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Spanish Rice is one of my family’s favorite side dishes. I make a lot of Mexican-inspired meals and it goes perfectly with almost all of them. Because of our love for Mexican Food, I have noticed that when I entertain or have people over, I almost always make Mexican Food. This simple Oven Baked Spanish Rice, makes my life easier on those occasions and even when I am just making dinner for my family! I absolutely love being able to throw it in the oven and forget about it for an hour. If you have an Instant Pot or want to make it on the stove, try my Instant Pot Spanish Rice or my Stove Top Spanish Rice.
More Delicious Rice Recipes
- Coconut Rice
- Easy Ham Fried Rice
- Homemade Rice-a-Roni Recipe
- Oven Baked Cilantro Lime Rice
- Basmati Rice with Tumeric and Peas
- Skillet Taco and Rice Dinner
When I am preparing a big meal for company or entertaining, I can prep the rice earlier in the day and leave it covered on the counter. Then I pop it in the oven an hour before I need to serve. I don’t have to worry about putting it together in the thick of things.
The rice comes out perfect every time! You are going to love this rice!
how to make oven baked Spanish rice
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a 9×13 pan, combine all ingredients and stir until everything is evenly distributed.
- Cover tightly with foil.
- Place carefully in oven and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and leave covered until ready to serve.
- Onions and garlic may settle on the top. Fluff with a fork to mix them evenly into rice.
- Enjoy!
I also make this Stove Top Spanish Rice on a regular basis and have great success with it that way, too. Although, I do prefer it baked in the oven. Depending on how busy my day is or what the dinner plan is, I can do either cooking method and know that the rice will come out wonderfully! You can choose which method you like best. If you are like me, you will find yourself using both methods depending on the situation.
Tips for making Oven Baked Spanish Rice
- Add a finely shredded carrot to add a little more veggies to the meal. You can see shredded carrots in the photos.
- You can use diced or crushed tomatoes in place of tomato sauce.
- I don’t add the cumin and chili powder when I am serving it with something that already contains a lot of those flavors. In place of the chicken broth, use 4 3/4 cups water and 5 tsp chicken bullion.
- If using 5 bullion cubes, dissolve them in a small portion of your 4 3/4 water so that the flavoring will be evenly distributed.
- I freeze the extra tomato sauce and use it in the next batch of Spanish rice I make.
- You can use a mixture of oil and butter. For example, 1/3 cup butter and 1-2 Tbsp oil or vice versa.
chef’s tools:
Serve with these recipes
- 2½ cups long grain white rice, uncooked
- 4¾ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup tomato sauce (half of an 8 oz can)
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped or crushed
- ⅓ cup canola oil or butter
- ⅛ tsp chili powder (optional)
- ⅛ tsp Cumin (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a 9x13 pan, combine all ingredients and stir until everything is evenly distributed.
- Cover tightly with foil.
- Place carefully in oven and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and leave covered until ready to serve.
- Onions and garlic may settle on the top. Fluff with a fork to mix them evenly into rice.
More Mexican Food Favorites
You are going to love this rice!
Hi, when you say 2 and a half cups of rice, are you referring to the cup that is 250ml (used in baking)? Or are you referring to the cup that comes with a rice cooker?
Thanx…
The cup used in baking. 🙂
When speaking if rice, will converted Rice be fine ?
Hi Ashley, I am sorry but I don’t know what converted rice is? I just use regular long grain white rice.
Are you using cooked rice? I just made this and the rice is not cooked and there is still liquid in the pan. Could it be 350 in connection oven?..help, party at 4pm for 50 people
Hi Suzanne, No, I use raw rice. Did you have multiple pans in one oven? If you do it that way it needs at least another 45-60 minutes cooking time, unless you have a convection oven. I hope you were able to get it cooked in time for your party.
I would like to use this recipe for 50 people. How long should I bake it for
Are you planning to do it in a really large pan or in three or four 9×13 pans? It’s hard to say on the cooking time. I have done 2 9×13 in my oven at a time and kept it at the regular cooking time. If you are doing it in a huge pan, I would guess it will need a full two hours.
909-927-2071
I’m needing to make this for about 25 people. Do you know the measurements and time adjustment I would need for this?
Hi Yesenia,
Just do two or three 9×13 pans and you should be fine. When I have a party at my house I make make two 9×13 and it feeds 14 adults and 10 children (usually with a some left over. I cook the two 9×13 pans side by side in the oven they still cook in 1 hour.
