• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Become a Better Cook in 4 days!

Join Now!

A Family Feast®

Delicious Recipes for Everyday Meals and Special Occasions

  • Recipe Index
  • Course
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Beverage
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
      • Brownies & Bars
      • Cakes & Cupcakes
      • Cookies
      • Custards, Mousses, & Puddings
      • Frozen Treats & Ice Cream
      • Pies & Tarts
      • All Desserts
    • Dressings & Sauces
      • Condiments
      • Dips
      • Jams & Jellies
      • Salad Dressing
      • Sauces
      • All Dressings & Sauces
    • Entrée
      • Burgers, Paninis, & Sandwiches
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
      • All Entrées
    • Salad
    • Side Dish
    • Soup
  • Ingredient
    • Apple
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Meatless
    • Pork
    • Pumpkin
    • Seafood
    • Tomatoes
    • Turkey
    • Zucchini
  • Cuisine
    • Asian
    • French
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
    • New England Classics
    • Polish

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

Youtube

Search
Easy Dinners
Comfort Food
Italian Favorites
Mexican
Shop Our Kitchen
About Us
Latest Recipes
Spanish Rice - A Family Feast

Spanish Rice

3 /5
Jump to Recipe
Home Side Dish

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Spanish Rice - A Family Feast

Spanish Rice – not to be confused with Mexican rice (see here) – is a wonderfully aromatic dish that gets its bright yellow color from saffron.

Sure – you can use turmeric to give it a similar yellow color if you can’t get saffron – but saffron, with its distinctive and delicious flavor really makes this dish! A little bit of saffron goes a long way so you only need a little. And while saffron has a reputation for being very expensive, we were able to find a bottle of saffron in our local supermarket with 4 vials of saffron threads for just $9.99. (Each vial shown here contains about a quarter teaspoon and we used one vial for this recipe.)

Spanish Rice - A Family Feast

Traditionally, Spanish Rice also includes onions , garlic and some sort of chili pepper (we used jalapeño pepper in this version). Spanish rice is typically cooked with chicken stock however vegetable stock would work just fine if you prefer a vegetarian version.  Our recipe also includes a few non-traditional ingredients (such as diced fresh tomatoes and orange bell pepper, plus a light sprinkle of cilantro for garnish) in addition to the more traditional Spanish rice ingredients – but we think you’ll really enjoy the results!

Spanish Rice - A Family Feast

We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!

recipe
Spanish Rice - A Family Feast
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 3 from 2 reviews

Spanish Rice

Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Prep: 15 minsCook: 45 minsTotal: 1 hour
Pin for Later Rate Recipe Print
Units:
Scale:

Ingredients

  • 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups diced onion
  • 1 cup Basmati or long grain white rice
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups diced fresh tomato
  • 1 large orange bell pepper seeded stemmed and diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, stemmed and minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Two tablespoons minced cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place a few tablespoons of warm tap water into a small bowl and add the saffron threads to steep.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  3. In a small Dutch oven or other oven proof pan with a lid, heat oil over medium high heat.
  4. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
  5. Lower heat to medium and add rice. Stir often for 5 minutes or until rice has just started to brown.
  6. Add stock and all other ingredients including the small bowl with saffron threads and water and stir to combine.
  7. Cover and place in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven and keep covered for five more minutes.
  9. Fluff with a fork, garnish with optional chopped cilantro and serve.

Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.


Did you make this?

We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!

Rate Recipe

Tag Us on Instagram

You may also like:

Rice Pilaf

Rice Pilaf - A Family Feast

Mexican Rice

Mexican Rice - A Family Feast

Nourishing Rice (Arroz con Sustancia)

Nourishing Rice (Arroz de Sustancia) - A Family Feast

Greek Rice (Spanakorizo)

Greek Rice (Spanakorizo) - A Family Feast

12.2K shares
  • Share
  • Email

Martha

Martha is part of the husband-wife team that creates A Family Feast. She loves to cook and entertain for family and friends, and she believes that serving a great meal is one of the best ways to show someone that you care. Martha is a self-taught home cook, who loves to read cookbooks and try new recipes. After a decades-long career in business and online marketing, she now runs A Family Feast full-time. Her specialties are baking, desserts, vegetables and pasta dishes.

Read more...
Updated: 1/23/23

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Red says

    Posted on 11/2/22 at 2:53 pm

    Jalapeno pepper in Spanish rice? I don’t think Spanish people eat jalapeno peppers that would be Mexico

    Reply
    • Martha says

      Posted on 11/2/22 at 8:29 pm

      Thanks for your feedback Red.

