Easy, 5 Ingredient Spanish aka Mexican Rice. Delicious, easy to make, perfectly cooked and loaded with bold flavor. The ultimate side dish to any Mexican entree.
There are two things we eat a lot of in our house: rice and potatoes. That’s probably one reason I have so many potato recipes on the blog.
I realized I’ve been a little lax sharing some of my favorite rice recipes. I’m not sure why – I make some kind of rice almost every week, but anyhoo – that’ll change today.
5 Ingredient Spanish Rice is easy to make but unlike the sometimes dry or mushy rice you may have in Mexican restaurants, this rice will not disappoint. It’s loaded with delicious bold, spicy flavor and still slightly saucy when served.
What makes this Spanish Rice so easy is that it contains just 5 grocery store ingredients and cooks completely in 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.
Why toast the rice?
Toasting rice and other grains before adding liquid gives another level of flavor with very little time or effort.
What’s in 5 Ingredient Spanish Rice?
- vegetable oil
- long grain rice
- onion
- red enchilada sauce
- chicken stock
How to make 5 Ingredient Spanish Rice:
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 plus the 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 but still slightly saucy, stirring occasionally then serve right away.
Optional ADD-INS:
Above is a recipe for basic Spanish Rice. There are so many ingredients you can add to the rice to customize it, including proteins like beef, chicken or shrimp for a complete meal.
- Cheese! Cheddar, Pepper Jack or Cotija would be great.
- Fresh tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Fresh squeezed lime juice
- Corn (frozen or canned)
- Black beans
- Cooked ground beef or chicken
If you’re adding black beans to the recipe be sure to drain and rinse them first.
What did I add to my rice? Fresh tomatoes, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
What to eat with 5 Ingredient Spanish Rice:
If you tried this 5 Ingredient Spanish Rice recipe or any other on the blog then I’d love to hear from you with a comment or star rating!
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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.