Easy Mexican Rice – 5 ingredients. – from scratch. Delicious fluffy, saucy and full of bold spicy flavor. Spanish rice – the perfect side to any Mexican dish.
Personally, I usually find rice in a Mexican Restaurant to be a little dry. This rice is a little saucy, full of bold, spicy flavor and whips up with just 5 simple ingredients.
Why I make this recipe on repeat:
Spanish (Mexican) rice is the perfect side dish to any of my favorite Mexican meals.
Authentic flavor, 5 grocery store ingredients and just one skillet.
Because we’re using a can of enchilada sauce, there’s no need to add other spices. The canned sauce does the work for us! I used medium level spiced enchilada sauce that adds a nice kick to the rice, but you can use mild or spicy too – whatever you prefer.
Ingredients needed to make this easy Mexican Rice:
- vegetable oil or canola oil
- long grain rice
- onion
- red enchilada sauce
- chicken stock
How to make Mexican (Spanish) Rice:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat then add the rice and onions. Cook 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally to toast the rice and soften the onions.
Add the entire can of enchilada sauce plus the 2 cups of chicken stock then cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
Once the rice starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer covered 10-15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through but still slightly saucy, stirring occasionally. Give it a little fluff with a fork (optional: add a sprinkle of cilantro on top of the rice and serve right away.
Subs, variations and additions:
The recipe above is for Spanish Rice but there are many ingredients you may already have on hand to customize. Below are a few of my favorites:
- Fresh tomatoes or canned (drain first)
- Cilantro
- A squeeze of fresh lime juice
- Corn (frozen or canned) or peas
- Cabbed black beans (drain and rinse)
- Cooked ground beef or chicken for a complete one pan meal.
- I’ve found the canned Enchilada sauce has all the spice I need but if prefer more – garlic, a pinch of salt, chili powder for extra heat or a little cumin for a light smoky taste.
- Can use other white rice (jasmine rice or arborio). I don’t recommend instant rice in this recipe.
Best dishes with this easy Mexican Rice recipe:
Storage and reheating:
Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat in the micro or sauce pan. Add a splash of water, chicken broth or even a little salsa.
Whip up a batch next for Taco Tuesday. Enjoy!
5 Ingredient Spanish Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 10 ounce can red enchilada sauce medium spice level used; can use mild or hot
- 2 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat then add the rice and onions. Cook 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally to toast the rice and soften the onions.
- Add the entire can of enchilada sauce and 2 cups of chicken stock then cover and bring to a boil. Once the rice starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer covered 10-15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through stirring occasionally then serve right away.
- Optional add-in ingredients: cheese, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, corn, black beans. As a main dish, add a protein like beef, chicken or shrimp.NOTE: If adding black beans, drain and rinse before adding to the rice.