Spanish Brown Rice is a delicious, whole grain side dish that goes perfectly with grilled or roasted meats as well as a hearty base for Burrito Bowls. You can top it with Black Beans, grilled chicken, and your favorite taco toppings for an easy gluten free bowl meal. It’s delicious as a side to Cumin Pork Loin Roast.
If you love our Mexican Rice recipe, then be sure to give this Spanish, or Mexican Brown Rice recipe a go. Yes, the names are often interchangeable, but no matter what you call it, this Mexican or Spanish Rice is super tasty made with short grain brown rice.
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Often referred to as a sopa seca, or “dry soup”, Spanish Brown Rice is a super tasty addition to your taco or enchilada plate, but it can also hold its own in terms of flavor. Cooked brown rice, prepared as a pilaf, has a nutty flavor that is delicious accented with tomato and spices.
Why Make This
It’s easy! With just a handful of grocery staples, you can pull together this tasty rice dish in just a few steps. It can be made on the stovetop as well as in the electric pressure cooker.
It’s whole grain. They say that whole grains can help keep your heart healthy and your digestion in good working order. This rice dish is a great dish on all counts.
It’s delicious. I’ve had this recipe on repeat the last few weeks, and my family absolutely devours it! It’s so tasty!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Spanish Brown Rice:
olive oil – You’ll need a bit of fat to saute the rice and the onion. I use olive oil, but you can use butter or another cooking oil if you prefer.
short grain brown rice – I love using brown rice for Mexican rice. I use short grain because it reminds me a bit of paella, another Spanish rice dish.
onion – Some finely chopped onion adds great flavor. You can use chopped shallots or leeks if you have them, or even add some chopped fresh garlic if you like. Remember you can freeze onions if you have extra.
spices – I use ground cumin, dried oregano, and salt in this dish. You can also use chili powder or taco seasoning if you prefer.
tomato sauce – Tomato sauce adds that classic flavor to Spanish Brown Rice. If you don’t have it, you can dilute a tablespoon of tomato paste in water for a substitute.
liquid – Use vegetable broth to keep this vegetarian or chicken stock or chicken broth if that’s what you have. In a pinch, you can also use water. You’ll need less liquid if you’re making this in the Instant Pot, so read the recipe card carefully.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make Spanish Brown Rice in the Instant Pot:
- Heat the oil on sauté and add the rice and onion. Cook, stirring, until the rice turns white and the onion starts to go clear.
- Stir in the seasonings and tomato sauce. Add the broth and stir.
- Secure the lid and close the pressure valve. Set the machine to 22 minutes. Once the time has elapsed, do a natural 10-minute release.
- Remove the cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Adjust the seasonings and serve.
To make Spanish Brown Rice in a pan on the stove top:
- Heat the oil in a large sauce pan with a lid and sauté the rice and onion. Cook, stirring, until the rice turns white and the onion starts to go clear.
- Stir in the seasonings and tomato sauce. Add the broth and stir. Note: you’ll need more liquid if cooking on the stovetop.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook 45 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove the cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Adjust the seasonings and serve.
FAQs
The terms are often used interchangeably, possibly due to a conflation of the language spoken in Mexico. Both terms refer to a rice pilaf cooked with tomatoes to create a “red rice” as it’s called in Tex-Mex cooking. This style of rice is not made in Spanish cuisine, though it is similar to how Paella is prepared, with tomato substituted for the saffron flavoring and color. In the US “Spanish Rice” and “Mexican Rice” are essentially the same dish.
Typically it is made with white, but in this recipe we’re using the whole grain, short brown rice. The resulting dish is a little starchier, but just as delicious!
It’s not really a question of “better”, but Spanish Rice, cooked with tomato sauce will have more nutrients than plain white rice.
Mexican Recipes to Try
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Spanish Brown Rice
Equipment
- Electric pressure cooker
- heavy stockpot
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cup short grain brown rice
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cup vegetable broth, chicken stock, or water (5 ½ cups if cooking on stovetop)
Instructions
To cook in the Instant Pot
- Heat the oil on saute and add the rice and onion. Cook, stirring, until the rice turns white and the onion starts to go clear.3 tablespoon olive oil, 3 cup short grain brown rice, ½ onion, finely chopped
- Stir in the tomato sauce and seasonings. Add the broth and stir.1 cup tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 ½ cup vegetable broth, chicken stock, or water
- Secure the lid and close the pressure valve. Set the machine to 22 minutes. Once the time has elapsed, do a natural 10-minute release.
- Remove the cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Adjust the seasonings and serve.
To cook in a pot on the stove
- Heat the oil in a heavy stock pot with a lid and saute the rice and onion. Cook, stirring, until the rice turns white and the onion starts to go clear.3 tablespoon olive oil, 3 cup short grain brown rice, ½ onion, finely chopped
- Stir in the tomato sauce and seasonings. Add 5 ½ cups broth and stir.1 cup tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 ½ cup vegetable broth, chicken stock, or water
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook 45 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove the cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Adjust the seasonings and serve.
Kathleen
My family loves this rice. It’s quick and easy to make and the instant pot makes it fairly hands-off.
Jessica Fisher
Great to hear! Thanks for leaving a review.