Thank you very much! =) I will do that. Have a Merry Christmas
I have about 50 people coming over for a bbq tomorrow afternoon but I shopping for groceries now. Can you help me adjust the recipe, time, and temp (if needed). I was thinking of making one batch in a large silver pan (the disposal kind we normally use for briskets). Help…..please
Hi AnnaMaria, I hope I’m not too late, With that type of pan it usually takes about 10-15 extra minutes to cook. Other then that you don’t need to do anything differently.
Are you talking about plain white rice or yellow rice?
Thanks, Michael
Plain white rice. 🙂
Thank you Maria!
Looking forward to making it for our men’s bible study group tonight…
Michael
Awesome! I hope you like it!
The guys ate all of it 🙂 I will use it again…
Thanks, Michael
Awesome! 🙂
I made this tonight. My mom always made a Spanish rice and pork chop casserole. I browned the pork chops and put them in the casserole dish. Then added sautéed onions and green peppers to the top of the chops. I then added the rice, broth, a Tbls of tomato paste, and a can of diced tomatoes to the rice as well as he spices and garlic. I baked the casserole for about 1 1/2 hrs at 350. It was very similar to my mom’s casserole. Delicious!
Yay! I love that! That sounds delicious and it makes me so happy that it was so similar to your mom’s casserole! I’m going to have to give that a try!
Please help me make this for 150 people. Help please.
Will you have access to a facility with more then one oven? If all 150 are adults you will probably need make at least 10 or 12 pans of it. You could bake it ahead of time and warm up in the oven or microwave if you needed too, but without multiple ovens it could be tricky.
sounds easy, but I will also be needing to make rice for 150 people….so can we double or triple the recipe in one pan…how much rice and water would be need…I normally put 2 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice but have never made it in the oven before
If you are going to use large pans and double the recipe, you will need to allow for extra cooking time. I have never done double or triple batches so I can’t tell you how long it will take. It will probably take at least 20-30 minutes longer. I use two cups liquid to 1 cup rice. You can also do this on the stove top. If you needed to you could do some on the stove top some in the oven. I have also made it in my rice cooker before. Good Luck!
I want to make it vegetarian and can I use onion powder or garlic powder instead of ?
Yes, use veggie broth and you can add onion and garlic powder for sure. I would do a tsp of onion powder and 1/4-1/2 of garlic powder.
Hi if im makefor and open house can I make this 2 days early ,in those aluminium pans and refrigerat,then a few hours before r party put out on food table on the food warmers ? Those disposable food warmers that you light ,burner? Itwill be for about 50 ppl thanks
You can, you will need to keep them tightly covered in the fridge or they will dry out. Also, reheating you may need to add a few drops of chicken broth and stir them up.
Looking for a Spanish rice recipe to make in oven but I don’t want the rice to be mushy or stick together – any ideas> need to make for 150 people
Hi Sandy, this recipe does not come out mushy if you don’t over cook it. Also, the more oil you add, the more the rice will stay seperated form each other. My friend makes a similar recipe but uses a whole cube of butter and a dash of oil in each batch. The rice stays very separated. As for making it for 150 people I answered a similar question for a reader named Kay if you want to look at that response and then get me more info on what your cooking facility will have in it.
So for 150 people each pan will feed about how many?
Depends on serving size but probably 15
1. When you indicated a “1 whole cube” of butter, do you mean 1 stick of butter?
Or what size is the cube?
2. To make an 18 quart roaster full of rice, how many 9″ X 13″ pans do you recommend?
I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time!
Hi John, sorry about the confusion. Yes, when I say a stick or cube (sometimes I still forget to not use those terms I am so used to) I mean 1/2 a cup. The great thing about this recipe is that you can go a little less and it still comes out great. I have never tried it in a big roaster. I am guessing that a 9×13 pan holds between 2 and three quarts. So a pan that size could probably hold 5 or 6 of this recipe, but you might want to start smaller like quadrupling it to see how it goes and make sure it will cook everything evenly.
I was wondering if using diced tomatoes in place of sauce, is the amount the same? Thanks
I have made this rice with almost every variation of tomato add in. They all work great as far as adding the flavor. Diced tomatoes will work fine, I have one child who gets nervous when he sees a big chunk of tomato, so I usually blend them up before adding them. 🙂 But if that is not an issue at your house you can go ahead and leave them how they are and the rice will still be fine, They settle at the top while cooking so you will just need to stir the rice once it is done to spread them throughout the rice.
