Packed with flavor and a make ahead option for those busy week nights; Spanish Brown Rice for a good mouth party! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free [see recipe card for VIDEO]
Spanish rice has been a staple in my kitchen for so long, I can hardly recall when the creation of this recipe started. It’s a recipe that’s taken on many forms through the years.
But then after getting married and hardly knowing a thing about cooking, I often yielded to pre-packaged or canned Spanish rice. After-all, I wasn’t wise enough to ask my Ma for her recipe.
I was going for convenience anyway due to a full college and work schedule. And the packaged stuff looked decent enough. Little did I know at that time the importance of reading ingredient labels or preparing my own food.
Nor could I appreciate the difference between organic, local, and conventional food. Come to think of it, USDA Organic certification was just getting started in the early 1990’s. I wouldn’t have known or cared anyway at that time. Oh what I would teach my younger self.
Between then and now, I’ve learned how to cook and have tried many different Spanish rice recipes. Given my native Texas roots, I’m pretty particular when it comes to Tex-Mex food, especially when it comes to the spices. After all, this is a big factor in Mexican food.
Most Spanish rice (aka Mexican rice) recipes call for white rice and I’ve used white basmati for years. But decided somewhere down the line, brown was better. I’ve learned since, it’s only slightly higher in fiber and protein. Still an advantage in my book, but I also love the texture of brown rice.
I first tried simply subbing the white rice for brown. I tried this again and again tweaking the recipe here and there, but for some reason, I couldn’t get it to work. The rice never absorbed the liquids or cooked through. It was if the spices were impeding the ability of the rice to absorb the water.
I ended up with a mess of undercooked rice several times before I decided to cook the rice first, chill it overnight, then add the veggies and spices. Success!
Similar to fried rice, cooking and chilling prior to adding spices and veggies produces grains of rice that don’t stick together. Essentially you’re producing a lifted and separated effect here. Isn’t that what we all want? Ahem.
Spanish Brown Rice whips up in 17 minutes with a batch of pre-cooked rice.
Take that, week-night dinner!
Pair this Spanish Brown Rice with a taco recipe below, a big bowl of guacamole and a margarita. Talk about comfort food and a mouth party. This makes me happy. :D
More Vegetarian Mexican Food Recipes to Love!
- Mexican Inspired Tofu Tacos
- Roasted Stuffed Poblanos with Smoky Quinoa, Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans
- Cheesy Vegetarain Tofu Enchiladas
- Vegetarian Stuffed Tex Mex Peppers
- Roasted Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Chili Lime Slaw
- Skillet Vegetarian Enchiladas Verde
Spanish Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs Cooking Oil I like coconut or olive oil
- 1/2 C Purple Onion Diced, 110g
- 2 tsp Adobo Sauce** from a can of chipotle chili peppers or 1 tsp of minced pickled jalapeños, adjust to taste - look for gluten free if needed.
- 1 tsp Cumin ground
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 2/3 C Fire Roasted Tomatoes 200g, one can, diced, freeze the leftovers
- 1 Tbs Tomato Paste
- 2 1/2 C Cooked and Chilled Long Grain Brown Rice* 350g, see note
Serve With (optional):
- Additional Limes
- Cilantro
- Salsa
- Jalapeños
Instructions
- In a large saute pan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onions and cook on medium-low for about 8 minutes or until softened. Add the adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic and salt. Stir until the onions are coated and the spices release their fragrance. About one minute. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir for another minute or until all the ingredients are incorporated. Add the cold rice and stir until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Squeeze lime juice over the rice, and stir. Warm on low for about five minutes or until heated through. Adjust salt to taste.
- Serve with additional limes, cilantro, salsa and/or jalapeños.
- Store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze for up to one month.
Video
Notes
Nutrition is provided as an estimate (per serving) and courtesy. If this information is important to you, please verify it independently.
This was so fast and easy, and I felt like it had more texture and flavor than made with white rice. Just Delicious!
Looking over the ingredient list and thinking of Cinco de Mayo I am wondering if it would be ‘Mexican’ rice” rather than “Spanish” rice? When using brown rice we enjoy the rice much more if we dextronize the rice before cooking. Enjoy getting your take on cooking.
Hi Jim! Thank you for your note! This is the rice I grew up with, and we call it Spanish rice, even though it has Mexican spices. I really don’t know why that is.. I haven’t researched it. What is dextronize?
Hi, I made this last night as part of a Mexican dinner. This rice is delicious! I used basmati brown rice and made sure to chill it for at least 6 hours. The flavors are wonderful and it was a hit! Paired perfectly with seared mushrooms in diablo sauce! Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Tom! So happy to hear! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note. The seard mushrooms in diablo sauce sounds amazing!
I like this recipe so much!! I want to make a big pot of this rice? Should I double measurements? Have you ever tried 4 cups of rice?
Hi Melissa! Thank you for your note! I love it so much toooo! But I’ve never cooked four cups of rice at one time – max two. I wouldn’t hesitate doubling this recipe, so you’d cook 1 1/2 C dry rice. So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe!
