Spanish Rice

My friend made this rice (she's an excellent cook) and brought it over my house to try, it was awful-the flavor was seriously lacking! I've grown-up in a Hispanic household and the first thing we're taught as children is to always be generous with spices. For example, instead of stewed tomatoes-try a paste. It has a much better flavor and the consistency is what makes "Spanish" rice so good. Also, add a little adobo, some cumin and green olives..

I've made this many times and have pretty much altered it into a whole new recipe, but the part that I like about the original is the cooking for 15 mins, turning off and letting it sit on the stove for another 15 without removing the lid. I think this really helps the consistency of the rice. Most of the recipes for spanish rice result in a wet mushy mess. I like it dry and loose like the restaurants. I don't measure anything, I just make sure the liquid covers the rice, and I've started using salsa instead of tomatoes - just enough to give it some color - and I season it with Taco Seasoning I from this site (about a tablespoon of it). It comes out restaurant quality, love it!!

This is a good basic recipe but made as is, it would have been too bland for us. I used a can of tomatoes with green chile's, used 1/2 cup of onion instead of 1/4 and added cumin and cayenne pepper. It makes a large amount so I used the leftover's to make stuffed peppers and it really added to the flavor of the peppers. Thanks for the recipe!

I used a can of petite diced tomatoes in this recipe. I made no other changes. Though it's a nice start for spanish rice, for us it was quite bland. That being said, my youngest had two big helpings. I'd make this again but I'd add a few spices next time.

I found this a bit bland the first time I made it. I have made it numerous times since and I find that by adding some cayanne pepper (to taste) it made it perfect. Have made this a staple for my mexican dish nights!

THE BEST spanish rice ever! it turns out light and fluffy! i added some chile powder and diced tomatoe with chiles to spice things up!! this is the ONLY spanish rice that turns out great every time!

The rice turns out perfectly! Unfortunately there is little flavour - just the tang of tomato. As someone suggested, try using chicken broth instead of water, add some garlic, way more onion, use less tomato and use the crushed rather than stewed... throw in some spices. Also, this recipe says it serves 6. Considering that rice is generally a side dish, this serves 8 - 10 easily. Paula's 6 are very big eaters!

It was a good start but definately needed something more for my families taste buds. I added garlic, cumin, chili powder, and red pepper. I also used brown rice instead. I used the skeleton of the recipe and changed it quite a bit.

Very bland and boring. Needs help. Add garlic, tomatoe sauce, maybe a chili pepper, some sauteed chicken even and use chicken broth instead of the water.

I give this 5 stars with some edits - it is a fantastic base though! I replaced salt and pepper with some Cajun Seasoning for more flavor (any is great although Slap ya mama is my personal favorite in this recipe) and I also used Ro-tel Tomatoes instead of plain stewed tomatoes. Furthermore - instead of cooking the rice in water I used Chicken Broth to give it more body and that underlying flavor. The rice comes out very dry but I found the following to be the perfect solution: Once the rice is cooking, in a little bowl mix 2 tbs of Olive Oil 1/3 cup of Salsa Verde, 2 tbs. Lime Juice and 1 tbs. Lemon Juice, and about 1/2 tbs minced Garlic. Let the flavors meld together and when the rice is done pour the mixture over the rice and stir in. With these modifications it makes a PERFECT and flavorful spanish rice.

The flavor is good. I would add a little minced garlic with the onion and bell pepper. The cooking times may need to be adjusted for high altitude.

I found that this recipe was good, but didn't have as much tomato flavor as I like, so I added tomato paste- garlic is a good one to add, too!

I really shouldn't rate this...since I did alter the recipe and I hate when people do that and then give a rating...however this turns out great everytime for me when I make the following changes: Sub the water for chicken stock, subbed the stewed tomatoes with Pace Picante Sauce. With the Picante sauce I don't even add the bell pepper and onion.

This is a wonderful beginning recipe. I only cooked a cup of rice, so I lowered the liquid to 2 cups. I used one whole onion, a can of rotel tomatoes, and for liquid I used chicken broth instead of water. I have a pampered chef microwave rice cooker, and after I sauted the onions, peppers, and rice I added to the rice cooker. I also put about a tsp of fajita seasoning mix for seasoning. I put in microwave and cooked on high for 5 mins then at 50% cooking for 25 mins. This was wonderful the night of, but gets better the next day. A definite keeper!!

This was a great a fast recipe my kids loved it and they are so picky when it come to spanish rice.

this was bland! i guess i was expecting the tomato-infused traditional stuff...and intead got white rice with some peppers and tomatoes scattered throughout...sorry, but not too thrilled with this one!

Very bland even after adding some spices.

I thought it was GREAT!! Its perfect for beginners . However I used 2 packets of the GOYA seasoning and diced tomatoes. Did not have stew tomatoes. Also added cilantro.