Thanks for your question! Have a great day!
Maria
Maria, you saved me! My hubby volunteered to make 6 lbs. for our son’s baseball
benefit. Would have been unsuccessful had I not found your postings. Thank YOU so much for sharing!
Yeah! Baked rice to the rescue! I love this recipe for that reason. It is so easy and I can fit two pans of it in the oven for parties when I need to make a ton! Thanks so much for your comment! Glad you found the recipe!!!
Does this recipe reheat well? I am going to a dinner in the evening but will be gone all afternoon so I was hoping maybe I could make it in the morning and then reheat it. Thanks!
Hi Marty,
I have never reheated an entire pan before, I have only reheated leftovers in the microwave, which works great. If you do want to reheat the whole pan I would put it on no higher then 225 so it won’t cook to much and get mushy. Good Luck!
Great recipe! Have made it twice, my crew LOVED it both times….. this is a great base recipe for Red (or Black) beans and rice, rice pilaf, fried rice (just add the scrambled egg at the very end…)…. can you tell I’m in love with this recipe???
This is just how I remember my Mom making Spanish Rice when we were little- thanks for the reminder!!!
Blessings to you!
I am so glad you like it, I also love to use this recipe to make pilafs, never tried fried rice, I’ll have to give that at try! I am so glad you like the recipe! Thank you for taking time to come back and let me know!
Hi there..I’m very excited to be trying this dish tonight for the first . I was reading the reviews and am curious how to make the pilaf recipe your talking about. Can you tell me how to do that?
Thanks
I make my pilaf with the same rice, water, butter/oil and chicken bullion ratios as the spanish rice and I add onion, peas, canned mushrooms and slivered almonds. It is really good.
Do you cook the rice first in the skillet
No, when I do it in the oven I don’t sauté it first.
If I wanted to cook chicken inside the pan with the rice is that possible?
If you cut the chicken into bite size pieces it should work fine, you may want to cook it for ten extra minutes to make sure the chicken cooks.
Hi…I often make big pots of Spanish Rice on the stovetop, but thought that your oven-baked version would be fun to try. We always make our Spanish rice with brown rice which is a delicious and nutritious changeout, and often add cooked black beans to a big batch to make it a complete meal in a pot!
I haven’t ever tried brown rice in this recipe. I will have to give it a try and I love the idea of adding black beans. Thank you!
This was amazing and so simple. It tastes just like the authentic Spanish rice my stepmom used to make me! I hate cooking rice because it takes so long, so the oven was perfect. I used long grain brown rice and had to add 30 minutes to the cook time.
Glad you liked it! Glad you were able to adjust the cooking time for the brown rice!
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but do you put the rice in the oven uncooked and it just cooks with all of the other ingredients?
Yes, leave the rice uncooked. 🙂
Can you use instant rice?
Not for this recipe. If you wanted to make something similar with minute rice you could boil chicken broth instead of water with a little onion powder and garlic powder and 1/2 cup or so of tomato sauce and then add the rice and cover for as long as regular instructions say on the minute rice package.
hi,can you serve it cold?tnx
my kids will eat it hot, cold, warm….. You can serve it however makes you happy.
can I double this recipe and make it in one larger pan?
Yes, Check it after one hour, depending on the depth of the pan it may need 10-15 more minutes.
Thank you! Thank you! I have to prepare this tonight and wasn’t sure if I would get an answer. God bless you!
Hi,
Can you use jasmine or basmati rice? This will perfect for a group I am having next week. Will serve along with chicken enchiladas and black bean salad…all do ahead! Thanks
Hi Leslie,
You can use Jasmine, but the texture will be a little different though. It is the perfect side dish for chicken enchiladas and black beans. Your guest will love it.
So, if you do not use jasmine, what kind do you use. Basmati? I usually prefer Basmati because it seems to be fluffier. You said you do not us Jasmine, so what do you use? I am making this tomorrow, so the sooner the better! Thanks. These reviews are great!
Hi Linda, I use long grain white rice. Hope you like it! Hope you love it as much as we do.
Maria
Hi,
Can you use jasmine or basmati rice?
Thanks
You can, but it will change the consistency. They flavor will still be good though.
Hello. My dish is almost done cooking and when I look at it , it seems there’s a lot of liquid on top still. Should I keep cooking it until the liquid is completely absorbed or will it absorbed while it sets?
