This is my Cuban mother's Spanish Rice recipe. In 30 minutes, you can have a pot of piping hot authentic Spanish Rice which goes well with almost any entrée. My mom only uses Uncle Ben's rice to make her authentic Spanish Rice. I've tried this recipe with every other type of rice and Uncle Ben's is the clear winner every time. It's fluffy and the grains are separate. You're going to love it!
What You Need
What Kind of Rice Goes into Spanish Rice?
I've tried to make this recipe with every other type of rice and Uncle Ben's Converted Rice wins every time!
The star of my mom's Spanish Rice recipe is Uncle Ben's Converted White Rice. Converted rice is parboiled and pressure cooked, making it slightly darker than white rice. Also, it is less sticky and cleaning the pot after your meal is a breeze!
For the Tomato Sauce
Tomato Sauce, not to be confused with marinara sauce you put on your pasta, is found near the canned tomatoes in your grocery store. Look for a brand such as Pomi, from Italy, that contains only tomatoes. Most of the other brands contain preservatives, such as citric acid.
It is available in The Florida Keys at Publix.
If you cannot find Pomi, you can get an 8 oz. can of Del Monte or Hunt's tomato sauce.
In a pinch, you can use marinara sauce!
Do I Have to Defrost the Peas?
The peas do not have to be defrosted. Frozen peas are one of the few things I keep in my freezer besides meat. Try to get organic peas.
How To Make Spanish Rice
- First, heat a little oil over medium-high heat in a 3-quart saucepan (or a small pot). This is the pot the rice will cook in. Add onions and peppers and season with a little salt and pepper. Sauté for a few minutes until soft.
- Add garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add remaining ingredients, mix.
- Add water, stir.
- Raise heat to high; bring to a boil. Give it a stir and lower heat to the lowest setting on your stove.
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir it all up and enjoy!
What Goes with Uncle Ben's Spanish Rice?
According to my mom, everything goes with Spanish Rice! Try Seared Chicken Breasts, Roasted Chicken, grilled fish and the rice makes a great side for burgers!
If You are on a Restrictive Diet...
This Spanish Rice recipe is gluten-free. For the Kaufmann Phase Two Diet, you may eat brown rice. I made this recipe with long-grain brown rice and it works great. The directions are the same; just adjust the cooking time to 45 minutes. Send me an email if you have questions at hello[at]cookinginthekeys.com.
Spanish Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 2 garlic cloves pressed or minced
- 8 oz tomato sauce *see note below
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 cup Uncle Ben's converted rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add onions and peppers and season with a little salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add garlic, and cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add tomato sauce, water, ketchup, peas, rice, one teaspoon of salt, a few grinds of pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir and lower heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Mix and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and it comes from online calculators. Although we try to attempt to provide accurate information, these figures are estimates only.