This rice really lacked flavor in my opinion. I think it needs to be spiced up a bit. I suggest that you heat a skillet with oil and add some cumin a pinch of oregano, minced garlic and rice. Let the rice get nice and toasty not burnt. This will give the rice a nice nutty taste. Also add a little salt to taste when you are adding your liquid to boil. Instead of plain tomatoes use a tomatoe with chiles or something similar and instead of the green pepper use a nice spanish chile pepper or sweet pepper. Dont worry they are not that spicy. Adjust the amount to your taste and presto- a really good rice dish... I love this variation. Again, good base recipe but it needs to be spiced up!

It was great...I added Italian sausage to the recipe, added a little zip.

This recipe is a good start. The consistency is just right, but the flavor is lacking. I like to spice it up with tumeric, cumin, and garlic, and I replace the water with chicken broth. I've also tried it with vegetable broth and some tomato paste, but I think the tomato paste washed out the other flavors and it wasn't as enjoyable.

Not good at all. I question the logic of NEVER removing the lid. It stuck to the bottom of my pan (yes, I used a non-stick) and tasted burnt. I agree with others on the flavor--bland.

I thought spanish rice had bacon, ground beef and grated cheese in the recipe. This one sounds like it could use those ingredients. Just a thought.

I thought this was just great. I used diced tomatoes instead of stewed, plus a half a can of rotel, along with the 4 cups of water. The consistency and flavor were perfect. I also threw in some cilantro I had in the fridge. A perfect accompaniment to enchaladas and corn.

Rather bland and not what I was looking for.

I found this to be very bland; tasting only of rice and tomatoes. I could have made plain rice instead. I may try this recipe again with a lot of changes to the ingredients.

I made this, but omitted the green pepper and add celery, cilantro, a dash of cumin and garlic salt. We like it with a little kick and use rotel instead of stewed tomatoes.

I really liked this basic recipe. I followed others recommendations of spicing it up a little. I added 1 T. chili pdr., 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. basil and 1 T. chicken bullion. Thanks for the recipe, I will make this again.

I found this rice mushy and flavorless.

I made this because the recipe looked less involved than other Spanish Rice recipes on this website. I took the advice of other reviewers (and noticed the lack of flavorful ingredients), and added some spices (it is a mix I own that includes cumin, chili powder, and I think bay leaves). I only gave it four stars since I have to toy with it to get great flavor, and I have yet to find the magic blend. But, this is a good start toward a quick Spanish Rice for dinner. 1/11/09 I made this again only this time I had run out of the spice mix I used last time. This time, I used salt and pepper, garlic powder, cumin, bay leaves, and parsley. I also added just a pinch of red pepper flakes. It was the perfect spice and savory blend, and was a big hit with our dinner guest.

I kept trying to get my rice right, like my Mom used to make it but it just wasn't working. I made this last night and it was beautiful and tasted great. Thank you!

This is a great recipe the only change I made was to use chicken boullion cubes to the water. This gives it a great flavor

I agree with a lot of people that this rice was a little bland...However, it did seem to get better 2 or 3 days later. We added fire roasted tomatoes instead of regular ones and the next time we make it we will add Green chilies to it, just to see if that makes it any better. But thanks for showing me how to cook rice properly, left it alone for 30 minutes and it was perfect

Excellent side dish; My son is extremely picky when it comes to eating and he gobbles it up and asks for more. It's an incredibly easy recipe and makes plenty.I use diced tomatoes rather than the stewed tomatoes in order to make the rice a little easier to spoon onto a plate.

I loved this recipe. My son is on a restricted diet, but this fit into his diet, and had wonderful flavor. He loved it! My husband and I really liked it too. I did use a cast iron skillet, and my rice turned out perfect. I also used some leftover chicken stock I had in the fridge, and a bit of chili powder. I will be making this many more times.

I've been cooking for a while now but I could never get my rice right. This recipe made it clear whether you play with the veggies you add or whether you use boullion or broth, the one thing that made my rice perfect was the simple instruction to leave the lid on and leave it alone. Thanks for that little tid bit. I love making my rice now.

This was a very easy recipe, but bland. Next time I will add chile peppers & cumin & maybe some cayenne pepper to spice it up.

We skipped the bell pepper and onion. Would have been very bland, if it weren't for the hot enchilada sauce we topped the rice with. Turned out good with our modifications. Served with chicken enchiladas (recipes from this site) and corn bread.

This rice is FANTASTIC! The only thing I changed is I added diced tomatoes, garlic, green onions and some Cumin. It turned out GREAt, and I can never get rice to turn out! My very picky 7 yr old, asked for seconds! Yum!

Add tons of garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper, and one more can of tomatoes, because its very blan....but turns out amazing if you listen to me.

This is soooo good!! Much better than regular rice. It is nice and moist and I like it that way!!!!