I used brown rice too.
Nevermind. I let it cook a tad longer until most the liquid was absorbed. It was delicious and amazing. I also sautéed a 1/2 cup of celery and carrots then added to the mix before baking. Sooooooo delicious. I just think brown rice may need a couple extra minutes to cook.
Could I add chopped green peppers or green chiles?
Totally, I am making some today and adding some salsa I need to get rid of. Green peppers or chiles would be a nice addition.
This recipe is wonderful! Easy, tasty and beautiful. I took some dinner over to a family member at the last minute last night. Was able to put this dish together quickly and while it was in the oven I got some enchiladas out of the freezer and made a sopapilla dessert. Dinner looked like I’d been slaving over the oven all day. And hubby got some leftovers for his lunch today. Planning to make another batch and store it in individual servings in the freezer tomorrow. Thank you so much for sharing!
I am so glad you like it. Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Instead of the 9×12 pan could I use a 5 quart dutch oven? Thanks
It should work!
Could this be served at room temp?
Yes. My kids love it at room temp.
Hi Maria! I made this and it was delish! Do you think I can add fresh diced red/green peppers to it to give some color? or would it throw everything else off?
Thanks
Hi Jenny,
I think you can add just about anything and it will still turn out great. I have made a similar rice without tomato sauce and added peas, almonds and mushrooms and it came out great! Glad you liked it.
Maria
I am super excited to try this tonight after reading all the reviews for it 🙂 I was pretty happy when I read the recipe and realized I already have EVERYTHING for it – trust me, that NEVER happens! Just to clarity, the 2.5 cups rice, that’s uncooked, right? I imagine all the broth will be soaked up by the rice. Thanks
Dana
Yes, uncooked. This recipe is so great! I hope you love it!
Ok I tried this recipe and mine was not done the rice was still crunchy. I have not had a successful rice recipe since moving to wyoming 7 years ago. Any suggestion
Crystal,
Sorry to hear you are having difficulty with rice. With this recipe if it was crunchy it probably needed a little more cooking time, could have something to do with the elevation. You could also try adding just a little water and see how it comes out. Let me know how it goes.
Maria
I have to add more liquid to my rice recipes because of the elevation where I live. An extra cup of liquid makes all the difference.
This was a very good recipe and so easy to make. I did 1/2 the recipe which turned out well. I also substituted garlic and onion powder for the real stuff since I have a very picky eater in my house. If I was making this for just my husband and I, I think I would of added fresh tomato and jalapeño just to jazz it up a bit, however I did use the sauce that I had just recently canned from my garden, (yummy). Thank you for the recipe!
Hi. . . Would this recipe work well to bake in a large turkey size pan. I need to cook this for approx.75 people. Thx!
I have never cooked it in something that large, but I have cooked it for large groups. I prefer to make multiple batches in disposable 9×13 pans. It would probably still work out in the turkey size pan but it may need a little extra cooking time and a titch more oil to keep it from gumming up and sticking. Good Luck, Let me know how it goes.
I want to substitute the tomato sauce for crushed tomatoes but is it still only 1/2 cup? this doesn’t seem like very much, and do I use all the juice from the can of tomatoes?
Hi Dolores,
Yes, I use crushed tomatoes sometimes, you can use anywhere from a 1/2 cup to a cup, just adjust your liquid slightly and if you want to you can use the tomato juice as part of your liquid. I usually just save the remaining tomatoes and juice for chili or another recipe.
Maria
LOVE YOUR RECIPES
THIS RICE IS DELICIOUS
I SHARE WITH MY SISTERS
THANK YOU
Thanks Wanda! You are so sweet!
Love it – we’re having 100+ friends over for a Halloween ‘Taco Bar’ party tomorrow evening and I’m going to make 5 pans of this for the party … I made a trial batch today and there was still liquid in the pan and the rice was a bit crunchy so I put it back in the oven for 15 mins and it came out perfectly! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you love it! I am glad you realized it might just need a little more time too. Depending on size or type of pan sometimes it needs a little longer. I have noticed when I make it in a disposable pan it takes a bit longer. I love it that you are having a Taco Bar party!
This looks great and easy. I was wondering if it would be okay to replace the tomato sauce with salsa?
Yes Molly! I have done that before and it works great!
What brand of rice do you use?
