Saving Room for Dessert

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Easy Spanish Rice Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Sweet onion and green bell pepper compliment the tomatoes and spices in this tasty Mexican rice dish. It's a must make to compliment all our favorite south-of-the-border dishes!

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Easy Spanish Rice Recipe ~ a family favorite for years, and be sure to make plenty because you'll want seconds! Sweet onion and green bell pepper compliment the tomatoes and spices in this tasty Mexican rice dish. It's a must make side dish to compliment all our favorite south-of-the-border dishes! www.savingdessert.com

 

Easy Spanish Rice Recipe ~ a family favorite for years.   Be sure to make plenty because you’ll want seconds!  Sweet onion and green bell pepper compliment the tomatoes and spices in this tasty Mexican rice dish.  It’s a must make side dish to compliment all our favorite south-of-the-border dishes!

This Spanish Rice Recipe is a restaurant quality side dish you might find at your favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican eatery.  Our kids grew up eating this simple, inexpensive and filling side which was served at all our Mexican inspired meals.  Over the years I’ve added a bit more spice, so feel free to adjust to your own tastes.

 

Easy Spanish Rice Recipe ~ a family favorite for years, and be sure to make plenty because you'll want seconds! Sweet onion and green bell pepper compliment the tomatoes and spices in this tasty Mexican rice dish. It's a must make side dish to compliment all our favorite south-of-the-border dishes! www.savingdessert.com

Use a good large skillet with a tight fitting lid and the rice will cook up with a nice fluffy texture.  Be sure to check it at the 30-minute mark so it’s doesn’t dry out.

 

Easy Spanish Rice Recipe ~ a family favorite for years, and be sure to make plenty because you'll want seconds! Sweet onion and green bell pepper compliment the tomatoes and spices in this tasty Mexican rice dish. It's a must make side dish to compliment all our favorite south-of-the-border dishes! www.savingdessert.com

We love to serve this tomatoey Spanish Rice with our Easy Skillet Chicken Fajitas and a big bowl of this Easy Spicy Guacamole too!

Don’t wait for Cinco de Mayo, this is a great dish anytime of the year.

 

Easy Spanish Rice Recipe ~ a family favorite for years, and be sure to make plenty because you'll want seconds! Sweet onion and green bell pepper compliment the tomatoes and spices in this tasty Mexican rice dish. It's a must make side dish to compliment all our favorite south-of-the-border dishes! www.savingdessert.com

Spanish Rice is also referred to as Mexican Rice, or just ‘red rice.’  It doesn’t seem to have any Spanish connection so the name is a bit of a mystery.  Popular in the American southwest, recipes can vary greatly but all include plenty of tomatoes.  Once you taste Spanish Rice, you’ll never forget the rich flavor of the tomatoes and the hint of spiciness that we’ve come to love.

 

 

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Easy Spanish Rice Recipe ~ Sweet onion and green bell pepper compliment the tomatoes and spices in this tasty Mexican rice dish. #mexicanrice, #spanishrice, #cincodemayo #rice #tomatoesandrice #mexicanside #easyspanishrice

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Spanish Rice Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 10
Course: Side Dish
Author: Tricia
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5 from 4 votes
Sweet onion and green bell pepper compliment the tomatoes and spices in this tasty Mexican rice dish. Great side with all your favorite south-of-the-border dishes!

Ingredients

  • 6 slices of bacon
  • 1 large sweet onion chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper seeds and ribs removed, chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic minced
  • 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes cut up or smashed (do not drain)
  • 1 ½ cup water
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha or other hot sauce (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves chopped

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice in clean water to remove some of the starch. Drain.
  • Cook bacon until crisp in a large skillet and drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside. Drain the bacon fat from the pan reserving 2 tablespoons. Wipe out the pan with paper towels. Add the reserved drippings back to the skillet and warm on medium heat. 
  • Add the onion and peppers and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and any canned juice, water, rice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, chili powder, pepper, cumin and hot sauce if using. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Most of the liquid should be absorbed. Feel free to add more water if needed and don't let the rice get dry.  
  • Stir in the chopped parsley, and serve topped with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese is desired.  

Recipe Notes

  • Use a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid.
  • Check the rice after 25 minutes. Don't let the rice dry out or cook too quickly.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 268IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

Looking for a good nonstick skillet with a lid?  Click on the photo for more information:

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I hope you’re not tired of all the Cinco de Mayo inspired recipes we’ve posted lately.  We love a well spiced dish, especially when combined with other simple foods.

Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo this year?  If you’re looking for a little more inspiration, check out this fabulously popular,  Mexican Chopped Salad ~ from The Café Sucre Farine.  I can’t stop drooling over Sue’s amazing Mexican Street Corn Salad ~ from The View from Great Island.  And I love this Homemade Mexican Spice Mix ~ from Barefeet in the Kitchen and have used it many times in a variety of recipes like tacos and it’s a great rub for pork too!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Hope you have a terrific week and happy May Day!

Tricia

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25 Comments

  1. Becky Green

    Hi Tricia! THANK YOU for coming over to visit! This dish takes me back to my childhood. We used to have Spanish Rice too…. 😉 YOURS LOOKS WONDERFUL!!! 😉 HOPE ALL IS WELL with you too! 😉 <3

    Reply

  7. cheri

    Looks like you do Cinco de Mayo up right. I bet this is delicious with the bacon, Worcestershire sauce and all the flavor that you added. Pinned!

    Reply

  11. Larry

    Your rice looks and sounds delicious Tricia. It brings back memories of my mom’s version which I always thought was great but for which I have no recipe – so I’ll try yours.

    Reply