I added some spices to make it more tasty, but this is my favorite Spanish rice recipe on the website, thanks to the very helpful and specific instructions on the cooking technique. It turned out perfect. thanks

Very easy to make and can be seasoned according to your taste. Hubby went back for 3rds!

This was the best Spanish Rice I have ever cooked. Also, it is much better than any Spanish rice we have had in restaurants. I added a chopped jalopeno pepper because we enjoy spicy foods.

I am glad I read the other reviews before making this. The recipe itself was super easy but I think if I would not have added more spice like cummin and cayenne pepper it would have been pretty bland. Use this recipe to get yourself pointed in the right direction but season it more to meet your own taste. Also this recipe makes a ton of rice so if you are just serving this as a side dish you may want to cut the recipe back some.

It was great! Although people had mentioned how bland it is its so easy to add salt if they want! However, I thought it was great because I am on a low sodium diet...maybe others should be more aware of how much salt they take in and how bad salt can be for your health! Huge cause of blood pressure problems!

Very quick and easy! I added Mrs. Dash's "Extra Spicy" seasoning as we like a little kick to our food. Served with cut up spicy Italian sausage...a real hit with the hubby! No sticking as long as directions were followed to turn down to simmer for 15 min, and then off afterwards. Thanks Paula!

Wasn't as "restaurant-style" texture as I was expecting f/ other reviews, but still good. I did add cayenne pepper (a little more than I should have for my palate! I don't do spicy!). I also used salsa instead of tomatoes. Flavor was good w/ those changes.

This was awesome! Made exactly as directed and the entire cooking concept worked wonderfully for getting a non-mushy rice.

great recipe.came out PERFECT. Best spanish rice I ever made!!!!!!!!!

Made this recipe to have with Huevos Rancheros, added a little garlic and it was delicious. My husband loved it.

LOVE this recipe. I have been trying for years to make a tex-mex style spanish rice that was not sticky or mushy. Like another reviewer, I used tomatoes and green chiles, and added a couple of cubes of chicken bouillon. I also added a tiny bit of minced garlic from a jar, a tiny bit or orgegano,cumin and chili powder- not enough to overpower, just enough to add a little of my favorite flavors. That's the beauty of this rice - you can season to taste, as long as you don't add extra liquid. You are absolutely correct - NEVER lift the lid until it is done (or you get the sticky stuff!). This is not your typical instant "spanish rice" from the grocery store - this is the REAL thing. Thanks for submitting this recipe. My family loves it!

Needs some more flavor. Next time I will add chicken broth instead of water. Went by the time stated and I do agree it gives the rice a more restaurant texture, a little dryer.

Great base for spanish rice. I will make it again. Went perfectly with chicken enchiladas.

This has the best of all worlds. It's very easy and very tasty. It takes only things that are regularly on hand and although it takes a while to cook, it requires no attention. Definitely recommended.

This is a tasty recipe and I agree that it is a good base.

It was a mediocre recipe. It was just too bland for my taste. My husband and I both agreed it needed something else for flavor. However, I liked the fact it was easy to make.

Very good. Will make it again.

first time trying a Spanish rice. Rave reviews from the family. Follow the instructions not to lift cover until time. Really great food.

this is the best rice I have tried, hubby loved it!

Very good...rather than use regular salt and pepper, I like to use a pepper spice blend adds a bit of kick. Works well for left-overs.

This is an okay basic recipe that can be tweaked to your liking. I used everything stated before; tomato paste instead of stewed tomatoes, chicken stock instead of water and added cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic and chili powders. I also used frozen fajita mix instead of just onions. I made this with glazed baked ham and accidentally dripped some sauce with pineapples on the rice and was astounded by how good it tasted. Kind of like adding duck sauce to chinese fried rice or ham and pineapple pizza So try adding some crushed or diced pineapples to counter any cayenne you add for a sweet and spicy rice.

Very good rice. But it need a little more flover so i add about a table spoon of miced garlic and i use two cans of stewed tomatoes and one can of tomatoe sauce. I like mine with more tomatoe flover.

4 stars because the technique is perfect. I've made this with all kinds of rice and it always works perfectly. I add whatever is handy - but always use tomato paste, chicken stock, cumin & chili. Generally add tons of onion, garlic & peppers, too. Really great foundation that is easy to build on.

This was the worst rice recipe I have ever tried. It had absolutely no taste. I had to add hot sauce and spices to make it taste decent enough to serve.

If we are reviewing the recipe as printed, it was not very good. Like others said, it was very bland. I would look elsewhere.

Again, needs more spices. Thanks for the advice on that. I halved the recipe, then added a cup of chopped leftover steak.