Hi Jenny,
I typically just buy store brand regular rice. Long grain. ….we eat a lot of rice at our house. 🙂
Maria
I just made this yesterday for 50 people. Unfortunately, the oven baking method did no work out for me since I tried baking it in two large pans (about double the recipe in each pan). After an hour in the oven, the water was not even boiling yet. I had to transfer the rice in batches into my largest pot to finish it off on the stove top.
The flavor was great though! I would recommend either starting this off with boiling broth / water at the beginning of the cooking time or planning on a much longer cooking time if making in large quantities.
Good to know Manuela, glad you were able to salvage it on the stove and still feed everyone.
Wanting to make this tonight but would like to use brown rice to keep it a little healthier. Has anyone tried that??
Hi Maddie,
I haven’t ever used brown rice in this recipe, but my friend has and she said it works well, the cooking time just needs increased.
I am having friends over next weekend for our annual “Friendsgiving”. We never make traditional Thankgiving meals, since its always so close to the holiday. We are doing a taco bar this year and this sounds like an AWESOME addition. So glad that i found your post!
Hi Maria, I want to make this tmrw for son”s college graduation party, when you say 5 tsp of buillion cubes is that 5 cubes, does 1 cube equal 1 tsp, a little scared, this will be my first time making this rice. Thanks
Yes, Yolita, One cube is the same as one tsp. I am so sorry I didn’t see this until today. I hope it worked for you on Sunday.
Hi Maria,
This looks like a great recipe – has anyone tried it in a crockpot?
Thanks Heather and I never have, I am not sure how it would do in the crock pot, but I have done it in my rice cooker.
When you did it with the rice cooker, did it turn out just as well? I know my rice cooker makes things in like 12-15 minutes which is why I was nervous to use it versus the oven.
Yes, I am actually planning to take photos to make a post on it next time I make it in my rice Cooker. I love my rice cooker. 🙂
The one thing to do so the RICE does not stick or get mushy is to rinse it under water (cold water) it rinses all the starch out so it won’t stick.. 🙂
I do that when I cook rice in my rice cooker, but I haven’t tried it with this recipe. Thanks for the tip. Also, if you don’t want to rinse it more oil or butter will keep it from sticking too. 🙂
Can I mix this up the day before and keep it in the fridge until I’m ready to cook it?
I have never tried that, The only problem I see is that because it will be cold it may take longer to cook.
Can I prep this ahead of time and store in the fridge until I’m ready to bake it the next day?
Hi Stacy, I prep it in the morning on days I am having a party or something that I will need to be making alot of other things. I just leave it out on the counter until I use it and it is fine. I have never done it over night though. If you do refrigerate it let it sit out for an hour or so before cooking it to let it come back to room temprature. It will not cook as quickly if it is really cold when you put it in the oven. Good luck.
Maria
Have you tried this recipe with brown rice? 🙂
Sorry I did not see someone else asked the same question!!
Could I make this recipe ahead in a disposable aluminum pan, and then freeze it?
I need to make it for a church supper. I was hoping I could take it out a couple of hours ahead of time, and warm it up in the oven.
Hi Nancy, I have never tried freezing it that way, but I have frozen it in ziploc bags and then reheated it and it was fine. So I think it will work. Depending onhow ahead of time you need to make it you could just make it the day before, refrigerate it and then reheat it. I have done that before.
Good Luck,
Maria
Will I lose the taste if I substitute veg. broth for chicken for vegetarians?
Hi Becky,
It will still have a good flavor it will just be a little different.
Maria
I made this today and it was delicious. I have looked for a long time for a good oven baked Spanish Rice dish…so I know I will be making this one for years to come. Thank you Maria…
Awesome! So glad Monica! Thanks for coming back and letting me know.
I make something similar but use brown rice. I saute 1 cup rinsed brown rice, chopped onions and garlic in olive oil then add it to a large prepared pan and add spices and salt/ pepper. One 14 oz can of tomatoes w/their juices, we use salt free tomatoes and 1 small can of tomato sauce plus 2 and half cups of water. Bake at 350 for 1 and a half hrs covered, last 15 minutes add 1 can drained and rinsed black beans. Sometimes l also add chopped peppers. Yummy 🙂
Sounds awesome!
I’m having a Taco Bar for my kids birthday party. What would be the measurements for making this for 60 people? Do you think that 2 9×13 pans would cover that?
