Easy Mexican Salsa Rice (Quick Spanish Rice) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is there a difference between Mexican rice and Spanish rice? ›

Spanish rice has a firmer texture and stronger aroma compared to Mexican rice, it gets its sweet yet savory flavor as well as its golden color from saffron. As it is more absorbent, Spanish rice is also better suited for dishes that need to be slow cooked.

Run cool water over the rice to remove extra starch. This will prevent the rice from sticking together and becoming mushy. If you are using a pan, pour out the water and fill it up again. Rinse it out again once or twice before cooking.

Add lots of pepper. Stir in a couple of tablespoons minced fresh herbs, ideally warmed first in melted butter. Cook a couple of tablespoons minced garlic, leek, scallion, or shallot in olive oil or butter until just soft to add while fluffing. Add lemon juice to taste (great with butter and pepper).

The most popular type of rice used in Mexico is a medium long grain rice. Two types are cultivated in Mexico, Sinaloa (long grain) and Morelos (short grain). Rice is served as a food, in and of itself, in Mexican meals.

For tender grains of rice that easily separate, such as in a pilaf, use 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice. You can also use another liquid like stock in this 2:1 ratio. For slightly chewier, fluffy white rice, use 1 1/2 cups of water for every cup of rice, or a 1.5:1 ratio.

If your rice is really wet and mushy, you probably added too much water and/or overcooked it. This recipe is kindly sponsored by Mahatma® Rice. I carry their products in my kitchen at all times!

Because you use too much water. The ratio is 2 cups water per 1 cup rice. When you add the water lower the flame to medium and cover the pot. **in case your rice has absorbed an excessive amount of liquid, the grains can also have cut up and the starches may also have given the rice a soft, gluey consistency**.

Cook the rice properly - Undercooked or overcooked rice can have a bitter taste. Make sure you cook the rice properly to the right tenderness and texture.

Do Mexicans wash rice before cooking? ›

Mexican rice is prepared by rinsing and briefly soaking medium grained white rice and then toasting the rice in a heavy saucepan with fat, such as lard or cooking oil.

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; season with onion powder and garlic powder. Stir in rice and cook until golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in water and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Absolutely! Toasting the rice in olive oil, onion, and garlic will amp up the flavor of the rice in addition to slightly reducing the cooking time and keeping the rice grains from clumping together. The rice should be toasted until it starts to smell nutty and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

As the Spaniards continued their travels around the world, they visited Asia, and from there they brought back wheat and rice to Mexico. Since the Spanish originally introduced rice to Mexico, it makes sense that a traditional rice dish would be called "Spanish rice."

The variations between dialects are mainly slang, accent and local vocabulary. Spanish is almost the same in all Spanish speaking countries. The difference between Spain Spanish and Mexican Spanish or any other Latin American country is similar to the difference between British English and American English.

Saffron is the holy-grail ingredient that makes Spanish rice all that it is. It gives it a semi-sweet flavor that is delicate and complex. Besides the sweet, it also has earthy and floral tones. Let's not forget its vibrant yellow color.

Best substitute for paella rice is risotto rice (arborio rice) which has similar characteristics ie. ability to absorb lots of liquid, except risotto goes creamy if you stir it. The next best is medium grain rice – the same rice I use for rice pudding.