I make this quite often but like others said, its a decent starter recipe. I saute garlic, onion, peppers, in butter instead of oil. Then brown the rice. I also use a can of petite tomatoes, add some adobo and sazon seasoning. Replacing the water with chicken broth is a must for more flavor. Before covering, sometimes i throw in a 1/2 can of pinto beans (rinsed). Really good and goes great with tacos!

This recipe was very easy and did turn out good. It was a little bland even though I used paste and added garlic salt. Next time I think I will add some fresh garlic and I think it would be perfect.

I like how it turned out just like the resteraunt flavore

The genius in this recipe is the on/off burner technique. That gave it the perfect consistency. I was serving it with VERY spicy fajitas, but alone it might have been bland. I also added a little fresh lime juice.

Very easy and it tastes really good.

It's very bland. I add a can of diced tomatoes with jalapeños in it as well as chili powder to make it nice and spicy for my husband. I also add a pound of browned ground turkey to the mix after browning the rice. makes it heartier.

I followed the instructions exactly as written, except I used rotelle tomatoes instead of stewed and I don't think it turned out anything like spanish rice. It was very mushy and alot of the water didn't cook off after the written cooking time. I gave it 3 stars only because my husband loved it- he said it was great with good flavor, so maybe it's just me???

I like my rice spicier, but these are HANDS DOWN the best directions.

I make this atleast twice a week.The only thing i changed was i added garlic and a little more onion.Great recipe the way it is.

This recipe was okay. However, for the amount of work I didn't feel it was any better than spanish rice from a box. I halved the recipe and had plenty for four people. In addition to the can of tomatoes, I also added about half a can of tomato paste.

Good, easy way to make very flavorful Spanish rice. A lot of the taste depends on the Salsa you choose

Loved this! I added chicken bouillon to the water, and sprinkled a little cumin and chili powder in. Also added some chopped carrots. It was so good!

Great basic recipe, I add ground beef , use chicken stock rather than water, Instead of plain stewed tomatoes I use the ones that have hot peppers in them. Than when its all done Add shredded cheddar YUM everyone LOVES IT.

Very good with a few small changes. I added about 1 1/2 cans of Rotel, drained mostly. Also, I used 2 cups of water and a 15 ounce can of chicken broth. I used olive oil in place of vegetable oil.

I would add some fresh garlic, and a tablespoon of tomato paste and a cup of frozen green peas and simmer it for twenty minutes and add some cilantro.

This is a good place to start, i added chili powder, cumin, and a hot pepper.

awsome recipe... the only thing i altered was i only used 1 cup of rice rather than two and just 2 cups water. i also added a chicken bullion cube to it since most spanish recipes have chicken broth and i didnt have any. i also had some green bell pepper that i sauted with the onions since i had some leftover from making fajitas. i still used the who can of tomatoes and after the first 15 minutes it was done! very tasty. first batch of spanish rice i havent burnt!

I used tomato sauce instead of stewed tomatoes (8 to 10 ounces) and added some cumin (1/4 tsp?). This helped the texture and taste a lot.

Simple and very delicious! I will definitely make it again.

This was very good, however after reading the reviews first, I did add some cumin, taco seasoning mix and a dry salsa mix to spice it up a bit. I did not put in the green peppers. This was great w/ the salsa chicken recipe.

This is a quick, easy & delicious! I will make it again. The rice is cooking while I can prepare the rest of the meal. The tip that the lid doesn't get opened is a great benefit; the rice was absolutely perfect...just like restaurant style.

I will try this recipe again, because I think the mistake was my fault and not the recipe. I found the rice too mushy, but I had it ready about 20 minutes before the rest of the meal was done. Flavor was good, just too mushy for me.

outstanding and very easy

very easy and yummy!

ditto. good base then added my own personal touch.

Very easy recipe. Substituted a red bell pepper for a touch of sweetness. Used chicken stock instead of water.

Reading other peoples' reviews about this being bland, I added some cumin, garlic, a can of black beans, and a diced hot pepper to spice things up. I also used chicken broth instead of water and brown rice to make it healthier. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great and full of flavor! With the beans and a side of corn, it made a good vegetarian meal, too.

Very good and easy to make.

I made this with a few additions. Since this was my first time making it I thought this was a great base to start. I followed the recipe with these changes, first I used 2 cups chicken broth (1can) with one cup of water instead of the listed amount of water. I added taco seasoning made from a recipe on this site. Then I used diced tomatoes with green chiles (1can), And followed everything else as the recipe indicated. It was wonderful! My husband is Mexican and with the few changes said it tasted just like his mother's. (And mama is a fantastic cook!) Thanks for the recipe!! P.S. I use this recipe anytime I need Spanish rice as a side!

It wasn't bad, just bland. Next time I will add some chopped hot peppers. I had to load it with hot sauce to get some flavor, even with the spicy tomatoes. But that's just me.

I make this recipe whenever I make Mexican food in our house now! It gets eaten up really fast.

Oh my goodness is this easy to make and taste delicious!