Many Mexican meals benefit from the addition of Spanish rice. It’s really well cooked in the rice cooker, and it’s a quick and easy way to make a tasty side dish when making Mexican food for supper. It can also be transformed into a terrific main meal, especially if you add some great-tasting toppings.
If you’d like to learn how best to cook Spanish rice in a rice cooker, this article will teach you all you need to do. We advise that you pay attention to our helpful tips, timing guidelines, and ingredient suggestions in order to get the best out of your recipe.
Tips for Cooking Spanish Rice in a Rice Cooker
The following tips, suggestions, and recommendations are necessary to help you through the process of cooking Spanish rice in a rice cooker, so we advise that you pay close attention:
If you’re not a fan of mushy rice – Many people dread creating Spanish rice recipes because it has a tendency to become mushy. There is, however, a simple solution to avoid this.
Make the extra effort of browning the Spanish rice in a frying pan before you begin to cook it in the liquid inside your rice cooker. Preheat the pan first, add the oil, then pour in the rice and toss it around to coat all of the individual grains in oil. Afterward, over medium heat, cook it until it begins to brown. When it begins to brown, transfer the browned rice to your rice cooker and begin to add the remaining ingredients.
Some ingredients to try – There are so many ingredients to explore with Spanish rice recipes; some of such suggestions have been described below:
- Add some diced jalapeno peppers, onions, and tomatoes to your Spanish rice if you’d like a fiery kick in the end results. With younger or older kinds of jalapenos, the heat level can typically be modified. Jalapenos that are older are significantly spicier than those that are younger. You may also add additional spiciness by leaving the jalapeno seeds in.
- When putting onions and tomatoes in your Spanish rice in the rice cooker, another set of ingredients you can also introduce are corn and black beans. If you’re making a Spanish rice and chicken recipe, introducing corn and beans is a particularly great idea. It’s also nice to serve your cooked Spanish rice with some guacamole and sour cream, as well as some cooked chicken over the top of the rice.
- Other vegetables, such as diced bell peppers, can also be added at the same time as the onions and tomatoes.
- For a burst of delicious citrus flavors, you can also add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to cooked Spanish rice.
Dealing with leftovers – The worst thing about rice left to keep in the fridge is that it loses a lot of its water content and tends to dry up. Therefore, when reheating the rice, it is important to rehydrate it a little.
It’s pretty much quick and easy to reheat your cooked Spanish rice in the microwave. TO do this, simply put the rice in a microwave-safe bowl and add a few tablespoons of water (you can also use chicken broth) to the rice. The quantity of liquid you should use will depend on how much-cooked rice you plan to heat up. Cover the bowl with a microwave oven lid or place another bowl upside down on top of the rice bowl. Reheat the rice for about 1 minute in the microwave. The time may need to be a bit longer, however, depending on the amount of rice you’re reheating.
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Cooking Time for Spanish Rice in a Rice Cooker
Ideally, you should follow the timing guidelines in the table below if you’d like to achieve desirable results when cooking Spanish rice in a rice cooker:
| Cooking procedure | Cooking time |
| Cooking Spanish rice in a rice cooker | 25 to 30 minutes |
Rice Cooker Spanish Rice (6 to 8 Servings)
Ingredients
- 2 cups of long grain rice
- 1 cup of water
- 1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce
- 14 ounces of Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, with juice
- 1⁄4 cup of salsa (this can be blended if preferred)
- 3⁄4 teaspoon of cumin
- 2 teaspoons of chili powder
- 3⁄4 teaspoon of garlic salt
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of dried onion (it’s also possible to use fresh onions if you prefer)
- 3⁄4 teaspoon of salt (optional ingredient)
- 1⁄2 cup of water
- 1 small green pepper, diced (optional)
- 1(4 ounces) can of diced green chilies (optional)
Instructions
- Cooking spray should first be used to coat the rice cooker before the cooking process begins.
- Combine the rice, 1 cup of water, and all the remaining ingredients into the rice cooker. Stir the mixture properly afterward.
- Check the rice when the cooking cycle has almost gotten completed. If you deem it necessary, pour in an extra ½ cup of water. Typically, the amount of water you’ll need to cook the rice sufficiently will depend on the type of rice you’re using in your recipe.
- Cook the rice until the cooking liquid has been properly absorbed into the grains in the rice cooker. Using a fork, fluff the mixture.
- Serve the cooked rice warm, either as a side dish or as a filling for tacos or burritos. This rice can also be eaten as is, it’s delicious either way.
At the end of your cooking with the rice cooker, you’ll have on your hands deliciously cooked Spanish rice that you and your family are sure to love. Feel free to try any other ingredient variations that come to mind, just verify that it works well with your recipe first.
If you’d like to explore more ideas for cooking Spanish rice in a rice cooker, we advise that you watch this video recipe for some inspiration.
Notes
- Brown rice can be substituted for white rice in Spanish rice dishes. This would however necessitate the addition of one extra cup of water.
- In place of ordinary water, you can use vegetable or chicken stock, or you could use bouillon cubes and water. The end outcome will be different, even more delicious.
- The quantity of chili powder you need to use will typically be determined by your personal preference. Start with 2 teaspoons first, then adjust the amount as needed based on your own tastes.