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.
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Jen says
I was looking for something to make after the holiday leftovers were over and this is exactly the change we need. Looks fantastic!
Michelle Goth says
Homemade spanish rice is the only spanish rice I’ll eat! There’s nothing like it!
Jim Watkins says
You list diced tomatoes but don’t say when to add them. I assume along with the V8 juice. Also 6 cups of liquid seems a lot for 2cups of rice. Does that all get absorbed without leaving the rice sticky?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jim, thanks for catching that – yes, it’s added with the juice. And yes, the liquid is all absorbed and will continue to absorb the longer the dish sits.
Rosa parks says
he said 1 14ounce can of diced tomatoes
Karin says
This sounds good wrapped up as a burrito with cheese. Any thoughts?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s a great idea, Karin, yum!
Barbara says
Can I cook this thing in the slow cooker?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Barbara, I haven’t tried it but yes, that would work. At the point where you add the tomatoes and juice, transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for about 2.5-3 hours or on LOW for 4-5 hours.
Valerie | Valerie's Kitchen says
This would make even simple grilled chicken into a super delicious meal. Love it!
Amy @ Little Dairy on the Prairie says
This rice is sure to be a hit at my house! Yum!
Poonam dutta says
Hi , is There a substitute to vegetable Joyce? I won’t get it locally where I stay. Will chicken stock or veg stock work?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Poonam, the vegetable juice is tomato-based with multiple other vegetables in it – it has a completely different flavor than chicken or vegetable stock. At the very minimum I’d recommend using tomato juice but just know that it won’t taste the same or as good.
Karin says
Here is a recipe for homemade V8 juice. It’s a lot more work than just buying a bottle, and I’m surprised you can’t find it locally. This recipe only makes 10 ounces, so you’d have to multiply everything by 5, and then measure out 6 cups for the recipe.
Homemade V8 Juice
Serves 1
4 cups tomato, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
Small sliver of beet (mostly for color)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
1 cup water, divided
1/4 cup spinach
1 tablespoon parsley
Combine the tomatoes, carrots, beet, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Let simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add the spinach and parsley and simmer for another five minutes, keeping the pan covered. Remove from heat and let cool for ten minutes. Pour in blender, add remaining 1/2 cup of water, and purée until smooth — about two minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and serve chilled. (Makes about 10 ounces.)
Recipe Notes
This recipe is really versatile — play with it! Try adding other vegetables, particularly greens or herbs. My two favorite add-ins (separately) were cayenne and mint. The cayenne adds the perfect kick, and mint put a fresh, light spin on traditional V8.
Recipe keeps for about a week, refrigerated. It will separate, so shake well before serving!
Poonam Nandi says
Hi Karin , Thanks!
I am in India . There are no. of veg juices available in the market , but none are named V8!! Unless I knew about the constituents of V8 , it would have been impossible to make it at home or to buy from market the right combination.
Thanks again!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Poonam, if you do make it yourself be sure to add celery to it, it’s a vital flavor component of V8 juice.
Karin says
Glad to help. For added kick, add some peppers. In America we have a Spicy V8 which I use to make chili.
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
My Hubby is a huge fan of Spanish rice! This looks crazy delicious!
Krista says
I love a good rice dish! This looks so good!
michael bullers says
How many millilitres are there in an American cup?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Michael, I just Googled it and it’s 237 ml.
Kim says
I made this tonight for the first time and I can say it will be in frequent rotation for quick week night meals. Super easy to put together although i had to cook a bit longer than 20 minutes it was fabulous.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Kim, thank you! It sounds like you used brown rice? That usually takes at least 30 minutes. By the way, I have not forgotten about the treacle pudding or mulligatawny :) They’re still on my list to make!
Kim says
I used white rice – I just don’t think I brought it to a rolling boil prior to reducing the heat. Long day and I was hungry :)
My pudding steamer is ready!
Steveo says
Just made this and the time and recipe was right on the money. I just put in a little more rice (to my preference) but it was very simple and quick to make. Another go-to meal.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Steveo, thank you!
Susan says
This sounds almost exactly like what my mom served in the 60’s & 70’s, except that she started with already-cooked rice (she’d cleverly made extra for a previous meal), used only canned tomatoes and not V-8, and I’m sure that she didn’t use that variety of herbs & spices. I’d wondered about the name – “Spanish Rice” – thinking that it wasn’t really Spanish. Now I know!
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.
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 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.
Denise says
How would you adjust to make 1/2 recipe?