My mom is a phenomenal cook. Growing up she would regularly make dishes from all around the world and it’s no wonder I’ve acquired the same passion for international cuisine. She would make authentic dishes from various regions of the world and then incorporate those flavors and styles into her own recipes.
Among our favorite dishes were some of her very quick and simple ones that she’d make on busy weeknights. Her Spanish Steaks are one example – super easy to make but thoroughly mouth-watering and a dish we always looked forward to. The aroma the floods the house as these are cooking is simply heavenly!
Another one we really loved was a simple dish she called “Spanish Rice.” This one-pot meal is full of flavor, hearty and satisfying, and takes just minutes to make. It’s also a great dish to double up and have as convenient leftovers the next day. This Spanish Rice is a nostalgic dish for me because it’s one of the very first dishes I helped my mom make. As a 4 and 5 year old I’d sit up on the kitchen counter, eager to help, and my mom would give me the task of browning the ground beef and stir in the remaining ingredients. It gave me a sense of achievement to see the finished dish come together and inspired my future appetite for cooking.
Easy and delicious, this Spanish Rice is sure to become part of your busy weeknight meal rotation!
Let’s get started!
Brown the ground beef in a stock pot until most of the pink is gone. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the bell peppers and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Stir in the spices and add the rice.
Add the V8 juice and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
Serve as a main dish with salad.
Enjoy!
Spanish Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 14 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- best homemade chili powder (highly recommended)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups rice
- 1 46 ounce bottle V8 100% Vegetable Juice (about 5 1/2 cups)
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a stock pot until most of the pink is gone. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Stir in the spices and the rice.
- Add the V8 juice and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Ken says
Try using salsa whatever heat range you like a great substitute
Linda Bryan says
I made this version of Spanish Rice for a church dinner and received many compliments. It was a little different and was reported as DELICIOUS. I doubled the recipe and was able to freeze
a little. I used brown rice and cooked it a little longer. It has become a favorite meal for me. Passed the recipe to a few friends who enjoyed it at the church dinner. Thank you!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Linda, I’m so happy it was a hit, thank you very much!
Darlene Brown says
I use real garlic and real onions in mine. also, a can of Rotel drained. If I want a kick to it, I use Rotel hot (drained) or jalapeno
Sheri Boren says
I’m being nice with the 3 stars, I followed the directions exactly, and my rice came out gummy, and I used a good rice. I ended up adding more seasoning because I wanted a little more. Thank you so much, for a classic recipe, look forward to trying more recipes.
Wendy says
La receta es muy buena, pero tu mami le puso español como le pudo poner irlandés ja ja ja ja. El consumo de arroz en España es muy alto y de mil maneras desde el tÃpico arroz blanco pasando por las paellas, arroz con costra, arroz a banda(no tiene música ja ja ja ja, aunque al comer oigas una sinfonÃa de lo delicioso que está), nunca se me hubiera ocurrido mezclarlo con carne picada pero debe de estar delicioso. Lo que sà hice una vez que querÃa cambiar un poco es con atún en aceite y hiervas mediterráneas, la locura!. Son de esos inventos que se te ocurren de repente y funcionan
Cuidaros mucho y Gracias
Sandy says
I make this as directed, EXCEPT I double the seasonings. We like a bigger punch in the flavor. Otherwise, we love it. Is easy. My grandkids love help making it. I’ve added it to my FAVORITES.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s fantastic, Sandy, I’m glad you all enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback!
Denise says
How would you adjust to make 1/2 recipe?
MEL THOMPSON says
What I love about Spanish Rice (not Mexican Rice), is the variety of ingredients that can be added or subtracted. My wife leaves out the peppers, adds diced ham, Vienna Sausage, and sometimes frozen Okra. And the leftovers are even tastier! Oh, did I forget? Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, Tabasco, and with garlic/cheese toast on the side.
Patricia says
This sounds very mich like a recipe my mom
made back in the 60s / 70s, except she used
plain tomato juice and much fewer peppers
(family preference). My 11 year old brother
swore he coulld smell it cooking from his bus
stop in the afternoon. With 5 kids there were
never any leftovers.
Mel says
Looks like a great recipe. Just wondering what kind of rice you use.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mel, the amount of liquid and cooking time are both calculated for white rice. You can use any kind of white rice you like, I used long-grain rice this time.