Spanish Rice Recipe

This Spanish Rice recipe is quick, easy, and tastes just like it came from your favorite restaurant.  It’s a Mexican rice recipe that is perfectly fluffy, uses just a few simple ingredients, and is jam-packed with so much flavor.

Some recipes for Spanish Rice call for using tomato sauce or tomato broth, but we prefer to use salsa.  It adds a bit more flavor, and you can increase the heat very easily by choosing a hot or medium variety. If you’re looking for more side dish recipes, you can also try this Homemade Rice Pilaf, Lemon Herb Rice, or Cilantro Lime Rice.

Easy Restaurant-Style Spanish Rice Recipe

Whether you call it Spanish Rice or Mexican Rice, it is essentially a rice pilaf with Mexican flavors.  It’s a common side dish in northern Mexico and the Southwest United States and isn’t actually made in Spain at all!  The rumor is that when the Spanish invaded Mexico, they brought with them rice, which is not native to Mexico.

This not-so-authentic Spanish Rice Recipe is incredibly simple to make and is one of my family’s favorite things to order at a Mexican restaurant.  This recipe tastes just like it came from your favorite restaurant.  There is so much flavor in every single bite, and the texture is spot on too.

Spanish Rice Video Tutorial

What To Serve With Homemade Spanish Rice

This side dish goes great with any of your favorite Mexican dishes, such as:

• Copycat Chipotle Carne Asada
• Copycat Chipotle Burritos
• Beef Fajitas
• Shredded Beef Tacos 
• Chipotle Chicken Copycat
• Chipotle Black Beans

But don’t feel like you need to limit yourself to just Mexican flavors because this is also the perfect side dish to serve with a wide variety of entrees:

• Easy Crockpot Ranch Chicken
• Pesto and Sausage Homemade Flatbread
• Southwest Grilled Chicken Breast

Ingredients You Will Need

• Oil – you can use olive oil, avocado oil, or really any cooking oil that you have on hand.
• Onion – a yellow or white onion is most common, but you could use a red onion if you’d like.
• Rice – we recommend plain long grain white rice for this particular recipe.
• Salt – we like to use sea salt for seasoning.  
• Chicken Broth – chicken broth adds a great flavor, but you can also substitute vegetable broth if you want to make this vegetarian.
• Salsa – use your favorite brand, and level of spice.
• Lime – you can cut this into wedges to squeeze over the rice just before serving.  Either give one per person, or else arrange the sliced limes wedges in a bowl on the side.
• Optional Seasoning Ideas: garlic powder, chili powder and/or cumin would all taste great.

How To Make Spanish Rice On the Stovetop

1. Saute the rice. Add the oil and rice in a large frying pan on medium heat.  Stirring occasionally, cook the rice until golden brown, or about 3-5 minutes.
2. Cook the onions. Add the diced onion and salt and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Simmer. Add the chicken broth and salsa and stir.  Bring the mixture up to a boil, then cover with a lid and reduce heat to low.  Keep the rice at a low simmer for 20 minutes, without removing the lid if possible. After 20 minutes, lift the lid and check your rice but do not stir.  You may need to cook for up to 5 more minutes, or until all of the liquid has absorbed and the rice is cooked.
4. Fluff and serve. Once cooked completely, turn the heat off and let it sit for 10 minutes, then lightly fluff rice with a fork and squeeze the fresh lime juice on the rice before serving.  Enjoy!

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Set your Instant Pot on “Saute” and add in your oil and rice and cook for about 3 minutes, or just until the rice begins to brown.
2. Add in your onion and salt, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until they have begun to soften.
3. Add your broth and salsa and put on the lid.  Switch to “Seal” and choose “Manual.”  Cook on High for 3 minutes.
4. Allow it to do a “Natural Release” which will take about 15 minutes.
5. Once the pressure has released, carefully remove the lid and fluff with a fork.  Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.  Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipe Variations

• Vegetable Spanish Rice: Add a variety of diced vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots, and onions to your salsa rice for an extra boost of nutrients and flavor.
• Add leftovers to some bell peppers for a fun Stuffed Pepper Recipe.
• Spicy Spanish Rice: Add some heat to your Spanish rice ingredients by mixing in some diced jalapenos or red pepper flakes.
• Seafood Spanish Rice: Mix in some shrimp or other seafood to your rice for a deliciously savory and protein-packed meal.
• Mexican-inspired Spanish Rice: Add some black beans, corn, and cilantro to your rice for an easy recipe for Spanish rice, a Mexican-inspired twist on this classic dish.
• One-Pot Spanish Rice: Make your life easier by cooking your rice and protein (chicken, beef, or sausage) together in one pot for a hassle-free meal. Or just add in some rotisserie chicken or leftover taco meat.
• Leftover Spanish Rice: Don’t let your leftover rice go to waste! Mix it with some scrambled eggs, cheese, and avocado for a delicious breakfast burrito filling.
• Cheesy Spanish Rice: Mix in some shredded cheese to your cooked rice for a gooey and delicious twist on this classic dish.

More Easy Side Dishes

• Cheesy Green Chili Rice Casserole
• Homemade Cheesy Breadsticks
• Steakhouse Style Baked Potatoes
• Garlic Parmesan Orzo
• Coconut Rice
• Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice
• More Side Dishes
• More Rice Recipes

Other Amazing Chipotle-Inspired Recipes

• Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice
• Homemade Guacamole
• Refried Black Beans or Copycat Chipotle Black Beans
• Homemade Fresh Salsa
• Cheddar Queso
• Salsa Ranch
• Chipotle Chicken Burritos

This Spanish Rice recipe is quick, easy and has so much flavor packed into every single bite.  It’s perfectly fluffy, uses just a few simple ingredients and this Mexican rice recipe tastes just like it came from your favorite restaurant.