Stove Top Spanish Rice Recipe
My family is crazy about rice, any kind, but Spanish Rice is our FAVORITE. I make it at least once, sometimes twice, a week! I have literally made this recipe hundreds of times! If you have an Instant Pot or want to make it in the oven, try my Instant Pot Spanish Rice or my Oven Baked Spanish Rice.
This recipe is fantastic and so simple it’s no wonder it is one of my most requested recipes!
I love having this Spanish Rice as a side to many of our favorite Mexican dishes, and it is awesome in bean and cheese burritos.
It can be frozen and also stays fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days. We usually eat it as a side with one meal (like Mexican Casserole or Fajitas) during the week, and then use the leftovers in Bean and Cheese Burritos a couple of days later.
Depending on the situation, I sometimes make this rice in the oven. When I make Chicken Chimichangas or another meal that requires a little extra effort or multiple burners on the stove top, I like to do the rice in the oven because I can just throw it in and forget about it.
The directions for baking it in the oven are slightly different from the stove top instructions. I started trying to put both directions on this recipe, and it was hard and a little confusing. So I have decided to write up two separate posts to help keep it simple and more clarified.
You are going to love this rice! Check out the directions for Oven Baked Spanish Rice. They are the same recipe, just different cooking methods.
Dinner Recipes with Rice
- Beef and Peppers Skillet over Rice
- Beef Broccoli Fried Rice
- Spam and Rice
- Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Skillet
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Taco and Rice Skillet
How to Make Stove Top Spanish Rice
- Put oil and/or butter in the bottom of a 2-quart saucepan.
- Next, turn on high heat and add rice, onion, and garlic, stirring until many pieces of rice are turning white and the onion and garlic are aromatic.
- Add chicken broth (or water and bouillon) and tomato sauce.
- If you choose to add chili powder and cumin, add them at this time.
- Next, bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low so the rice is at a very low simmer.
- Next, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat, but leave rice covered until ready to serve.
- Enjoy!
Tips for Making Stove Top Spanish Rice
- Sometimes I add a finely shredded carrot to add a little more veg to our meal. There is shredded carrot in the photo above. If you choose to add the carrot, add it when you add the onion and garlic.
- I use 4 3/4 cups water and 5 tsp chicken bouillon in place of the chicken broth.
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce is half of an 8 ounce can. I freeze the extra and use it in the next batch I make. You can use diced or crushed tomatoes in place of tomato sauce.
- I usually use canola oil or a mixture of both; for example, 1/4 cup butter and 1-2 tbsp oil or vice versa.
- I don’t add the cumin and garlic when I am serving it with something that already has a lot of those flavors.
Chef’s Tools for Spanish Rice
If you love Stove Top Spanish Rice, you'll love these...
- 2½ cups rice
- 4¾ cups chicken broth (I use 4¾ cups water and 5 tsp chicken bouillon.)
- ½ cup tomato sauce (That is half of an 8 ounce can. I freeze the extra and use it in the next batch I make.)
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped or crushed
- ⅓ cup canola oil or butter (I usually use oil or a mixture of both. ex: ¼ cup butter and 1-2 tbsp oil or vice versa)
- ⅛ tsp chili powder (optional)
- ⅛ tsp cumin (optional)
- Put oil and/or butter in the bottom of a 2-quart saucepan.
- Next, turn on high heat and add rice, onion, and garlic, stirring until many pieces of rice are turning white and the onion and garlic are aromatic.
- Add chicken broth (or water and bouillon) and tomato sauce.
- If you choose to add chili powder and cumin, add them at this time.
- Next, bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low so the rice is at a very low simmer.
- Next, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat, but leave rice covered until ready to serve.
- Enjoy!
Serve Stove Top Spanish Rice with...
Do you use white minute rice?
Jess,
No, do not use minute rice in this recipe. Use regular rice.
Maria
If I double the recipe, is the cook time the same?
Hi Cece,
The cooking time should be the same. When I double this recipe I just use two 9×13 pans and do one recipe worth in each pan. That way the depth of the water and rice remains the same and the cooking time is not affected. Does that make sense?
Maria
Yes, thanks!
How much does this recipe make? Also when you add the carrots, can you taste them?
Hi Courtney,
It makes about 8 cups and you can taste the carrot just a tiny bit.
Maria
Hi, should I was the rice?
You don’t need to, but you can if you want…it will just make it harder to make sure the water amount is correct.
I add some frozen peas and carrots for a little extra veg and color 🙂
Can I use this recipe in a rice cooker
Yes, i have and it turns out great. I’ve been meaning to make a post about it. 🙂
Hubby and I are camping this weekend! I’m thinking about making this ahead of time Friday and then just heating it up on the stove top in our RV Sunday night for taco night! Do you think it’ll still be yummy for our crowd of people?!
Yes, we eat it warmed up the next day all the time. It will still be yummy!
How much will I need for 15 people?
Depends on how big of eaters they are. I would think 1 1/2 or 2 batches would be plenty.
Thank you for this recipe, I make it all the time, we love it and it’s great the best day
Love hearing that! So glad you like the recipe!
Great recipe! My family loves it!
Great! Thank you! Love hearing that Steven!
I generally have made the rice in the oven with this recipe. Turns out great EVERY time. Tried it on the stove last night, and it was great also. I felt like Jasmine rice worked the best, for the texture I like, but others have seemed to work just as well. There is only my husband and I, so I usually cut recipe in half. Good for several meals.
So glad to hear this Ginny! 🙂
This recipe never fails me. I double it all the time for events and always get asked how I made it, after lots of compliments. I do leave the lid on for at least 10 minutes when at home after it’s done, but even much longer when taking it to a function. Still comes out prefect. Thank you!
I love hearing this Sandy! I take it to events all the time too. It’s a great one to feed a crowd and easy to transport.
Could I use short grain rice for this recipe? I have TONS.
Yes, that should be fine, it will just be a slightly different texture.