Mexican Rice or Spanish Rice? What do you call it? Some people refer to Mexican rice as Spanish rice, though. Spanish rice can include saffron, and often times there is cumin in Mexican rice (source). My dad is Mexican. I am half-Mexican (you can read more about me here if you’d like). And we use cumin, so we call it Mexican rice.
Well, I grew up eating Mexican Rice ALL. OF. THE. TIME. My dad made it so much and in such large quantities that there were leftovers galore. When I was going to community college I would eat it for dinner one night, and being the lazy efficient and resourceful student I was, I would bring it for lunch, and then have it for another meal or two after. Needless to say, I got a bit tired of it, and subsequently took a long break from it. I mean a REALLY LONG break from it. Honestly, I haven’t had Mexican rice in close to twenty years, but I just recently broke my streak earlier this year.
How often do us moms not make something for our families because we don’t like it? Anyone else guilty out there? I have starting thinking that I really shouldn’t deny my family different foods that I am not excited about, so I started making Mexican rice (and now I buy olives for the fam…and I am going to buy mushrooms soon because my seven year old keeps asking-seriously). Now that I cook plain rice in the slow cooker all of the time, I thought it would be a fabulous recipe to throw in the crock-pot.
I can’t believe how easy it is to make this rice in the crock-pot. You can skip the steps of browning the rice, and sautéing the onions and bell pepper. I have made the rice in the crock without browning the rice and it still turns out great, but the browning of the rice and sautéing the veggies brings another layer of flavor to the dish that improves the quality of crock-pot cooking. I can actually say I like Mexican rice now. Just don’t give it to me two days in a row:).
This recipe is an adaption of my dad’s and mom’s recipe to the crock-pot, of course.
Crock-pot Mexican Rice or Spanish Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked basmati or long or short grain brown rice
- 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth for vegan or water
- 1 14.5 ounce can organic diced tomatoes
- 1 medium onion optional sautéed
- 1 bell bell pepper optional sautéed
- 2 t chili powder
- 2 t cumin
- 1 t sea salt
- 2 T fresh cilantro
Instructions
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Optional, heat 2 T of oil (olive or grape seed) in a skillet and brown the rice for additional flavor.
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Place all ingredients in a greased slow cooker except cilantro.
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Stir, cover, and cook on high for 2.5-3.5 hours, checking after 2 hours to see how well the rice is absorbing the moisture. When the moisture is absorbed and the rice is soften, the rice is done. Add additional water or broth if needed.
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Garnish with cilantro, serve and enjoy!
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I’ll comment here so I remember later. I followed the recipe but had the same problem with the liquid not absorbing after 2.5 hours. I dumped the remainder of the box of vegetable broth and left it another hour. It was okay after that. 7 qt crock pot.
Hi Tiffany. I’m glad you were able to adjust and make it work for you. Thanks for sharing!
Made this yesterday and it was wonderful !! Had some left over cooked chicken breast in the fridge and added it in the last hour. My hubby and boys gobbled it up! Thanks so much Sonja!!
So glad to hear, Michelle. Thanks for sharing!
Followed the directions EXACTLY…when checking it, I had some cooked, some raw, stirred it and added some liquid and cooked another hour, checked and had same deal, with a lot of mushy rice. The flavor was good, however, I will stick to the stove and I am glad that I tried this before making it for the holidays with company and mushy rice to serve not all cooked.
HI Dolores. I’m so glad you tested the recipe first. Some crock-pots aren’t as thorough as others. Thank you for sharing, and I’m sorry your crock-pot didn’t work.
Hi there! I’ve been searching for a Mexican rice crock pot recipe for a Mexican themed Friendsgiving dinner next week. How many people does this recipe typically serve? We have a party of 10-12 and I have options of 2, 4, or 6 quart crock pot. Thanks so much!
Hi Beth. This makes about 6 1/2 cups of rice. So if everyone has 1/2 cup each, you should be just fine. I have used a 4.5 quart and a 6 quart to make these, so either the 4 or 6 will work. Hope you enjoy! I would test it first.
I’ve made this several times and it is delicious! Have you ever tried to cook the rice on low for a longer period of time?
Hi Ashley. I’m so glad you like the recipe! I haven’t made it on low. If you try it, just try to stay around after 4 hours, check it, and then check it every half hour or so. I am guessing 6 hours would do it, but verify it. Thanks for sharing!
how much broth did you end up using? and how many hours did you cook? i really want this slow cooker recipe to work for me because i make this weekly for my family taco tuesdays 😀
I use 2 cups of broth. You can add more if needed if you see the rice absorbing too much and needs more moisture. I cook it for about 2.5 hours. If the crock-pot runs cooler, you might need to cook it longer. Try to stir it as you cook. I bet you can get this to work for you with a little digging on your part.:)
What size CrockPot do you use? I’m thinking about making this next week for a work party and will need to double it. Just don’t want to get started and find out my crockpot is too small. :/ Thanks in advance for your response!!!
