How to make Spanish Rice? (Festively Flavored dish)

This festively flavored side dish, known as Spanish Rice (or Mexican Rice to some), is always a hit at the dinner table.

Spanish rice is a straightforward dish that may be readily adjusted to be as hot (or not spicy!) as you’d like. This is served with fajitas, tacos, or even grilled chicken or steak!

Spanish rice, often called Mexican rice, is a straightforward but savory side dish that goes well with a wide variety of supper alternatives (like Shrimp Fajitas).

You’ll discover how to prepare Spanish rice with only a few basic components, one pot, and a few more straightforward things. This quick side dish may be prepared and served in just 30 minutes.

There are many recipes for simple Spanish available, but this is my personal favorite because you can simply alter it to make it hotter if you prefer that kind of thing.

Many recipes call for fresh tomatoes, and while you can omit them here, after much trial and error, I’ve discovered that using canned chopped tomatoes—fire-roasted ones—not only makes this rice much simpler to prepare but also improves the flavor.

How Is Spanish Rice Made?

It’s really simple to prepare for Spanish! Start by heating a little amount of oil and butter until the pan is hot in a deep pot or Dutch oven.

Add your rice, finely diced peppers, and onions next (I recommend using long grain white rice for this recipe). Add a few cloves worths of minced garlic once the vegetables are cooked through and the rice has started to turn golden.

The remaining ingredients—diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and spices—will then be added, and the mixture will be brought to a boil.

Your Spanish should be simmered for a while, covered until the majority of the liquid has been boiled off and the rice is soft.

You can add more cayenne pepper to this recipe if you prefer your Spanish with a little bit more heat. I always use a prudent 1/4 teaspoon, which adds just a hint of spice without being overpowering.

What ought I to serve alongside Spanish rice?

Spanish rice pairs best with Mexican-inspired dishes like carnitas, fajitas, or slow-cooked chicken tacos. But you shouldn’t simply use this rice in Mexican meals! We also like it as a side dish with pulled chicken sandwiches and pizza!

In the past, I’ve added leftover shredded chicken to this Spanish recipe to turn it into a whole meal; it was excellent!

Spanish Rice

Spanish, a side dish with a festive flavor, is always a hit at the dinner table. It may be prepared in a single pot and easily altered to your level of spice.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 ½ cups long grain white rice
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion finely diced (about 1 cup diced)
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 red bell pepper finely diced (about 1 cup diced)
• 14 ½ ounces can dice fire-roasted garlic tomatoes undrained
• 8 ounces can tomato sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper add more to taste for more spice

Instructions

1. Over medium heat, combine butter and olive oil in a big saucepan or Dutch oven. Heat just until the butter melts.
2. When the rice is golden brown and the vegetables are soft, add the rice, onion, and bell pepper.
3. Add the garlic and heat for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
4. Stir in the diced tomatoes that haven’t been drained, tomato sauce, chicken broth, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
5. When the rice is soft and the liquid has been absorbed, bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Give the rice five to ten minutes to absorb any liquid while it is covered. Stir, then use a fork to fluff and serve.

Nutrition information

Calories: 289 | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 947mg | Potassium: 485mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1305IU | Vitamin C: 42.6mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg