How To Make My Best Spanish Rice Recipe

A favorite side dish around these parts is my newest and best Spanish rice recipe. You many be thinking…it’s just rice, right? But cooked up with bone broth, smothered in butter or coconut oil, seasoned with savory flavors, and finished with fermented fish sauce – my picky kids devour this stuff while I sit by, thrilled they are eating my secret superfood.

See, homemade stock (unlike the kind you buy in the store) is packed with nutritional goodness, especially important for growing kids. Read more about the wonders of bone broth and how to make it here. If you want the health benefits of bone broth but don’t want to make your own, you can buy bone broth online here. Add a cultured condiment like fish sauce and their tummies are getting an infusion of probiotic goodness.

If you feel conflicted about whether to use brown rice or white – go for white. White rice tastes better and it's easier to digest.

Pair my best Spanish rice recipe with fiesta enchiladas and some cultured chipotle salsa or just enjoy it on its own. Who knew rice could be so bueno?

Homemade spanish rice ingredients

2 cups of white basmati rice*
3 cups of chicken or beef broth
6 T. of butter or coconut oil
1 large onion, minced
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 7-8 ounces jar of tomato paste
2 T. of ground cumin
2 T. of fresh lime juice
1 cup of cilantro, minced
2 T. fermented fish sauce (this is my favorite)
Sea salt or more fish sauce to taste

*I prefer using white rice to brown and you can read why here. If you prefer to use brown rice, first soak it overnight with a splash of lemon juice, whey (or previous batch of reserved soaking water which you can read at the end of this post) then rinse well and use an extra cup of broth for cooking.

Homemade spanish rice method

Rinse rice well, and cook in broth until light and fluffy.
Meanwhile, in a large pan, cook onions in butter or coconut oil until translucent. Add garlic, tomato paste, and cumin. Cook for one minute.
Stir in cooked rice, lime juice, cilantro and fish sauce. Mix until well combined and season with sea salt and extra fish sauce to taste.

Active time: 10 min. Total time: 25 min.