# REC - Spanish Rice



## SierraCook (Mar 6, 2009)

This recipe was given to me by a coworker.  His wife's mother handed this recipe down to her.  I have been looking for a long time for a made from scratch recipe for Spanish Rice.  Most of the ones I had found have been bland tasting.  I have included some notes on modifications to the recipe that I made below.  

*Spanish Rice*

1 cup long grain rice
1 small chopped onion
3 small cloves garlic chopped fine
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 can (13 ¾ oz.) chicken broth
Additional water

Brown the rice, onion and garlic over medium heat in the oil in a skillet with a tight fitting lid.  As the onion and garlic soften, add the oregano, chili powder and cumin and stir.  Cook for another two or three minutes then add salt and chicken broth.  Add additional water, around 1/3 cup, to cover rice, stir one last time and bring to simmer. Lower heat and add the cover.  Cook approximately 20-25 minutes and do not stir or open the lid.  You will stop hearing the liquid simmer about this time.  

The rice should be tender and all the liquid gone.  If the rice still isn’t tender, add ¼ to ½ cup more around the edges of rice and don’t stir.  Re-cover the skillet and let rice take up new liquid.  

Tomato sauce may be used instead of chicken broth.  Use one small can and more liquid to equal 2-½ cups liquid in the skillet.  


My Notes:  This recipe was excellent!!  It had great flavor and is definitely a keeper.  Instead of adding the additional water I added a 10 oz. can of Hatch diced tomatoes with green chilies.  I also omitted the salt.  Because I like cumin and chile powder I also increased the amounts of those spices to 1 ½ teaspoons each.


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## getoutamykitchen (Mar 6, 2009)

This sounds delicious and with my DH on a rice and beans diet I know he'll enjoy it. Thank you Sierra!


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## tdiprincess (Mar 7, 2009)

This sounds awesome! Will be adding to my rice recipe collection. I've been trying to cook it more! Thank you!!


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## Katie H (Mar 7, 2009)

Yum-E!  I like your modifications.  I'll definitely try this because it sounds as though it has "character."  You're right about other recipes tasting bland.


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## vyapti (Mar 7, 2009)

I'd given up on finding a good Spanish Rice recipe.  I'll try this one.  Thanks!


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## SierraCook (Mar 8, 2009)

The leftovers are wonderful.  This recipe I can see is going to be addicting.  What I also like about it is the ingredients are most of the time are in my pantry, no going to the store for a special ingredient.


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## Grandma Carol (Mar 8, 2009)

I will join the ranks of including this recipe in my personal cookbook. Live the spices but especially like the suggestion to add the tomatoes.

Leftover rice is marvelous and a quick and easy bite for lunch.

Carol Smith


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## tdiprincess (Mar 8, 2009)

Have you made this with brown rice? Or beans? I'd imagine that brown rice would just cook longer? I only allow brown rice in the house, sometimes wild rice. My motto, if I'm going to eat grains, I'm going to make it as healthy as I can!


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## mbasiszta (Mar 8, 2009)

The MAIN process to making flavorful rice is to fry it in oil, and you have to fry it alone until it swells and turns dark brown. You can cook it with onions, if you want to also carmelize them. But you can never cook or fry fresh garlic that long. It gets really bitter. Always add garlic at the very end of the cooking cycle. (My dos centavos.) Fully fried rice will really plump up once 'homemade" stock is added. The other ingredients in this rice dish look fine. Rice is like bread starter: it has its own personality.


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## Constance (Mar 8, 2009)

I'm definitely going to try this one...I've never found a Spanish rice recipe that was really satisfactory.


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## SierraCook (Mar 8, 2009)

mbasiszta said:


> The MAIN process to making flavorful rice is to fry it in oil, and you have to fry it alone until it swells and turns dark brown. You can cook it with onions, if you want to also carmelize them. But you can never cook or fry fresh garlic that long. It gets really bitter. Always add garlic at the very end of the cooking cycle. (My dos centavos.) Fully fried rice will really plump up once 'homemade" stock is added. The other ingredients in this rice dish look fine. Rice is like bread starter: it has its own personality.



I don't have any problem with the garlic getting bitter.  But I might not cook my rice/onion/garlic mixture long enough for that to happen.  I would say I let the rice get a light tan and the onion gets soft.  But as always advice is appreciated and thanks for the input.


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## mbasiszta (Mar 8, 2009)

SierraCook said:


> I don't have any problem with the garlic getting bitter. But I might not cook my rice/onion/garlic mixture long enough for that to happen. I would say I let the rice get a light tan and the onion gets soft.  But as always advice is appreciated and thanks for the input.


