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A Spanish Rice side dish recipe cooked on the stove with Rotel tomatoes and simple spices that's perfectly seasoned and easy to prepare.
Author: Mandy Rivers | Published: 9/22/26This easy stovetop recipe goes perfectly with so many meals! From Southern favorites like pork chops and smoked sausage to Mexican recipes like carnitas and enchiladas, this is a recipe that is super handy to have around!
You can jazz this up by using fresh garlic (I use garlic powder to keep things easy) or by adding a bit of bacon (or bacon grease!).
You can make this into a main dish by adding sausage and ham... though if you're thinking about doing that, I'd use my recipe for Spanish Rice with Ham as it's a little more authentic (and it's one of my very favorite meals!).
Rice with tomatoes can lean very Southern. Traditional Spanish Rice doesn't make you think of the South but we have a long history of combining rice and tomatoes (even if it's just to add sliced fresh tomatoes to the table if we're serving any sort of rice).
I grew up eating Stewed Tomato Gravy over rice and make something very similar to this we simply call Tomato Rice using plain canned diced tomatoes (not Rotel) without all the spices (just salt and pepper).
We also have something called Red Rice in the Lowcountry (the area spanning near and between Charleston and Savannah) which is verrrry similar to Spanish Rice but with Gullah and Geechee roots.
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT THAN TRADITIONAL?
A few things actually! Traditional Spanish rice has fresh green bell peppers (sometimes celery too) and most often, some sort of smoked meat. It is often baked too (but not always).
- No Green Bell Peppers - This recipe was made to be QUICK and EASY so we use canned Rotel tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chili peppers), letting the green chili peppers in the Rotel sub in for the green bell peppers.
- No Meat - Since this is a side dish AND it was created to be made quickly, there's no ham, bacon or sausage. You'll be serving this alongside a main dish which will likely be a protein or have lots of meat in it.
- Stovetop Recipe - Many (not all - don't yell at me) traditional Spanish Rice recipes bake in the oven but this recipe cooks up quickly on the stove.
COUNTRY-STYLE FOOD I LIKE TO SERVE IT WITH
As I mentioned above, Southerners love tomatoes and rice and here are some of the dishes I like to serve this easy version of Spanish rice with:
- Smoked Sausage - cooked in a skillet, broiled or even grilled
- Baked Country-Style Ribs - baked low and slow with BBQ sauce
- Ham Steak - pan-fried whole or cut into smaller servings.
- Pork Chops - season with S&P then just pan-fry in a little oil
- Salmon Patties - tomatoes and rice just go with salmon patties for me
- Chicken Fritters - similar to salmon patties but with canned chicken
MEXICAN DISHES THAT GO GREAT WITH IT
Because this is so much like Mexican Rice, it's perfect for serving with your favorite Mexican recipes. I often serve this when I make these dishes:
- Carnitas - Slow cooked pork perfect with crispy bits!
- Taco Night - try it with your favorite tacos or try my Crock Pot Chicken Tacos and Chipotle Chicken Tacos to change things up!
- Dishes like Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas and Smothered Beef & Bean Burrito Bake
7 TIPS AND NOTES
- You can use any variety Rotel Tomatoes (mild, original, hot or fire-roasted). I use original and do not find the rice to be overly spicy.
- If you have time (and energy), fresh garlic can be used instead of garlic powder. Add 1 tablespoon when you add the rice to the onions.
- Bacon grease or butter can be subbed for the olive oil.
- If using Jasmine rice, check after 15 minutes as it will probably be ready due to shorter cooking time.
- A tablespoon more oil will give the rice a nice chewy texture (like Mexican rice).
- I like to cut any oversized tomato chunks if present so that all the tomato pieces are small and uniform in size.
- If using jasmine rice, reduce water to 1.5 cups and cooking time to 15 minutes.
Recipe for Spanish Rice with Rotel
Easy Spanish Rice with Rotel
A Spanish Rice side dish recipe cooked on the stove with Rotel tomatoes and simple spices that's perfectly seasoned and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 2 cups water (see notes)
Instructions
- Sauté onion in olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat 2 minutes then add rice (dry, uncooked). Using a fork to stir the bottom, cook rice until fragrant and just starting to brown (about 3 more minutes). 1/2 onion, 3 Tbsp oil, 1 c. rice
- Add Rotel (with juices) and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally with a fork to ensure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom. 1 can Rotel, 1 tsp each salt & garlic, 1/2 tsp each pepper & paprika, 1/4 tsp each oregano & thyme, 2 c. water
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid then cook 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir with a fork occasionally the first 15 minutes of cooking then do not stir the rice or uncover the pan.
- Fluff with a fork then serve.
Notes
- If using jasmine rice, reduce water to 1.5 cups and cooking time to 15 minutes.
- Use any variety Rotel Tomatoes (10-oz can).
- Don't rinse the rice - it needs to go in dry.
- I don't know how to convert this recipe for Minute Rice or brown rice.
Author: Mandy Rivers