That’s A LOT of sodium per serving, something I’ve been forced to pay attention to . . .
Hi Michelle! Please feel free to adjust the salt to your needs. You can leave out the salt and garlic salt opting for garlic powder or 1 tsp of minced garlic instead. I hope this helps!
Also, Michelle… feel free to cook the rice in water rather than vegetable broth.
Would it be necessary to soak and refrigerate rice overnight prior to browning and refrigerating the following day?
Hi Wanda! I’ve not tried that but you could give it a go.
This was really good! Thank you for the recipe! Instead of fire roasted tomatoes I just subbed petite diced tomatoes and I didn’t have cilantro and I did put the peppers in along with the adobe sauce but it was a little too spicy for my younger kids so I’d probably half it and it’d be fine. Yummy and fast!!
Hi Kim! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe… oh dear, the adobo can be a bit spicy. I’ll make a note! Thank you again!
As a fitness instructor, I’m always looking for healthy, quick recipes. This one delivered. I used crushed Roma tomatoes instead of fire-roasted and forgot the tomato paste and it turned out perfectly. Love, love the tip to cook and refrigerate rice first. To make it even easier I used a frozen, organic brown rice which I cooked and cooled. Now I need a recipe to use the can of chilis in adobo sauce.
Hi Pamela! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! So happy you enjoyed this Spanish Rice. For the chilis in adobo sauce, you can freeze it (I do this all the time) and/or I do have many recipes OTB that include it: https://vanillaandbean.com/quinoa-mango-black-bean-salad-with-smoky-pepitas-and-chipotle-lime-vinaigrette/ or https://vanillaandbean.com/chipotle-black-bean-dip/ or https://vanillaandbean.com/sweet-potato-peanut-chipotle-soup-with-wilted-greens/ or https://vanillaandbean.com/roasted-cauliflower-tinga-tacos-chili-lime-slaw/ plus many more. I use it all the time! I hope this helps!
Yes to this recipe! Easy and delicious. You’ve come a long way in the kitchen and your presentation pleasingly rouses the appetite. Happy to of found your site. Thank you Traci.
Hi Marry! Somehow I missed your note… :/ Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and you’re also enjoying the blog! Thank you!!
Simple to make and delicious. We’re the amount of kick. Definitely a keeper. Thanks!
So happy to hear Marianne! Thank you for your note!
I made this last night..It was awesome. Thank you
Love reading this, Melissa! Thank you for your note! :D
Perfection!
Love it! Thank you for your note!
This recipe is absolutely delicious and has quickly become my “go-to” Mexican side dish! I have tried some many Spanish rice recipes, but they were all lacking. The robustness of this flavor is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing.
Hey Kate… Thank you for your note! Hooray! Spanish rice must be robust in my book. So happy you’re enjoying the recipe!
This has such a great flavor to it, it was a huge hit for taco night! I didn’t have any of the aboto sauce so I improvised with some “smoky” seasoning mix that I already had on hand. And instead of canned tomatoes I was fortunate to have cherry tomatoes from my garden. I roasted them under the broiler for about 10 minutes and then he gave them a quick pulse in the blender before adding them into the rice. This dish is definitely a keeper!
Hooray Sarah! Thank you for sharing your tip with us about cherry tomatoes! It sounds delicious… so happy you enjoyed the recipe! :D
I tried this brown rice recipe and it tastes just awesome. I also recommend everyone to try this recipe at least one time you will love this recipe.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you so much for your note and trying the recipe Ankit! I love this recipe too… SO much. It rounds out any Mexican dinner! :D
I have made this recipe a few times now. So easy to put together even if I forget to make the rice ahead of time. This is sooo delicious and sure beats the canned Spanish rice I grew up with. Brown rice is a staple in my house, too. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
Hi Claudia! I loved reading your comment. It’s true… making brown rice ahead doesn’t always happen here either, especially when I get a certain craving and need Mexican Brown Rice posthaste! Isn’t it SO much better than canned Spanish rice, either way? Thank you for sharing!! :D
I have been to three different stores looking for Adobo (?).. Absolutely no luck. It’s for ribs. Can you tell me exactly what I’m looking for? Thank You.
It’s basically a tin of smoked chipotle peppers in a slightly sour, tomatoey sauce. I am guessing you could probably substitute with jalapeños with if that is easier to get. But the flavor of chipotle is just amazing.
This looks amazing. I pinned it to my Spanish food board. Sometimes European food can be a touch on the unhealthy side so it’s great to find healthy alternatives to those awesome flavors. It’s easy enough to keep a batch of brown rice in the fridge at all times, and I like to use it for breakfast brown rice pudding too. http://oldworldtaste.com/brown-rice-pudding-with-dried-fruit-compote/
Thanks again for the recipe. BTW, I love the pan in your photo. Gorgeous!
Thank you for sharing Katie! Isn’t keeping brown rice on the ready so convenient?! Looking forward to diving into your recipe! :D
I just made this using quinoa , tastes great
Hi Christine! Oh, what a delicious substitution. Thank you for sharing! :D
That first lime juice shot is so gorgeous, Traci! And now you’ve got my mouth watering for Spanish rice right now. Love your idea of cooking it like fried rice. Brown rice gets our vote in this house too!