Hi Jessica, This will be perfect for your taco bar, how fun! I like to error on the side of too much food, so I would make three. Leftovers can be frozen and pulled out later. However, with that said, if a majority of the people coming will be young children, two might be enough.
Good Luck!
Maria
I made this for our Cinco de Mayo taco bar tomorrow. I made 2- 9×13 pans side by side in the oven and they were cooked perfectly at 1 hour. I made a slight variation of using diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro already in them and added a can of green chilis. I also added a tsp. of worcestershire and doubled the garlic. I also used the cumin and chili powder. I did rinse the rice and I put it all in a sprayed crock pot and I’ll put on “keep warm” when I go to work in the morning. We’re eating at noon. I’ll let you know how it goes over but what I tasted is the bomb!
Awesome! I like the idea of using the tomatoes with lime and cilantro in them. I actually just made Oven Baked Cilantro Lime Rice for dinner last night. It turned out great and I am planning on posting the recipe tomorrow. 🙂
Can’t wait to hear how it goes over tomorrow!
Hi,
I accidentally used an 8×8 baking dish instead of 9×13. Will it turn out alright?
Thanks!
It will probably boil over and make a mess in your oven. …let me know how it came out.
Thank You! I love them too! 🙂
Gracias, Maria! I am looking forward to trying this out for my sons 6th bday shindig tomorrow. He LOVES comida mexicana and I was nervous about trying to make the rice. However, after reading all of the comments and responses, I am feeling confident that this is a fool proof gold mine! I’ll post the outcome 😉
So glad you found it, this recipe is my kids absolute favorite. They love love love it. I hope your birthday boy loves it too.
I need to make this for about 50 people on Friday.. What would the measurements be? Also the best way to cook it. This is the 1st time I would be trying this recipe. I have done one in the past, but it didn’t turn out very well. Thanks.
Hi Nicole, Sorry I just saw this I have been on vacation. I would make the recipe as is and do four or five batches to feed 50 people. The best way to do it is in 9×13 pans.
Maria, this is the best Spanish rice recipe ever & now a family favorite. It is so easy & flavorful, I don’t change a thing. I agree 100%, have never cared for restaurant rice without tons of Salsa & hot sauce. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
You just made my day. I am so glad you love it as much as I do. We love it so much at our house. 🙂
On the baked method you just mix the oil in with all the ingredients, you do not cook the rice until lightly golden so the rice has a nice texture, like you do with your stove top method?
Also would it be best to make two pans if making enough for 15 people?
If you prep the rice ahead of time do you add all the liquid at that time? And how far ahead do you prep it without the rice becoming mushy because it set in the liquid?
Thanks
Hi Billie, Yes I add the oil to all the ingredients, no need to lightly brown. I promise it comes out delicious and it is so low maintenance. When I am having a large party I always prep this first and have had it sit for almost 6 or 7 hours before in the liquid with no problems, If you do prep it far in advance, make sure to give it a quick stir before putting it in the oven. And if all 15 people are adults or big eaters I would definitely do 2 pans.
Love this recipe. There’s just 2 of us so sometimes unfortunately some of it goes to waste. If I half the recipe do I still use the same size dish?
You can use a smaller dish, like and 8×8, but yes, halfing it works great!
This is my new favorite recipe! I have a recipe for spanish rice on the stovetop but for some reason, the stove in my apartment will not cook it evenly. I stumbled upon your recipe and have made it many times. Each time, it comes out absolutely perfect! Thanks a bunch!
Yay! I am so happy to hear that. I’m a little obsessed with it myself. I also do the similar thing for rice pilaf and add mushrooms, onion, garlic, peas and slivered almonds with the water, butter and chicken bullion, it’s delicious!.
Love this recipe! My kids – even the picky ones – ate it up!!! Thanks!
Yay! I always love hearing about picky-eaters loving my recipes. 🙂
I have had “disaster” with recipes I have tried so far; therefore, I cannot wait to try this recipe! Can you please tell me the cooking time if I used brown rice? Thanks!
Hi Tammy, sorry to hear you’ve had bad luck with other recipes. I don’t use brown rice with this, but my friend does and she said it usually takes an extra 15-20 minutes. Hope that helps.
Can tomato juice be substituted for the chicken broth?
Yes, but without some chicken bullion or chicken broth the flavor would change. I sometimes add 2 cups of tomato juice in place of two cups of chicken broth and throw in an extra bullion cube or two.
I would like to try this recipe for “pigeon peas rice”. I need to cook for 100. Would have to make it in batches. I used to cook for up to 50 in the stove top but I need to make way more, faster.
