Spanish Rice

Spanish rice is one of my go-to side dishes when we’re having Mexican food. The stuff in the pouch is great for when you don’t have a lot of time to prepare a meal, but when I do have time (and especially when I’ve done my menu plan!) this is the Spanish rice I turn to. Lots of great flavor and plenty of leftovers!

You’ll need: white rice, canola oil (veg will do, too), yellow onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato puree, salt, chicken broth, frozen peas.

Add the oil to a large skillet. I use my 12” skillet for a whole batch. Turn the heat to medium high and then add the rice. Stir to coat all of the rice in the oil.

Sauté the rice until it turns a golden brown color. This will take 10-15 minutes.

Keep sautéing until the rice is nice and brown. I went the entire 15 minutes. Stir frequently! In the last 5 minutes, I stir constantly. Just keep the rice moving some so it doesn’t burn the grains on the bottom.

Chop the onion and bell pepper into large 1” pieces. Add them to the rice and sauté for another 5-10 minutes until  the vegetables are nice and tender.

Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add the salt, chicken broth and tomato puree.

Stir until combined and bring to a boil.

Boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

After 2 minutes, put the lid on and turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, turn off the heat, add the frozen peas, stir them in and put the lid on for an additional 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove the lid, give the rice another quick stir and serve!

Gorgeous!

Serve next to your favorite Mexican dish…we were having tacos that night. This rice would be really good if you were making “Freebirds” Burritos, too! Hmm…now I have a craving!

Oh, well! Here’s the full recipe!

Spanish Rice

• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped into 1” pieces
• 1 bell pepper, any color, chopped into 1” pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 3 heaping teaspoons of garlic powder")
• 3/4 cup tomato puree
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup frozen peas

Add the oil to a 12” skillet and put the heat on medium high. Add the rice and sauté until golden brown, between 10-15 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and continue sautéing for another 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.

Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Add the tomato puree, chicken broth, and salt, turn the heat up and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Continue to boil for 2 minutes, still stirring!

Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat, add the frozen peas, stir them into the rice, cover again for an additional 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, give the rice another quick stir and serve!

*This recipe makes a ton of rice! I usually cut the recipe in half when I’m making it for us. Seriously, this recipe makes about 9 cups of “finished” rice!

Enjoy!