My mother’s Spanish rice (aka Mexican rice) is a mandatory accompaniment to any Mexican dish we serve at our house, whether it’s with enchiladas or tostadas, or with steak and black beans.
This rice is our family’s comfort food. My mom always makes a big batch when she makes it, because we can’t get enough!
Spanish rice is essentially a rice pilaf, but with southwestern flavorings. To make it you brown the raw rice first with onions and garlic, and then cook the rice in chicken broth with added tomatoes.
The browning is essential to the nutty, almost toasty flavor of the rice. And although bouillon can be substituted for the chicken stock, nothing beats homemade chicken stock, whose rich flavor is absorbed by the rice as it cooks.
Mom has perfected the art of preparing the rice quickly. She heats the tomato-y stock in a separate pot while the rice is browning, and then combines the two to cook while she prepares the rest of the meal. You could easily make it one pot if you wanted.
Spanish Rice Recipe
My mother browns the rice in a separate pan from the pot she uses to heat the stock. This is just to save time. You could easily brown the rice and onions, and add cold stock and tomatoes to it, bring to a simmer, cover and cook, all in one pot.
If you have homemade stock, use it! That's what will take this Spanish rice from good to great.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
- 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
- 3 cups* chicken stock (or vegetable stock if vegetarian)
- 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
- Pinch of oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
*Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.
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