I will probably tweak all the seasonings and use some “sofrito” as well as “sazon”. When do you recommend I add the pigeon peas (theyre like beans)? at the start just like I do when cooking in the stove top?
I would just put them in with everything else. I sometimes add black beans to my Spanish rice and it comes out great.
Do you rinse and drain the black beans? Can you use tomato paste instead of the sauce?
Yes to rinsing the beans, If you use tomato past you only need a little bit and need to dissolve it in the water so it distributes evenly.
If you are making a half recipe does the time baked change?
no, it’s still takes about an hour.
If I make this following the directions, can I then transfer it to a crock pot on warm to keep until serving? There is about a 3 hour time gap from when I will cook this until it will be served.
Yes, that should be fine.
Hello, i would like to add red potatoes to this recipe and peas. When would be a good time to add this and should I cook the potatoes separate?
You could add them at the beginning but they will be very mushy. I would probably just cook them both separately and stir them in.
Made this last night.. It was delicious!!
So glad you liked it!
HI,
How many pans of this do I need to make for 60 people. Also can I double or triple the recipe and put it in a larger pan?
Hi Dani, sorry this is late, but if all the people are adults I would do 5 pans. I haven’t ever tried using a bigger pan and doubling it, but if you cover it and mix it well before starting to bake, it should work, you may need to cook it a little longer though. Check it at 1 hour and go from there.
Cant wait to try your recipe! Sooo no salt needed? Thanks Maria
Hi Luz, yes, no salt because of the chicken bullion.
Hello! I feel like the onions should be sauted prior to baking. Is that not necessary? Thanks!
Hi Nicole, No need to saute them before baking. One of the great things about this recipe is it can all be tossed in a 9×13 pan and put in the oven and forgotten about for an hour. 🙂
This is an awesome and easy dish to make. Allows time for other things to be prepared while it is in the oven….depending on what the other dishes are of course. I searched for something like this to compair to my Tex-mex friends rice. I must say, they were quite impressed, and think I used their all day-many hours of work and watching recipie that’s been in their families for years. Love it, make it often here. Thanks.
I love this! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
This is an awesome recipie. Easy to make, taste is ohhhhh so Tex-mex. friends think I spent all day watching for hours to make it just right. Got them fooled! Thanks for the recipient, I make if often, even just for husband and I.
Virginia
Haha! I love it! I am all about figuring out how to make food faster/easier without compromising flavor! 🙂
Hi Maria. I was wondering… can this be made using a 9×13 Pyrex baking dish as well as a baking pan? Thanks!
I use 9×13 glass baking dishes often. You can make this is any dish that is oven safe. As long as it is big enough to hold the ingredients.
This was a great easy recipe for when you need to free up time with a make ahead dish. In case it helps someone else, I doubled recipe in a roasting pan, added 15 minutes to baking time and it was cooked perfectly. I did add additional seasonings but that’s personal preference. On another note I do need to mention that while I completely understand and appreciate need for ads on blogs to finance your hard work, the graphic psoriasis med ad on here when I pulled up the recipe was far too unappetizing for a food blog! Yuck! Thanks for the recipe though!!
Hi Julie, I’m glad you liked the rice recipe. I am sorry about the unappealing ad. I am surprised there was one for Psoriasis that popped up. I can check with my ad company to see if I can get that kind removed. A lot of the ads are generated by what the user has been searching previously. Hopefully there won’t be any more unappetizing ones pop up.
I followed directions to a “t”. While the rice turned out very good, (and so, so easy!) it was very gummy and mushy. I feel like there was too much liquid for the amount of rice. The oil, tomatoe sauce and the broth all add up to well over 5 cups of liquid for 2 1/2 cups of rice…. Is that correct? If I would like more of a tomato flavor is it ok to sub some of the chicken broth with the tomato sauce? How much total liquid is best?
That is so strange, I make this all the time and have never had it come out gummy or mushy. I am sorry you didn’t have great results. Maybe try 1/2 cup less broth next time.
Maria I am providing for our area community meal and need to make 70 servings. Do you thing this would work with your recipe? That would be me increasing it by 12 x.
Hi Johanna, Sorry I am just now getting to your comment. When I make this for large groups I plan on one recipe feeding 10-14 depending on age and what else is being served. I think doing 8 or 9 times the original recipe will be plenty.
