I love Spanish rice. I could eat it with just a squeeze of lemon and that’s it lol. It’s so good.
The recipe for Spanish rice is also pretty easy!
An old co-worker of mine would bring Spanish rice to our office potlucks and so I asked how to make it. He said the key ingredient was to use a can of hot tomato sauce, called El Pato.
The next time I went grocery shopping, I stopped at our local Safeway and bought a can.
The sauce is very spicy in my opinion. I’m a baby when it comes to spicy food, so it may not be as spicy to others. I never use the whole can, but if you want the rice spicy SPICY, then definitely use the entire can. (I linked the can in this post. You can easily order it from Amazon!)
You can serve the Spanish rice with so many things. I recently served it with pork flautas and used it for chicken burrito bowls. Sometimes I’ll even have it with eggs for breakfast. So versatile. It’s also nice to have some stocked in the fridge + ready to eat.
Here’s what you need...
Ingredients
Olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped or minced
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 cup white jasmine rice
Chicken broth - just enough to cover the rice
Directions
In a small pot, add about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic. Stir to avoid it from burning. Adjust the heat to low if necessary. We’re just trying to get the onion a little soft— they will continue cooking in the rice.
Add the rice to the onion and garlic. Toast the rice and stir frequently. The rice will become a golden-ish color. Once that happens, add the el pato sauce. I only add about a quarter of the can. You can add more if you want it more spicy. Mix everything together.
Add the chicken broth. Add enough chicken broth to cover the rice. You don’t want to pass the first line on the tip of your index finger (LOL this is a Filipino trick, but it works every single time). Bring it to a boil, cover, and then down to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed.
Remove the lid and use a fork to fluff the rice. Some people let it cool down uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, but it’s really up to you. Serve while hot/when you’re ready.
Notes & LINKS
I used only a quarter of the El Pato can. If you want it more spicy, use more.