      Reply
  2. Elisabeth Sedman says

    Posted on 9/7/19 at 10:23 am

    Tasty recipe. I didn’t use a Dutch oven because I needed to make a big batch for a party. Everyone loved it. I left out the tomatoes because I don’t like it in my rice. Will be making it again. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
    • Martha says

      Posted on 9/8/19 at 6:46 am

      You’re welcome Elisabeth! Glad you all enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  3. Dinah says

    Posted on 8/29/18 at 1:56 pm

    Do you have to make sure the rice is soft before placing it in the oven or the oven makes it soft

    Reply
    • Martha says

      Posted on 8/29/18 at 3:09 pm

      Hi Dinah – The rice will cook in the oven so it doesn’t need to be soft beforehand. Enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Ronnie says

    Posted on 10/1/14 at 7:15 am

    Less expensive way to get saffron is go to either a Persian or Indian grocery store. Typically it is much cheaper if purchased there. My son’s mother-in-law is Persian and she uses it in most of her delicious dishes and always has a generous supply. This recipe is a must try as I also love anything with saffron.

    Reply
    • Martha says

      Posted on 10/1/14 at 8:41 am

      Thanks for the tip Ronnie! Great idea!

      Reply
  5. Amy@theidearoom says

    Posted on 9/26/14 at 9:57 pm

    This looks so beautiful and tasty! I want to make some right now! Pinned!

    Reply
    • Martha says

      Posted on 9/27/14 at 6:43 am

      Thank you Amy!

      Reply
  6. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says

    Posted on 9/6/14 at 8:05 am

    I saw this rice on Pinterest and had to come over! I love saffron and this rice looks absolutely perfect and flavorful! yumm!

    Reply
    • Martha says

      Posted on 9/6/14 at 8:39 am

      Thanks Alice!

      Reply
  7. Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats says

    Posted on 9/5/14 at 2:18 pm

    Yes please! Love spanish rice, this sounds awesome Martha!

    Reply
    • Martha says

      Posted on 9/5/14 at 7:20 pm

      Thanks Krista!

      Reply
  8. Christie - Food Done Light says

    Posted on 9/5/14 at 9:35 am

    I love the color and flavors of this rice. Saffron can be so expensive but locally a little goes a long way. Costco use to carry it at a great price but I haven’t seen it lately. This is the perfect dish to use it.

    Reply
    • Martha says

      Posted on 9/5/14 at 9:58 am

      Thanks Christie! I’ll have to see if my local Costco carries it – love the flavor and I’d definitely cook with it more often if I could find it at a cheaper price!

      Reply

sidebar

about

Join Us In The Kitchen!

We’re so happy to have you join us in the kitchen, and we hope you’ll visit us anytime you are looking for delicious, kitchen-tested recipes for everyday meals and special occasions. Read More

Follow Us On Instagram

Reader Favorites

Mexican Pulled Chicken

Mexican Pulled Chicken

Keto Sheet Pan Pizza

Keto Sheet Pan Pizza

New England Lobster Roll - A Family Feast

New England Lobster Roll

Copycat Willow Tree Chicken Salad

Perfect Holiday Ham - A Family Feast

Become A Better Cook In 4 Days!

Our tried-and-true cooking secrets + our favorite go-to recipes.

Loading

Trending Now

Perfect Pork Chops - A Family Feast

Perfect Pork Chops

Easy Rotisserie Chicken Tacos - A Family Feast

Easy Rotisserie Chicken Tacos

Pan Seared Halibut with Lemon Caper Sauce

Pan Seared Halibut with Lemon Caper Sauce

Nutella Crunch Ice Cream Cake - A Family Feast

Nutella Crunch Ice Cream Cake

Tuscan Roasted Carrots - A Family Feast

Side Dish

Beef Teriyaki Vegetables - A Family Feast

Healthy

Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup - A Family Feast

Slow Cooker

King Ranch Chicken - A Family Feast

Casseroles

Stuffed Shells - A Family Feast

Italian

Mexican Lasagna - A Family Feast

Mexican

As Seen In:

better homes gardens
country living
good housekeeping
buzzfeed
delish
cooking secrets and favorite recipes

Become A Better Cook in 4 Days

Our tried-and-true cooking secrets + our favorite go-to recipes.

Loading

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

Youtube

Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclosure
Contact
© 2025 A Family Feast®
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top

Back to Top
12.2K shares