Can I cut this recipe in half
Yes, keep cooking time the same.
Somehow my post got intermingled with the previous one. My rice came out perfect…not mushy at all…just want a bit more tomato flavor. Can I change the proportion of tomato sauce and broth as long as it equals the same amount of liquid in the original recipe? What ratio would you suggest for a stronger tomato flavor? I’m making this tomorrow for 20 people. Thanks for your help!
You can leave the amount of broth the same and just add a whole 8 ounce can of sauce for more tomato flavor. Another option is using the Knorr flavor cubes that are a chicken/tomato flavor if you can find them at your grocery store.
If I half the recipe does cooking time stay the same?
Yes. 🙂
Make this tonight. Didnt change a thing and came out perfect. And it was so easy.. Thank you
Awesome! Glad you liked it!
Can I make this in a roster oven I need to feed 300 people .
I have never tried making it in a roaster oven. I think it would work, the cooking time may need to be increased.
This sounds great and I would like to try this for Christmas eve. I am thinking of making it in an iron dutch oven to hopefully keep it warm longer after it is done since I will have a buffet-style dinner with guests arriving at different times. Do you think I should cook it less time, since it might continue to cook a bit longer after removing from the oven due to the dutch oven retaining heat longer? I’ve never cooked or baked with dutch ovens so I have no idea what to expect.
Sorry I didn’t see this earlier, I have been on maternity leave and am just now getting back to blogging. I would cook it about 10 minutes less if using cast iron and planning to keep it covered until serving.
This was delicious!👌 i served it with creamy chicken bake, and we loved it!😋
Yum! This is definitely one of the recipes we make the most around our house. My kids love it!
Hi BAdia. Does the rice need to be fresh rice can I use converted?
Hi Brendy, Fresh will work best.
In making spanish rice, we normally fry the rice first so it doesn’t come out too sticky. Is frying necessary at all with this recipe?
No, the oil or butter in the recipe keeps it from sticking.
I bake meals for a local food bank helping to support families through this virus. Making this in two large pans, it’s just the ticket since I can bake it, makes it so much easier…thanks for sharing,
Awesome! Glad this recipe can help you! What a great way to serve.
I’m here on your website to get the recipe. You think I’d have it memorized since I’ve made it a hundred times. It’s a very good recipe. We love it. The rice always turns out great. I make big batches of frozen bean and rice burritos and this is perfect. Thank you for posting!
Awesome! I love to hear that! I too have made that rice at least a hundred times! Huge hit at our house too!
Darn! I fancy myself a pretty good cook but stink at rice! I tried this, but cut in half (used 9×9 dish). Turned out so soggy! Sad face….wonder why?! I’m temped to try again with full recipe!
That is a bummer, did you cook it too long? sometimes that can make it mushy. Next time you can try rinsing your rice to see if that makes a difference for you.
Hi there! We just made this last night and it is wonderful! We have a homemade dinner for the staff and counselors for our local Confirmation Camp every year and this is perfect. Tasty, easy clean up and very flexible recipe made this a big hit. We always need some easy tasks that the youth can take on, and this was perfect! they were very proud of themselves 🙂 THANK YOU!
Yay Liz, this makes me so happy to hear! I love that the youth were able to help cook it! Thank you so much for letting me know your experience and that the rice was a hit! Made my day!
Hi there, Quick question, Do you ever rinse your rice before adding to the pan? I’ve heard rinsing the starch off the rice helps to reduce mushy, stuck together rice. To rinse or not to rinse? Just curious about your experience if you have tried it. Thank you in advance 🙂
I do when I use my rice cooker but not when I do baked rice. This rice has enough fat from the butter or oil that you use that it helps it not stick together too much.
Can you add hamburger to this recipe? My mom use to make hers that way and I don’t have her recipe any more.
You could add browned hamburger or taco meat to this recipe and it would come out fine.
Can I use water instead of broth?
Yes, but you need to add more salt. The Broth really adds the savory saltyness to the finished rice.
hello and thanks for this recipe! A freind I had long ago made rice in the oven and I never got to learn how exactly she did it but it was SO GOOD every time. Wondering if it makes a difference to toast rice first and cook onions with it then add to pan with ingredients or is that simply a waste of time? Thank you!
Hi Ree,
I think toasting the rice with a little onion does make a slight difference, but if you want that, to save yourself an extra dirty pan, I suggest you make my stove-top version which is just as good as the baked.