I was just trying to emphasize that IMHO to make really flavorful rice you need to fry it much longer than most people do. I watched Mama Ruiz cook her rice for years. Dark brown. Her's was the best rice ever!


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 8, 2009)

Looks wonderful, & I completely agree with & will use your subs.


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## kitchenelf (Mar 8, 2009)

Sierra - I too would go with your suggestions.  My mother made a very similar recipe, which I still make.  The only difference is she would brown ground beef (and I now brown ground chicken or turkey) to make it more of a "meal in a bowl".  I'm going to have to make this this week - I've definitely got a craving for it now!.


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## mbasiszta (Mar 8, 2009)

kitchenelf said:


> Sierra - I too would go with your suggestions. My mother made a very similar recipe, which I still make. The only difference is she would brown ground beef (and I now brown ground chicken or turkey) to make it more of a "meal in a bowl". I'm going to have to make this this week - I've definitely got a craving for it now!.


 My wife loves "one pot" meals. And since I aim to please, I make lots of them. One is very similar to your mom's. It is a winner. You can also add any leftovers you have in the fridge and invite the neighbors.


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 8, 2009)

Oh goodness - basic Spanish Rice makes a terrific base for all sorts of one-pot meals.  I frequently add some frozen peas, cooked sliced sausages, cooked shrimp, sliced boneless skinless chicken, ground turkey, etc., etc.  The list is virtually endless.


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## mbasiszta (Mar 8, 2009)

BreezyCooking said:


> Oh goodness - basic Spanish Rice makes a terrific base for all sorts of one-pot meals. I frequently add some frozen peas, cooked sliced sausages, cooked shrimp, sliced boneless skinless chicken, ground turkey, etc., etc. The list is virtually endless.


You are exactly right. And since we also love legumes, the varieties are endless. Oh, did I mention, I love spices?


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 8, 2009)

Of course!!  Beans nearly always work their way into the equation here as well!!


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## kitchenelf (Mar 8, 2009)

I cannot wrap my head around beans in Spanish rice  

I make other rice dishes where I do add black beans or black-eyed peas, and virtually, have the same ingredients - it's just not called Spanish Rice.  I have to call it something else


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 8, 2009)

Another nice addition I like to Spanish Rice?  Artichoke hearts - either the marinated or drained canned.  Delicious!


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## mbasiszta (Mar 9, 2009)

kitchenelf said:


> I cannot wrap my head around beans in Spanish rice
> 
> I make other rice dishes where I do add black beans or black-eyed peas, and virtually, have the same ingredients - it's just not called Spanish Rice. I have to call it something else


Of course you are right. I don't call it Spanish Rice either. This is a thread that has been bouncing around for a couple of days, just sharing what we add to the basic ingredients for Spanish (or Mexican) rice. I can't name mine, because it is never the same twice.


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## kitchenelf (Mar 9, 2009)

Marty - don't take what I said the wrong way.  I'm ALL about changing recipes around and adding different things.    THAT's the beauty of cooking, which we all know so well!!!


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## Seajaye (Mar 10, 2009)

mbasiszta said:


> The MAIN process to making flavorful rice is to fry it in oil, and you have to fry it alone until it swells and turns dark brown. You can cook it with onions, if you want to also carmelize them. But you can never cook or fry fresh garlic that long. It gets really bitter. Always add garlic at the very end of the cooking cycle. (My dos centavos.) Fully fried rice will really plump up once 'homemade" stock is added. The other ingredients in this rice dish look fine. Rice is like bread starter: it has its own personality.




I agree with Marty and you must drain the oil from the fried rice before you add the liquid. If you don't it will cause a horrible splatter. A rule of thumb is to use 2 cups of liquid to 1 cup of rice. Just adding in my 2 cents in too.


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## mbasiszta (Mar 10, 2009)

Ahhhhhhhh, you want that fragrant oil; so heat your stock before you pour it in! Yeah. If you want to remove some oil for heart health reasons, by all means: pour some off. 

Thanks KitchenElf. I really do experiment a lot. That is why few of my recipies ever turn out tasting exactly the same way. Measurements? Only when making bread.


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## SierraCook (Mar 19, 2009)

kitchenelf said:


> Sierra - I too would go with your suggestions.  My mother made a very similar recipe, which I still make.  The only difference is she would brown ground beef (and I now brown ground chicken or turkey) to make it more of a "meal in a bowl".  I'm going to have to make this this week - I've definitely got a craving for it now!.



I have also thought of adding ground turkey or beef to make it a meal.  I made this rice last night and added tomatoes in a adobo sauce.  It was spicy, but oh so good.


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## mbasiszta (Mar 19, 2009)

That is the idea, cooking up there in the Sierras de Madre. Experiment. How do you think all these wonderful recipies we share came about? Experimentation.


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