This Spanish brown rice looks amazing, Traci! I am a total Mexican and Spanish food hound so this looks right up my alley. ;)
Spanish Rice is one of my favorite dishes of my mom’s…it was always a treat when she made it! We never had it with brown rice, but as that is my new favorite – I would love it in this recipe! Hearty and healthy dish you have here, my friend! I love it!
Oh that’s great, Annie! Yup – then you’ll love it in this! I’d love to learn of your mom’s recipe. :D
Oh gawsh, I grew up on Spanish rice as part of the regular dinner rotation, but I haven’t had it in years, Traci! Your’s looks absolutely delicious, and better than my mother’s! (<– don't tell her I said that, because her's was delish, yours is just SO pretty!). I love that you used brown rice here and cooked it first! That sounds absolutely genius, dear! I will definitely be making this soon, girlfriend! Pinned! Cheers!
P.S. I totally laughed out loud at "lifted and separated effect". Amen, sistah!
Hahaa!! You made me LOL, Chey! hehe! No doubt working from home, the yoga pants and tops are always on! I hope you enjoy this, Chey (we’ll keep the secret between us!). I love the brown Rice part, but Rob, not so much. He like his rice white… but I rarely make it. I get the stink eye from time to time! :D
This is such a good and handy weeknight dinner recipe. I love that everything happens in one big pot.
And we have all been there with the packaged food. :)
Beautiful my dear.
Thank you Aysegul! One pot FTW! Too bad all cooking can’t be this easy, right?
I was so happy to find this recipe. My mom use to do Spanish rice and I try your recipe yesterday and it was so delicious. The smell of the spices and the taste and plus it reminded me my mother. So for a Mother’s Day, it was a good timing. Thank you. Nicole
Yay, Nicole! Thank you for sharing with us! I’m so happy this recipe brought back memories… food has a way like that. :D
Love a bit of spice for dinner, especially in the colder months we are heading into on this side of the world – there is something so warming and comforting about that burnt-mouth feeling and the warmth of food settling into your stomach. Weird, but there definitely something to winter comfort food! Refrigerating the rice overnight is so great since it takes a lot of the moisture out of the rice too, so the grains don’t cling and stick together – I do need to start using brown rice a bit more though. I think it is just a case of getting used to it at this stage haha! Such a lovely recipe again Traci!
Haha!! I love that and so true, Claudia! Comforting, especially during the cooler months. Getting used to something new, especially with food can take time. Rob’s still not on the brown rice train with me! hehe.
That is one perfect looking rice dish my dear. You definitely know your stuff my friend. It’s funny how we are here and started with absolutely no knowledge of cooking.
Love that you use brown rice, I like mine with brown too, definitely more heartier and tastier with the added benefits. My boys are big fans of spanish rice and a great post my dear.
Have a wonderful weekend.
xoxo
17 minutes! Now that’s impressive. I’m also a fan of brown rice so this is right up my alley. It sounds like the perfect match for those tacos and margaritas! :)
I hope you had got to enjoy some delicious food yesterday and that you have a lovely weekend!
p.s. You are the master of action shots. That first one is amazing!
Right? Probably a record around here! hehe! Thank you for your sweet words, Sarah! xo
This rice looks amazing Traci! Glad you used brown rice, I’ve been using it a lot lately! Perfect for a side dish, especially this week, since we’ve been having Mexican inspired food almost every day!
Ooooh this rice looks killer! We make Mexican food at LEAST once per week in our house. Usually, it’s whatever CSA veggies we have on hand tossed in spices and roasted. Served in a tortilla with black beans, sour cream, and lime. Super easy. I’d love to have this rice as a side!
Gosh, I just love this, Traci. This would make such a wonderful addition to a burrito bowl – just add some black beans, salsa and avocado and you’ve got a fabulous lunch or dinner. I love that your posting side dishes – I don’t think a lot of people realize how easy sides are to make and how a great one can enhance a whole meal. Also, I have quite a few notes that I would like to send to my younger self :). Gorgeous pictures too!
I’ll have to admit, actual cooking isn’t my strong suit, so I can totally relate! I also haven’t found a spanish rice recipe that I actually like, so this one is one I need to try ASAP. Your chilling tip is genius!
That chilling tip is a game-changer! I never thought to do that but it makes total sense.
Side note- I also had no idea how to cook after we got married. It used to stress me out. Haha. Thank goodness things have changed. ;) xo.
Love the flavors here and I too am a brown rice convert. Great tip about making and chilling the rice first. I learned that the hard way with my favorite Thai rice recipe. Happy Cinco de Mayo! This would make a great addition to tonight’s menu for sure. And I can use all the lifting and separating I can get! ;-)
Long grain brown rice is an absolute staple in my kitchen! I’m loving all the ingredients you used in this recipe— totally my kind of flavors. I’ll definitely be trying this soon Traci!!
I love it too, Liz! Rob’s still not on board, but I’m slowly persuading him. I hope you enjoy it!