Authentic Spanish Rice with Peas
My mom’s Spanish Rice recipe is an easy side dish made with Uncle Ben’s rice, frozen peas, tomato sauce, garlic, and onions. It’s so easy to prepare and goes with chicken, beef, or fish. A family favorite you’ll make again and again!
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 or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon ketchup or tomato paste
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 cup Uncle Ben's converted rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper
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
Storage and Reheating
To store the rice, let it cool to room temperature after cooking. Then, put it in an airtight container and refrigerate it.
When you reheat the dish, add a splash of water or broth. This helps keep it from drying out. You can heat it on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the oven until it's warm.
To freeze, put it in an airtight container or freezer bag. Leave some space for it to expand. Don’t forget to label the container with the date.
Store it in the back of the freezer to avoid exposure to warm air when the door is opened. Properly stored, Spanish rice can be frozen for up to a month.
Top Tips:
- Use Uncle Ben’s rice so it stays fluffy and doesn’t clump.
- Keep the heat on the lowest setting while the rice steams—don’t lift the lid!
- Tomato sauce usually comes in an 8 oz. can or carton and is found in the canned vegetable aisle.
- No tomato sauce? You can use spaghetti sauce in its place.
- If you’re using low-sodium tomato sauce, just add a little extra salt to taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 179.2kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 3.3gTotal Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0.7gSodium: 417.3mgPotassium: 139mgFiber: 1.7gSugar: 2.5gNet Carbohydrates: 28.3g
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