This post may contain affiliate links.
Mexican Spanish Rice - Recipe Below
Every time I make our family's Spanish rice, this recipe fuels a realistic virtual experience, and it transports me to my mama's kitchen in seconds. I see her joyfully frying the rice, chopping onions, adding chicken stock, without measuring anything, and knowing that it will be perfect! And the aroma of all those cooking ingredients makes my mouth water, and the memories of its rich flavor help me connect to her love.
After my sons were born, they started calling it grandma's orange rice, and it became one of their favorites. It was the foundation of all of our visits to her home and an aromatic reminder that she was well and cooking for us!
I'm so delighted to share this recipe with you, and I hope you and your families will love it too. It's a delicious complimentary side dish for crunchy tacos, moles, enchiladas, and carne asada, in burritos; the list goes on.
The recipe begins by washing long-grain rice and frying it. Minutes later, when the grains are golden brown and toasty, you'll add diced onions, whole serrano peppers, and chicken stock, including tomato sauce, garlic, and spices.
The tangy aroma that fills your kitchen at this point is truly a culinary delight! It simmers for about 30 minutes, and it's ready to eat and enjoy!
Please see the complete recipe below and reach out to me with any questions.
Mexican Spanish Rice Recipe
Tools
Ingredients
2 cups long-grain white rice (non-long-grain rice will not work)
One 15-ounce can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 finely chopped medium yellow onion
Two jalapenos or serrano pepper
4-6 large crushed garlic cloves
Two tablespoons of Knorr chicken broth ( or fresh chicken stock or vegetarian stock is best if available instead of water)
1/2 teaspoon cloves
salt and pepper to taste
5 cups of water/liquids (this includes the tomato sauce)
Directions
Prep rice for frying. Place rice in a strainer and place it in your sink, and run cold water thru it until it runs clear. Let excess water drain.
Fry and brown rice. Pour oil into a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add clean rice. Hot oil tip - once the oil bubbles when you place it on a wooden spoon, it's ready.
Fry rice until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add serranos and diced onions for the last 2 minutes.
Prepare liquid/stock while the rice is frying. In a large bowl, add tomato sauce, crushed garlic, cloves, salt, pepper to taste, knorr chicken broth, or fresh stock and mix. The total liquid needs to be 5 cups. Excess liquid will make rice mushy, or too little will cause it to burn.
Pour the stock into frying browned rice, onions, and serranos peppers. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat to low medium and simmer for about 30 minutes until rice is cooked.
Serve hot. Stores for about one week in the refrigerator and can also be frozen. Reheats well in the microwave.
Please reach out with any questions.
Enjoy! Be well.
Happy Cooking.
Molé Mama