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Spanish Rice Recipe – Spanish Rice is a well-loved side dish. But this family favorite Spanish Rice with Beef recipe is a delicious main dish ready in under 30 minutes!
One of my favorite dishes to order when we go to our local Mexican restaurant is their Spanish rice. Well, along with the chips, salsa, queso dip, and guacamole! Ha!
Their Spanish rice though always just goes perfectly with whatever I order for my entree – from enchiladas to whatever their specials are for the day.
But, as much as I love their Spanish rice, it still doesn’t really compete with the version that my Mama has made since as long as I can remember. While theirs is served as a side dish, Mama’s was always the main attraction, served with a salad or beans.
Her Spanish rice is made with ground beef that takes it to a whole new level!
I love that it comes together in less than thirty minutes and just takes one skillet to prepare. We also love to prepare this for a camp style meal as well. No wonder Mama loved making this recipe so much! It’s an all-around favorite for sure!
Spanish Rice Recipe
How to Freeze Spanish Rice
Once cooked, allow to cool completely. Portion into freezer-safe container(s) and freeze up to 3 months.
To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, reheat and serve.
Here’s her Spanish Rice Recipe with Ground Beef. So simple, I think you’ll love it, too!
Skillet Spanish Rice with Ground Beef Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3/4 cup uncooked white rice
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently. Drain and set aside.
- Drizzle olive oil into the skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and rice, stirring frequently until rice is lightly browned. Add ground beef, oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, water, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.
Nutritional Information
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
This I’mis more like what I had growing up and it was the main dish not a side! I use riced cauliflower now to avoid carbs in the rice ! Served with small cheese tortilla it’s a great meal !
Thanks, Don. I loved this when I was growing up, too. I’m glad it worked with the riced cauliflower for you.
Sounds amazing that way!! I will have to try that next time!
This is just like I remember my mother making. Excellent..
Don’t you love to find recipes that you remember your mother or grandmother making, Kasey? It is a favorite from my childhood. Thanks!
Omg…this is very similar to a recipe my Mom used to make about 40 years ago! It’s so easy to vary as per many of the great comments. I add a green & red bell pepper chopped and use a full 28oz tin of whole tomatoes chopped with a hand blender (no water). My moms recipe also called for a squirt of mustard and some Worcestershire sauce. So tasty….but I find It needs to simmer (lid on tight) for 30-40 minutes so the rice fluffs up and cooks through. It tastes even better warmed up the next day! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thanks, Susan. This was one of my favorites when I was growing up.
I ate this some as a child too and it was my dad that fixed it. We always complained about his cooking but thinking back some of it was pretty good and this dish was one. I made it tonight and it came out excellent. I followed Susan’s advice and let it cook longer to make the rice a little dry and fluffy since that’s how I remember it. I ate three big bowls and it was pure comfort. Thank you and I’m very glad I found this. It’s one I’ll keep.
Kelly, isn’t it funny how sometimes the foods we didn’t like when we were children are some of our favorites now? I’m glad this brought back good memories for you.
Would this recipe work with ground sausage in place of ground beef?
I have never used sausage in it, Debbie, but you can if you wish.
Good recipe except underseasoned for my taste which is easy to fix. I just doubled all the seasoning. 😉
Thanks, Jeanne. I try to have the seasoning on the milder side since so many people can’t eat really spicy food. I’m glad you season it to your taste.
Turned out better than I thought…Loved it, the family rated it as a keeper.
Surprising next-day leftover flavors melded in the refrig. was even better yet. If I could only hold off and not eat it on the first day.
Garnished with a bit of shredded cheddar and a tab of sour cream.
Using Jasmin rice and needed to add a bit more water in the second half of cooking.
Thanks, David. I always loved leftovers the next day, too.
Fantastic recipe! There may be others with similar ingredients, but the magic here is the perfect balance of the ingredients. I live in Burgundy, France, so tomatoes with green chiles were not going to happen, but I faked it with a little chopped jalapeno. On the other hand, I used exceptional diced tomatoes from Sardinia, bootlegged in from Italy and basmati rice, so I cannot complain! Well done, Robyn…
Thanks so much, Bill. I’m so happy you liked this recipe. Your ingredients sound amazing!
I am cooking this tonight. Bill: Do you think this would pair well with a medium-aged Barolo?
Made this tonight. Had to use my canned stewed tomatoes because that’s what I had. Added black beans because why not and some spinach at the end. It was delicious.
This recipe brought back many childhood memories and meals that were stretched to feed all of us.
I first made a batch of your instant pot brown rice and went from there..
thanks 🙂
Thanks, Kim, I’m so glad you enjoyed this and the brown rice.
Thank you so much for posting & sharing this, can’t wait to give it a try!
It looks and sounds exactly like the Spanish Rice recipe I grew up with!
I’ve been trying to find a recipe like my Mom’s for so many years now. It’s been over 50yrs since I’ve tasted it but you’ve brought back warm memories.
I’ll be after making it! Beth
I hope this recipe is like the one you remembered, Beth. This is one my mother made when I was growing up.