Hi Katie. I’ve made this in my 4.5 quart before and my 6 quart. What size crock do you use? I would do a test run first especially if you are doubling it. Hope this helps!
I was wondering how many servings you received from this recipe?
Hi Amber, It serves my family of 5 with leftovers. I hope that helps!
Hi I was curious if you put crock pot on High or Low?
Hi Amanda. We cook it on high.
I have tried these with little success. The rice does not cook. Tomato prevents the cooking of the rice. Anyone have this problem? advice?
Hi Kara. I am sorry to hear you are having issues making Mexican rice. I am just wondering why you think it’s the tomatoes are preventing the rice from cooking. Have you ever made plain rice in the crock-pot? Maybe make sure you can do a plain rice in the crock-pot first?!? Thanks for sharing.
It has always happened to me. When I make say cabbage rolls too. I’ve always had to cook my rice and add tomato later or the rice remains hard in the middle. Acids work differently, acting on starch within cells, preventing it from swelling.
Hi Kara, Then I would just use 4 cups liquid, two cups of rice to cook the recipe, omitting the tomatoes. I would add the tomatoes during the last 15 minutes of cooking then. Hope that works and helps. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Kara, Then I would just use 4 cups liquid, two cups of rice to cook the recipe, omitting the tomatoes during the initial cooking. I would add the tomatoes during the last 15 minutes of cooking then. Hope that works and helps. Thank you for sharing!
I found some rice was mush and others were uncooked. I think rice in a crock pot is just not a good combination. may try this again without the crock pot.
Hi Rachel. I wonder if your crock-pot cooks evenly. Unfortunately they are all different. Usually, I don’t recommend opening the crock and stirring the rice since it will have to cook longer, but maybe you should do that in your case. Maybe stir once an hour and maybe it would be cooked through in closer to 4 hours!?! Or like you said just try it conventionally. Thank you for sharing, Rachel.
Hi. Well, this recipe REALLY bombed for me, same thing that happened to Kara. I had to throw out the whole batch! And then I still had to make another batch to eat. What a waste of time, money, and ingredients!! I’ll stick with stovetop or rice cooker in the future.
Oh dear, Jennifer. I’m sorry to hear that. Unfortunately all crock-pots cook differently. How long did you cook it? I’ve tried it in 2 or 3 different crocks with success. I’ve never made this on the stove top actually. Thank you for sharing.
I was super excited to make spanish rice in a crock pot but it turned out quite badly 🙁 It’s like mush in some parts, and raw in others. I guess I will go back to standing and stirring at the stove. What slow cooker do you have? I wonder if mine is crap 😀
So sorry to hear that! The success of this recipe really depends on your crock-pot. I wonder if the elements of your crock-pot work correctly. I would stir it every hour for even cooking even if it means cooking it longer. I use crock-pot brand crock-pot and have made it in a 4.5 quart, a 5.5 quart and a 6 quart all with similar results.
I’ve always added ground beef to my Spanish rice. Do you think I should brown the beef and add it at the start or wait till the rice is almost cooked? I love your recipes! Thank you for posting them!
Hi Norma. I would brown my ground beef in a skillet and add it add the very end or in the last 15 minutes or so. Hope that helps, and you are welcome!
This Mexican/Spanish rice looks delicious. I haven’t made it in the crock pot yet but plan on doing it very soon!! Found you from the CrockPot Ladies Link Party and so glad I did!! Your photos are gorgeous 🙂
Hi Martha, Hope you enjoy! Thanks so much, and thanks for visiting!
Is basmati rice mexican? It is indian subcontinent rice. all set aside it is pretty good recipe will try using sona masoorie rice.
I don’t know if it’s necessarily Mexican or not, but it does work in this recipe. Thanks for visiting!
This looks wonderful! I love Spanish rice and this looks perfect! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Kelly. You are welcome, and thanks for visiting!
I made this yesterday, guests coming for supper. I omitted the salt and cilantro; mine needed another roughly 2/3 cup broth, though, as it was very sticky when time was up. This made a fabulous layer on my southwest salad last night! Bed of salad fixin’s, topped with home-cooked beans, Mexican Rice, salsa dip (avocado + homemade salsa + lemon juice), black olives, and salsa. Literally the best salad I ever remember eating. Given the fact that I have liked this sort of salad for years, the bell-ringing difference was your Mexican rice. Thanks for posting!!! PS If I’d turned off at 2 1/2 hours it might not have needed more broth; mine cooked more like four hours and was perfect with the added liquid.
My mother made the best Spanish rice I’ve ever had. She always put in one pound of smoked bacon!
This looks delicious! I have a recipe that I use that cooks in the oven in about an hour that is also great, but I will try this version for days I will be away. Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Rebecca. Thank you so much! You’ve gotta love the crock-pot for those times away! Blessings!
can I double the ingredients?
Hi Ronald, I am sure you can double the ingredients, but I don’t know how that would affect the time needed to cook, so just watch the crock-pot if you try it. Sounds great to try it with smoked bacon. Yum!