Slow Cooker Mexican Rice (Spanish Rice) – Have you ever wanted to know how easy it is to make restaurant-style Spanish rice at home? Now you can! It’s so simple and easy and so much better than Knorr’s packaged Spanish rice. This fool-proof recipe starts with the basic pantry ingredients and ends with fluffy, tender, sweet, and spicy rice!
For a couple of years, I have started an addiction to Mexican food. Whenever we go out for date night on Friday’s, I always suggest a local Mexican restaurant down the street or my favorite brewpub. As I think about it I wouldn’t necessarily call it an addiction, maybe love, but I just crave it every week.
I have fallen head over heels in love with their Mexican rice or Spanish rice, depending on what you call it. It’s tender, moist, but it’s missing something. After I had started to experiment with my homemade Mexican rice, I knew it was missing a little flavor and a little heat. We love spicier things in my family.
If you like Mexican-style dishes, try out favorite Mexican Skillet Pie! So good.
With it being late Winter, I knew I wouldn’t be able to find juicy and flavorful fresh tomatoes, so I stuck to canned diced tomatoes with green chilies included to add a little kick. I was a little disappointed after tasting and then added another can of diced green chilies. Perfect! Just what we were after.
It’s tender, sweet from the tomatoes, and a bit spicy from the jalapeno and green chilies. One bite satisfies all of your taste buds; I know it did mine! I had to taste a little bit even though I am on the keto diet. Hubby LOVES it.
For the slow cooker, I used my favorite 2-quart. If you have a 3-quart, that should be okay, as well. If you do not have one already, I highly recommend investing in one. It’s perfect for slow cooker rice dishes and dips! Mmmmm!
Slow Cooker Mexican Rice (Spanish Rice) - Have you ever wanted to know how easy it is to make restaurant-style Spanish rice at home? Now you can! It's so simple and easy and so much better than Knorr's packaged Spanish rice. This fool-proof recipe starts with the basic pantry ingredients and ends with fluffy, tender, sweet, and spicy rice!
- 1 cup short-grain white rice
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- ยฝ cup canned diced tomatoes
- 4 oz can diced green chilies
- ยฝ jalapeno de-seeded and diced
- ยฝ tsp salt
- ยผ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- ยฝ tsp chili powder
- ยฝ tsp dried oregano
- fresh cilantro, to garnish
- sliced limes, to garnish
Spray non-stick cooking spray all around your slow cooker crock.
Place the white rice, chicken stock, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with green chilies, diced green chilies, jalapeno, salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano into at least a 2-quart or 3-quart slow cooker.
Cook on high for 2ยฝ hours or on low for 5 hours.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge.
Nutrition estimated is based upon the brands I used. Yours may vary depending on brands.
HI ๐ This looks great but I need to triple this recipe, do you have any advice?
Hi, Angela! I would use a much larger slow cooker (5-6 quart) and experimenting with the time. Hope that helps!
Hi there, I would like to know in the ingredient list it calls a half cups of diced tomatoes with green chilis and then it says 1 4 oz can of diced green chilis…So you dice up a fresh tomato and add plain green chilis the same amount 1/2 cup and then also the can of diced green chilis? Sorry I’m confused lol Thank you
Hi Eva! Thank you for pointing this out to me. I purchased a can of diced tomatoes and only used 1/2 cup. The recipe is updated now.
Hello –
Just to clarify – the rice is regular, not instant rice. Correct? Would the recipe change if I used whole grain brown rice instead of white?
Thanks,
Just regular white rice, Amy. I haven’t tried making it with brown rice before. Brown rice tends to take a little longer to cook, so I would cook it for a bit longer until it’s tender. Enjoy!
I have this in the slow cooker now , but had to make adjustments as my son is very allergic to tomatoes, but loves Mexican food ,I left out all the tomatoes, and just added 2 cups of chicken stock, and all the spices listed above , it smells wonderful !
/Delicious, easy, but next time I’m using half the cumin.
Any idea if you can make this the night before and warm up the next day for a potluck?
You sure can, Stephanie! If it gets a little try in the refrigerator, I would add a little more chicken stock, if needed. Enjoy!
First time I tried a Mexican rice recipe, dam delicious.I love it