet, and turn up the heat to medium. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 50 minutes. Do not take the lid off!

After 50 minutes, remove the lid and gently stir around the rice to break it up. If it’s still a little soggy, replace the lid and cook on low for another five minutes, and check it again.